MD part uno, 2008
Aug. 27th, 2008 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ptpgradDear God but I am tired. That being said, here is the first of the recaps for the MDRF run in 2008. You know the drill, times, order, places and names will be forgotten and misplaced. No insult to anyone…ready? Then away we go…
PREPARATIONS
So the week had been a flurry of preparations, rehearsals, and more importantly, the arrival of our first CD. I spent Tuesday night and Wednesday morning stickering all 978 CDs by hand…yes, either Trinket or I put that special sticker on the cover of those CDs you bought or thought about buying. Then, the last and very special viewing of Romeo and Juliet, which I do recommend if you like Shakespeare, crying, and romance. There are some very good performances in there. Friday was all about getting things set up, going to a friend’s father’s funeral, and getting stuck behind stopped highway traffic as we waited for a medivac chopper to land on 50 about 100 yards before my exit. Don’t get me wrong, I felt awful for whoever was stuck in front of us in duress. I called Trinket and Mirth who were waiting for me so we could rehearse. I had already missed Kitteblue and her lovely creation. We rehearsed till around 7:00 running and recording each of the shows with their changes to make sure we were on time. Finally, off to a dinner of Korean food and last minute errands and finally, a deep blissful sleep (surprisingly).
AND SO IT BEGINS
I still wake a bit slowly as my cat and I had a discussion about when he wanted to be fed in the morning…he won. I get my things together, have my protein shake with pineapple and mango, and head to site. I am in early and saying hello to the night watchman. In I go and walk to Gatehouse. I don’t actually have a show there this year, but it’s the best space to stretch and warm up, so we had agreed to meet there to start our morning. Trinket arrives mid stretch and we do a vocal warm up together while she applies make up. We run one of the shows while I fix my hair and make up to go under my mask and away we go.
RUN AWAY
Yeah, so not ready, She has to run out to her car and I head off to the stage, but soon enough, we are at White Hart. The sound is set up and we have been informed to put our sound plugs into 5 and 6. Um, 5&6 are XLR plugs and we have ¼ males. This is not going to work. We try the mono plugs and no sound comes out. Trinket goes off to find the sound guy while I go over semantics with CDCB.
BE GENTLE…
The first Interpreters CD arrived on Tuesday, but it was not released to the public until today. JS, our CDCB (CD Cabana Boy) is moving from Roses to music (such the romantic) and is figuring out the best way to carry around everything he needs to for the day. The Sound God/guy shows up and also can’t get the channels to make noise. He gives us an alternate plan, which makes me grateful that we have Mirth as Soundman for us for the Globe show, as we are going to need him for the other shows as well. Once all this is fixed, it is now significantly later than I had hoped and I rush to the costume house to get dressed. I pass Miguel of DJ and M and welcome him with far too much verbal exuberance for backstage off time. I wonder if he thought I was mocking his persona on stage, but who knows. I am in high gear trying to get to the costume house. It is a flutter outside with movement and I am worried about space. Once I step inside, I am surprised at how much room is inside and panic a bit more, because that means that everyone else is already getting or has gotten ready. I pull out Stupina and get dressed as fast as I can. Luckily, there is no lacing or other complicated dressing still to do and I grab my face and run off to morning meeting.
BACK IN BEEP
I do manage to arrive a few minutes before we start and have a few minutes to catch up with people. This is the one meeting that most cast members and stage acts attend to get an idea of what is going on. I check in and take my traditional seat. We get notes, say happy things since the day is NOT as hot as last year’s opening, and get ready to make it happen all again. BEEP and off we go. I head up to gate to meet a new, but still a bit quiet fairy trying to make her nest of stone baby eggs. I head off to pee my last time before all hell breaks loose. There is only one privy open. Um, gang, 9 minutes till opening. Those patrons have been waiting and might want to pee. People are on their way over to unlock them all. Whew. I head back and wait for the sounds.
IT”S A BANG
I always go to opening gate rehearsals for two reasons: 1, to see a show I will never see once we open, 2, to figure out when the gates are about to bang and my face has to be on. I know that I have about a minute to a minute and ½ from when the king enters to when the gates open. I hear his entrance and begin to suit up. The fairy and myself are standing on the fountain as the king and his court start coming in. The king and queen are on horses and need to get off and hoop-ed (for the queen). They haven’t set up benches to do this so when the horses come in, they need the spot we are standing in and in standard elegant fashion, the poor fairy is scared away by the angry booming voice. I didn’t see her again that morning. The horse is not close enough to the wall though and the queen is dangling off the side of the horse trying to find the space to jump, which she finally does. While this is happening, the crowd is pouring, or trying to pour in. It’s a bit crowded here. This moment is what our ED affectionately would term “just deal with it” so that it can be fixed in future.
GOODBYE AGAIN
Once that craziness has moved on and the court heads to it’s normal location, I start my normal welcomes. It’s a bit strange as its me and …um, me? Soon Rose Jones arrives, Diego joins us after I beg a bit, and a few others start to stand as the THRONGS come in. No, not kidding, this was a huge flow of people for the first weekend. There are many hugs and hellos. Some ask when I am doing a show and I have to inform them that I am taking a break this year, but Columbina has two shows a day. They are happy to see me though, and that makes me glad.
EARLY WANDERINGS
We are asked to run a tour of the village, but with only Diego and I there, and me being the one who knows it best, but not with the loudest voice, we attempt to do it and teach others in the process. It will get better as time progresses. I come off the fountain after saying hello and hugging a myriad of visitors. I wander a circle or two around, fall asleep on a few strangers, dust many more, but don’t quite leave the fountain area. I see the Asst. ED and Juliet with a few other friends to the side and say hello briefly, then wander back to the crowd. In far less time than expected, I head backstage to switch over to another incarnation. On the way, I am informed that a blast from our past is in the village. The bastage was sneaky and didn’t let me know he would be here. I am now hoping to see him.
COLUMBINA’S IN THE HOUSE
The costume house that is, and that is exactly where I am heading to switch over. I leave site early to make sure I am here with enough time to change and get to my stage. So I take what I think is a bit extra today…not so much it turns out. I have to touch up make up, hair, change clothes, switch accoutrement, and more. The man in question comes backstage and I hug him and we catch up very quickly. Sadly, his visit is not all for fun, but I am so very glad that we had the time to meet up together. Back to preparation. Out he and I go as he escorts me to my stage. He keeps getting stopped and I almost have to leave him, but, gentleman that he is, my Collier lets others know I must away and he must sally forth with me. We get out with enough time to get to White Hart and help out the transition and set up for sound and our CDCB (CD Cabana Boy). Off he goes to see R&Juliet. Trinket and I wire up and get our items ready to take the stage at exactly 12:00pm. The Interpreters returned to an enthusiastic crowd. We made many mistakes (me starting on the wrong song, dropped lines and mental blanks), but the audience loved it and welcomed us back happily. It’s good to be home. We officially released the CD during the show and sold a good number of copies. Then, off to clear the stage for the Pyrates Royale.
SHORT TERM TRANSITION
Luckily, we don’t have to switch the sound between shows, so we can just go and be with the crowd. Some ask us to sign the CDs, others didn’t know we were even preparing one and are happily surprised, others couldn’t much care less. Faire is made up of all types and they are all good. I am getting very hungry and suggest getting a steak on a stake, but realize that I don’t have much time after all.
HEALTH TO MY EARS
By the time we are done chatting with those who come up to us after the show, Trinket and I discover it’s time to meet up with PyrateLady to work on the harmony that we were having issues with (not PL, but us). We get to the petting zoo and see she is taking some time with many assorted friends and fans. We are told if we want her, we may need to go and grab her. I try to do so politely and she graciously says goodbye to her conversational partners and heads to the zoo. We try to sing together and it’s…well, it is not pretty. We work on changing a few things and are mostly able to kinda get it to work. We discuss that it’s odd I am singing the high part, as I am the closest to baritone in the group. We hope that other songs will be sung and agree to just muddle through this one. Now, it’s time to sing again.
SECOND INTERPRETATION
We get to the second show and the act on stage is just at about time, when they decide to do another song. We get the stage a couple minutes late. Luckily, we have our sound guy to help us with the ringing of everyone’s ears. It took a little while, but we got going and had a fun crowd. We reminded them that we have an additional show at 4:30 this weekend at the Globe. Whee! Many are pleased as we tell them it’s new stuff, We bring up CDCB, and offer up our parting glass to the crowd once again. We welcome the Hooligans. This time, we meet audience at the side of the bar, which seems to be a much better location. More cd’s find their new homes and we sign in pink and blue and finally reset and go our several ways. Mine, includes lunch.
MMMMMMM STEAAAKKK
I head over to Danicia (the steak lady) and grab my first steak on a stake for the season. It feels good as I hadn’t really eaten since 7:00 am with all the running around. I grab water and stop by Noblesse to pay for the new chemise that was dropped off earlier. I didn’t wear it as someone thought it would clash with what I had on…I proved that theory incorrect on day 2, but that is for tomorrow. I then head out toward the front of the festival to find Baby Stupina.
WALKIES
I bring out my little girl and we wander toward the front gate where we stop and greet people who are leaving the village. I am alone in the area, which is unusual, so Baby Stupina and I wave and greet people. I am on a med right now that requires that I stay out of the sun as much as possible…yeah, right. So I try to avoid a lot of sun on my shoulders, because even with 30-45 protection, I don’t want tan lines. One of the new security members happens to know a woman I worked with in a completely different occupation from a few years ago and I ask to her health. She is well. Others wish to stop and have conversations, which I can only do for a short while and I have to keep moving them so Stupina stays in view and I can keep working. I have been there for around 45 minutes and still, no one has come to take my place. It is getting close to time for my last show, so I must go. I stop on the way to let Stupina play with friends newly met.
REPAIRS AND PREPARES
I take Stupina back and when hanging her, inform her creators that her hand is waving strangely. After some review, we fix the issue and she is back to normal. I hang her up and safe till tomorrow’s playtime. We discuss the future briefly and some costuming options for the Interpreters and I head down to the costume house to touch up for our final show and pub sing. Fresh water and a touch base with my actors about to start their second show, then I am off. I get to the Globe as the Skum version of R&J is about to start. We doublecheck the timing for entrances, etc then get the systems out and begin set up. We are a bit slow for need to be quiet, but we get everything set up and ready to go in time. I am feeling my bodice now as the last time I went to the bathroom, the non-natural fibers I was wearing tore at my sweaty skin a bit and are hurting. I am not looking forward to the welts later.
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
The stage is passed to us, after a caveat that we REALLY aren’t for kids and I hang our sign that says that we are bawdy while Trinket puts out the sign that says PG. I think we have gone beyond subtle in our warning. The audience is very full and extremely responsive. We have kids again in the audience, but we have learned to expect it. Most of the time, they really don’t get the jokes at all, they just like the Disney-like pretty ladies who are singing. During Captain’s Daughter, the one boy in the front claps too early. The comments were so close to getting us in trouble, but the audience was in hysterics. They are getting all of the jokes and can hear the subtle stuff, cause they are listening. The only song that doesn’t work great is the Drinking song, as they don’t have beers (well most don’t) We add a song since our time slot is open after us and they are oh so nice a crowd. They are very responsive and happy. We clear the stage and sell CDs and sign them and chat with those who stay after. Once we have packed up, its time for the first pub sing of the season.
PUB SING THE FIRST
We head over to the Petting Zoo and touch base with PL again. Still worried, but it’s sounding ok. We are all stopped by various wellwishers and those who want to chat. It’s hard to say, no we have to work, so much of the time, we wait for one another to be ready to try again. We are informed that we will need to do Fathom tomorrow, but tonight we can do something else. After a few rethinks, we come up with the evening’s entertainment. We get organized and head out to the crowd. We are there to dance around in the crowd, but the music is a bit subdued for that, with a few exceptions. There is much bawdy behavior, much silliness and flinging of panties…not mine, but I was informed they were fresh and new, so no worries. There was much happiness to be home.
IT’S *THAT* NOTE HUH?
So we start the show and Jack begins the first song…about 5-6 notes higher than we had been rehearsing. I have learned over the years that Girl Range is very different that Boy Range and I am now singing notes I really can’t sing. Oh Hell. We get to the women’s solo and …well, I thank them for the kindness of not pelting me off the stage with rocks for the lack of pretty musicality. Ouch. We will work on it if we have to do it again, which, I am informed at the end of the sing, “oh yes” you have to work on it ….um, joy. Ok. We head to the audience again until its time for us to sing our Children’s Song. Introduced by my dear Collier Remington, we again are stopped from our “passion” as there are “too many people.” Our song choice was even more appropriate given it’s Children’s Weekend, which I had forgotten, so it was even more amusing. There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly…Trinket gets a cheer and we get many laughs. Off we go again until the end of the evening. Boatman, Wild Mountain Time, Old Lang Syne…and again, for the Bells of eight, I am quiet and say my goodbye’s to times gone past. We finish, cheer and grab our odds and ends (forgetting my voluptuous beauty wine…and her bodacious blonde…hee). This is when I find out that we WILL be doing Health again…a lot. I let PL know I will learn her alto for tomorrow and we head our several ways. We don’t want to be locked out, so off to the Costume house Trinket and I go.
CHANGING THE LAYERS
Off we go and begin to peel off the layers. The Costume House is awash with tales of the day and laughter. It feels like home. I am a bit overwhelmed with the smell of Febreeze from those already dressed and out. I go to pull out my wet wipes, and they are dried out. Luckily, I have some more, because my skin is brown from dust. Licorice root is my friend to protect my throat and taking off the bodice is like removing an irritant from a blister. Around my entire waist is a welt from where the fabrics and sweat ripped at my skin. YUCKY OW! I am glad for loose clothing and sneakers. I finish changing quickly and head outside so that the house can be locked up and finished. I am hungry and after some conversations, I go out for a meal at Ruby Tuesday’s with a small group of friends. I get home around 9:30 and begin to sing on a very dusty tired throat. I think I have learned it and sing it against the melody (I love my Mac and Garage Band/Itunes). Finally, I collapse completely into bed and crash…mostly.
THE NEXT BEGINNING
Tonight I get more of the toss/turning and wake up feeling really draggy. Great…here we go…AGAIN! (yayee). I am running much later and don’t get breakfast before I leave. I get to site and don’t have my water either, grand. I start to stretch and eventually Trinket arrives and we warm up and get our hair and makeup ready. Our sound guy is with us and as we head to the White Hart, we are greeted by more friendly faces.
CARDIO SINGING
We sing and run lines as we go from the Gatehouse to the White Hart for our sound check. It’s a bit of a tradition and gets us both into the mindset and warmed up as we have to sing and breathe. It’s a challenge to walk and sing as we go up and down hills and we are glad we are on a song where we both get verses off to breathe. Today, as we are more achey, we are doing warm ups on the way. Sound check is easier today, Trinket and I remember to grab our wines and head to get changed, a WHOLE lot earlier than yesterday. I still feel a bit behind the gun, but not nearly as badly. CDCB arrives and I give him the singles I have…we used up a lot of them yesterday…and off I go to get dressed.
RECAP AND RECOUP
Once dressed and organized, I head out to the morning meeting. There were many stories again about the day before. I give a few messages out and almost lose my seat…sniff. I get it back in time and meeting starts. While we don’t have exact numbers, it appears to have been our biggest opening day ever, which is great. Everyone is feeling the pain of being back but overall things went very smoothly. Time for Beep and off we go.
SMOOTHER HORSES
I take my final bathroom break and prep for the morning boom. In the distance, I see a pair of blue eyes walking towards me and I squee and run to hug William Teller who was absent last morn. Turns out he was also stuck behind the traffic back up north of us and didn’t get to site till late. I am a happy Stupina now. I go over who is and isn’t here this season with him as he is a day behind. As the king enters, again, I see no one opening the gate, I am about to put on my face when I see two from Hengrave opening the gate from the outside. Once they are done, I ask them if they would like assistance in the future. They thank me and say yes. I put that in my memory bank for next weekend. As I hear the show about to end, I put on my face and step up but warn others that a horse is about to arrive and leave its passenger here. They step aside. In come the king and queen and as they disembark, the cannon booms and the horses jump a little. Our queen is an accomplished horsewoman though and she takes it in stride. Down they go and away go the horses…and the smell. Horses are pretty, I am not fond of the smell that follows them in the wheel barrow. Ah well, it’s nature. The crowd pours in we cheer our good byes and hellos. It feels better with William present…normal again. Mrs. Pugh is still missing, sadly, but time does change people’s paths and sometimes they must travel elsewhere. I am expecting some silly guests and am happily rewarded with their arrival, in partial garb. Turns out my cousin has been sewing and made them shirts, vests and hats. I helped fix them so they were wearing their garb correctly. My nephews look fabulous, as does my brother, not in garb.
A SPIRIT TO BE CHEERED
They head on their way after a few introductions (some not necessary) and I head back to the fountain. I see a woman talking to Mistress Laceles Hall. Ms. Hall has had a bit of a time lately, and the patron she is speaking with is crying. I realize this might be an unneeded stress for the goodly lady and stop by to visit. Turns out the lady’s friends stood her up and she is having a very bad time of it. I sit with her, tell her about shows and try to cheer her up a bit. By the time I have to leave, she is in better spirits. I stop at the Fairy Godmother’s to say hello and we give out a few gifties to the little boys and girls. She is the nicest sofa you will ever meet. Time for me to find Columbina and I head out again briefly chatting with others before I disappear behind the wooden curtain.
THE CHEMISE THAT WOULD NOT BE WORN
So after I got some more opinions, I agreed that I should wear the new chemise. I had brought ribbon for it, but it appeared that the lady had already given me some, so I took it home the other day. Sadly, I was wrong and she didn’t leave enough for me to open the top or tie the sleeves as I needed. I try to put it on and lose the ribbons in the casing. Ok, I find ribbon that will work (I am NOT putting pink on this, no matter WHAT Trinket says) and again, they fall through, AARRGH. I have so much more to do to get ready, Trinket kindly takes the shirt and ribbon and I sit half nekkid in the dressing room fixing make up and getting other parts of me dressed and prepared and I chat with our Juliet, who is a very sweet lady. Finally we are threaded and I can get dressed and get hair finished, etc. Thank god I took the extra time because we are running late now and we get to the stage at the White Hart in time for us to get wired and take the stage. Yeesh.
SMALL ENTHUSIASM
Today’s crowd is much smaller than yesterday. It’s a bit hotter and many had plans for the day. Our crowd starts small but builds quickly. They are responsive and by the end of the show, we have won over “mundanes” and others that had never heard of us before. We also have a row of little girls who LOVE us and sit in the front row every time they can to see our show. Um, ok. At one point, Trinket takes water into her mouth and I tell her to spit it out. When I inform the audience she doesn’t swallow, the little girl yells, “Yes she does”…from the mouths of babes. We also discover that the Pyrates seem to time their arrival to the stage to when they start to hear Parting Glass from us. We privately joke about using a different song one day to screw with them and see if they come to the stage. We pass the sage to the Pyrates After, we spend time signing CD’s and are asked to drop by a booth and sign a CD or two for others who can not make it to the stage. I head out with mine to get food and I go for a quick steak lunch/breakfast, while my partner visits friends. I sit with patrons and chat about their day…I miss this part. This time I have kids (teens) on one side and a family on the other. I find the family more conversational and we talk about shows and stuff they have done. Once I am finished, I head back to the petting zoo for some needed rehearsal. I am stopped on occasion to ask if my dress is new…um, no, just the shirt. Really. Guess it is a good choice.
MADRIGAL SYNDROME
PL, Trinket and I gather again to try to go over the harmony that I worked on. Sometimes it works and sometimes I can’t hear it. PL splits Trinket and I up and I am able to keep the harmony now. We sound much better and agree to meet up just before pub sing to go over it again so it’s fresh for the show. Back to the White Hart with moments to spare to wire up and hit the stage. The act was completely on time, thankfully, and we start on time and this bunch gets the new show. They are amused, even though it’s a smaller crowd.
THE CAPTAIN’S WRITER
The lyricist of Captain’s Daughter is in the crowd and is able to see the crowd laughing at his cleverly insinuative lyrics. Another he knows is nearby, but standing in the sun when you are wearing a couch is not a good choice, so he doesn’t join the author. The show is fun and we have another new convert by the end of the performance. Z. Mulls stops by and we chat about copyright, registration and other fun things…I know. Wheee. We pack up and head our separate ways after we head over to Noblesse to deliver some goods after I grab both Trinket’s and my mugs and bring them with us. I stop by Piland’s where he informs me he would like to have a CD and we need to come back. He also asks about Stupina and tells me he has something for her…um, ok. Stupina is very iffy about things like that. Expensive things scare her…unbought expensive things, like baubles make her cry and run away. Piland keeps trying. I don’t know when I will have time to get her there, but I will try.
SAVING GRACE
I wander about a bit and head toward the hill of doom. Before I get there, I stop at my favorite bench area and see a mother, baby in stroller and little girl sitting. I ask them about their day and discover it has not been good. I ask permission to sit with the little girl. She is quiet and through questions, I discover dad has gone off to make a complaint about an incident while they wait. After a few minutes, the King and Queen wander by, I ask them to stop, and while they can’t, they tarry a moment and say they are off to the Chess game. I tell the little girl about it. Minutes later, Robin Hood and Maid Marian stop by as well. They stay and chat with the little girl and I feed her things to say. She is quiet but pleased. She is lovely with big blue eyes and medium blonde hair. Robin and Marian leave and I stay to make sure they are entertained while they wait. As I sit, I see one of the management wander by…and another. I assure the mom that this is a place where they sincerely care about their patrons. I try to piece together what I think happened.
ASSUAGING CONCERNS
Dad storms by and after a few more minutes comes back with management. The powers that be are trying to assure him that the issue will be addressed and doing what they can to make sure that the family feels the issue is addressed on their side. Dad is still angry. Management leaves, but I don’t think it’s time for me to go yet. Dad explains to his wife what happened and I was correct about the incident. He apologizes to his daughter for making her wait and I note that we had some goodly entertainment. He suddenly realizes I have been sitting next to his daughter. Mom tells him that I have been keeping them entertained and I tell the little girl how much her daddy loves her, and why I don’t blame him for his concern. Her face lights up and my heart melts a little. I ask her to forget the bad parts of what happened and to remember the good that she learned. I also ask if she can promise to go and have a good time for the rest of the day. She says yes and I ask for a hug, which she willingly gives me. Turns out that the show I directed is one of the little one’s favorite stories and I let them know where and when to find it. I say my goodbyes to a family I hope will go to have a good day with many fond memories to follow.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
I head toward the front of the village for Baby Stupina time. There is a musician that I love to dance with and she is at the front now…I am heading that way and see a family (mom, dad, older son) and they look lost, I give directions and realize they are not from this country. They are French and saw something about the festival and decided to see what it was. We talk a bit of history, she knows hers, and we discuss Katherine a bit. I note that she is light in behavior and might be at risk for her life (it’s late enough in the day that I can insinuate a small bit). She recommends revolution. I say a simple beheading is fine. She still recommends revolution. I note “ah, that is because you are French.” We smile and wander our separate ways.
DANCING FOR THE CROWD
Baby Stupina comes out and we head toward the ladies for a song or two before their set is over. Baby S gathers a crowd of little ones and big ones. There is a brother and sister who just can’t stop touching her and wanting to hold her hands. This draws another crowd who want to touch her too. It is getting close to overwhelming for her, but the parents are smart enough and ask their kids to let others share, etc. At least Baby S is loved. Another walk for some quick gate duty then back to the Fairy Godmother who is in the sun and really should move, but can’t right now. Then, back Baby S goes so I can get ready for the last Interpreters show of the weekend.
RESPITE AND REVITALIZE
I head back to the costume house and retouch make up, get fresh water and pee. Once done, I realize that the show I directed is about to start and that I should be able to watch a bit of it. I head out the side and who do I see in the back row, but the very same family I met by the hill of doom. We joke that most of my cast never knew the tale before hand, which surprises them. The little girl just keeps staring at me in my funny accent and bright sparkly dress. I tell them if they sit closer, they will see and hear better. Mom is nursing, but dad and the little girl head to the middle of the house as the show starts. I stay in the back and watch the show, and the family. The little girl keeps looking up at her daddy and smiling. Dad keeps looking at his little girl making sure she is having fun. I walk to the side of the audience to see a bit better. They look very happy. THAT ladies and gentlemen, is why I love my job. I adore making people happy. I think they will have some very positive and special memories to take home from the day.
RUSHING TO THE WORLD
I head over toward the Globe as it is now 4:10ish. I get to the stage during R&J, Skum style and the sound is almost set, but there is a very overheated princess backstage. This is one of the cooler spots of the village. I give her some of my electrolyted water. We set everything up and in no time it is time to go on. It’s the end of Sunday, so it’s a smaller crowd. We hang our sign and again the audience is warned that the show is NOT for kids (booked on children’s weekend “what was I thinking.”). We bring out our PG sign. There are still lots of kids in the crowd. We do our normal disclaimer they didn’t learn it from us. One of our regular young-uns says, no, I learned it from the O’Danny Girls. Oh? Really? You learned it from THE O’DANNY GIRLS????? So if it’s anyone’s fault, it should be “THE O’DANNY GIRLS???? Perhaps we should tell Carolyn that it’s the fault of “THE O’DANNY GIRLS??? This was particularly funny as Liz of the O’Dannys and Carolyn are both backstage still post Skum. I suddenly hear a female gruff “You got a problem with me?” and turn to see Liz. Then, she turns to see Trinket and the two of them start shrieking and giggling with each other bouncing in circles and turning totally blonde. I cry out “Oh god, now I have two of them!” I am told from backstage it sounds like two scrambling chickens. Auspicious starts.
THE FINAL SHOW OF THE WEEKEND
For the Interpreters, is what we call “show 1.” We do add an additional song in the middle. There is much mayhem, even with the smaller audience and we are greatly amused. We do lose a few families with kids, but hey, with two on stage warnings and the two pre-show verbal ones, they made their choice. The group there has fun and enjoys the show. Once done, we sign CD, chat with a few regulars and head to pack up and head to the Petting Zoo for one last rehearsal. There, PL, Trinket and I run the song a few more times to the point where it sounds ok and I think we will not be too embarrassed. We are also informed that we will be asked to sing two songs tonight. That is fine with us. It’s two I know we do well and go over well at Pub Sing. It’s almost like old times when the acts would come up and then leave the stage many times through out the event. That feels more right, ya know?
BUT THAT’S THE MELODY
We start Pub Sing and get to the first song, I can hear my harmony and, better yet, sing it this time. We go up to sing and we have added another singer to the group, singing melody, right next to me, AACK! Luckily, I do ok and we sound pretty good. We sit and dance around with the crowd. The queen learns how to shimmy and we conga line to Drink a Rum. It is festive, there is much insinuation and butt grabbing …well, almost. We sing Fathom and I inadvertently have alcohol…it was minute and I will survive, but I almost forgot what it was like to have that flavor in your mouth at faire mid run…behave gang. During Parting Glass, the crowd sings along with us. I hear the guitar trying to figure out our rhythm, it’s not easy and we know it. We stay for more songs, bells and moments both touching and happy. Finally, the cannon sounds, the queen is cheered off and we head home for the day. I find CDCB to do an exchange and then I rush to the costume house again before we close. I gather up all my crap. My welts are much better today as I was careful to pull layers off slowly when I used the privy. Life is better, I am pooped and my throat is full of dust and dirt. I touch base with a few friends and co-workers to recap the event. I agree to dinner with a few friends at double T and off we go.
ASSUAGING AND COMISERATING
We leave site around 8:30 and head to eat. There I see two other workers who I saw at the previous nights restaurant. I jokingly go up and harass them for stalking me. Turns out my comedy was well timed as the drunks at the table near them were making fun of the guy for wearing tights. Classy. The woman at the table came to apologize and by the time I walked away, all seemed better. My table and I share tales of the weekend including a detailed version of the tale of the daddy and girl, as they have another side of the story. I learn about the errant trebuchet that stopped by for a random visit. We watch the closing ceremonies on the TV in the corner. We are even greeted by Slash and Duncan, who is just as tired as I am, if not worse. By the end of the evening, we are all well-fed, exhausted and taking home leftovers. I shower and collapse into bed after using a neti-pot. I think I should have done it the night before to get dirt out of my lungs overnight, but next week I will remember.
This weekend coming, is the big 3-day one. LONG. I am glad I only have the 2 shows per day. Diego has already made a request for Sat’s Pub Sing and we are all gearing up for excitement. See you in the woods…
PREPARATIONS
So the week had been a flurry of preparations, rehearsals, and more importantly, the arrival of our first CD. I spent Tuesday night and Wednesday morning stickering all 978 CDs by hand…yes, either Trinket or I put that special sticker on the cover of those CDs you bought or thought about buying. Then, the last and very special viewing of Romeo and Juliet, which I do recommend if you like Shakespeare, crying, and romance. There are some very good performances in there. Friday was all about getting things set up, going to a friend’s father’s funeral, and getting stuck behind stopped highway traffic as we waited for a medivac chopper to land on 50 about 100 yards before my exit. Don’t get me wrong, I felt awful for whoever was stuck in front of us in duress. I called Trinket and Mirth who were waiting for me so we could rehearse. I had already missed Kitteblue and her lovely creation. We rehearsed till around 7:00 running and recording each of the shows with their changes to make sure we were on time. Finally, off to a dinner of Korean food and last minute errands and finally, a deep blissful sleep (surprisingly).
AND SO IT BEGINS
I still wake a bit slowly as my cat and I had a discussion about when he wanted to be fed in the morning…he won. I get my things together, have my protein shake with pineapple and mango, and head to site. I am in early and saying hello to the night watchman. In I go and walk to Gatehouse. I don’t actually have a show there this year, but it’s the best space to stretch and warm up, so we had agreed to meet there to start our morning. Trinket arrives mid stretch and we do a vocal warm up together while she applies make up. We run one of the shows while I fix my hair and make up to go under my mask and away we go.
RUN AWAY
Yeah, so not ready, She has to run out to her car and I head off to the stage, but soon enough, we are at White Hart. The sound is set up and we have been informed to put our sound plugs into 5 and 6. Um, 5&6 are XLR plugs and we have ¼ males. This is not going to work. We try the mono plugs and no sound comes out. Trinket goes off to find the sound guy while I go over semantics with CDCB.
BE GENTLE…
The first Interpreters CD arrived on Tuesday, but it was not released to the public until today. JS, our CDCB (CD Cabana Boy) is moving from Roses to music (such the romantic) and is figuring out the best way to carry around everything he needs to for the day. The Sound God/guy shows up and also can’t get the channels to make noise. He gives us an alternate plan, which makes me grateful that we have Mirth as Soundman for us for the Globe show, as we are going to need him for the other shows as well. Once all this is fixed, it is now significantly later than I had hoped and I rush to the costume house to get dressed. I pass Miguel of DJ and M and welcome him with far too much verbal exuberance for backstage off time. I wonder if he thought I was mocking his persona on stage, but who knows. I am in high gear trying to get to the costume house. It is a flutter outside with movement and I am worried about space. Once I step inside, I am surprised at how much room is inside and panic a bit more, because that means that everyone else is already getting or has gotten ready. I pull out Stupina and get dressed as fast as I can. Luckily, there is no lacing or other complicated dressing still to do and I grab my face and run off to morning meeting.
BACK IN BEEP
I do manage to arrive a few minutes before we start and have a few minutes to catch up with people. This is the one meeting that most cast members and stage acts attend to get an idea of what is going on. I check in and take my traditional seat. We get notes, say happy things since the day is NOT as hot as last year’s opening, and get ready to make it happen all again. BEEP and off we go. I head up to gate to meet a new, but still a bit quiet fairy trying to make her nest of stone baby eggs. I head off to pee my last time before all hell breaks loose. There is only one privy open. Um, gang, 9 minutes till opening. Those patrons have been waiting and might want to pee. People are on their way over to unlock them all. Whew. I head back and wait for the sounds.
IT”S A BANG
I always go to opening gate rehearsals for two reasons: 1, to see a show I will never see once we open, 2, to figure out when the gates are about to bang and my face has to be on. I know that I have about a minute to a minute and ½ from when the king enters to when the gates open. I hear his entrance and begin to suit up. The fairy and myself are standing on the fountain as the king and his court start coming in. The king and queen are on horses and need to get off and hoop-ed (for the queen). They haven’t set up benches to do this so when the horses come in, they need the spot we are standing in and in standard elegant fashion, the poor fairy is scared away by the angry booming voice. I didn’t see her again that morning. The horse is not close enough to the wall though and the queen is dangling off the side of the horse trying to find the space to jump, which she finally does. While this is happening, the crowd is pouring, or trying to pour in. It’s a bit crowded here. This moment is what our ED affectionately would term “just deal with it” so that it can be fixed in future.
GOODBYE AGAIN
Once that craziness has moved on and the court heads to it’s normal location, I start my normal welcomes. It’s a bit strange as its me and …um, me? Soon Rose Jones arrives, Diego joins us after I beg a bit, and a few others start to stand as the THRONGS come in. No, not kidding, this was a huge flow of people for the first weekend. There are many hugs and hellos. Some ask when I am doing a show and I have to inform them that I am taking a break this year, but Columbina has two shows a day. They are happy to see me though, and that makes me glad.
EARLY WANDERINGS
We are asked to run a tour of the village, but with only Diego and I there, and me being the one who knows it best, but not with the loudest voice, we attempt to do it and teach others in the process. It will get better as time progresses. I come off the fountain after saying hello and hugging a myriad of visitors. I wander a circle or two around, fall asleep on a few strangers, dust many more, but don’t quite leave the fountain area. I see the Asst. ED and Juliet with a few other friends to the side and say hello briefly, then wander back to the crowd. In far less time than expected, I head backstage to switch over to another incarnation. On the way, I am informed that a blast from our past is in the village. The bastage was sneaky and didn’t let me know he would be here. I am now hoping to see him.
COLUMBINA’S IN THE HOUSE
The costume house that is, and that is exactly where I am heading to switch over. I leave site early to make sure I am here with enough time to change and get to my stage. So I take what I think is a bit extra today…not so much it turns out. I have to touch up make up, hair, change clothes, switch accoutrement, and more. The man in question comes backstage and I hug him and we catch up very quickly. Sadly, his visit is not all for fun, but I am so very glad that we had the time to meet up together. Back to preparation. Out he and I go as he escorts me to my stage. He keeps getting stopped and I almost have to leave him, but, gentleman that he is, my Collier lets others know I must away and he must sally forth with me. We get out with enough time to get to White Hart and help out the transition and set up for sound and our CDCB (CD Cabana Boy). Off he goes to see R&Juliet. Trinket and I wire up and get our items ready to take the stage at exactly 12:00pm. The Interpreters returned to an enthusiastic crowd. We made many mistakes (me starting on the wrong song, dropped lines and mental blanks), but the audience loved it and welcomed us back happily. It’s good to be home. We officially released the CD during the show and sold a good number of copies. Then, off to clear the stage for the Pyrates Royale.
SHORT TERM TRANSITION
Luckily, we don’t have to switch the sound between shows, so we can just go and be with the crowd. Some ask us to sign the CDs, others didn’t know we were even preparing one and are happily surprised, others couldn’t much care less. Faire is made up of all types and they are all good. I am getting very hungry and suggest getting a steak on a stake, but realize that I don’t have much time after all.
HEALTH TO MY EARS
By the time we are done chatting with those who come up to us after the show, Trinket and I discover it’s time to meet up with PyrateLady to work on the harmony that we were having issues with (not PL, but us). We get to the petting zoo and see she is taking some time with many assorted friends and fans. We are told if we want her, we may need to go and grab her. I try to do so politely and she graciously says goodbye to her conversational partners and heads to the zoo. We try to sing together and it’s…well, it is not pretty. We work on changing a few things and are mostly able to kinda get it to work. We discuss that it’s odd I am singing the high part, as I am the closest to baritone in the group. We hope that other songs will be sung and agree to just muddle through this one. Now, it’s time to sing again.
SECOND INTERPRETATION
We get to the second show and the act on stage is just at about time, when they decide to do another song. We get the stage a couple minutes late. Luckily, we have our sound guy to help us with the ringing of everyone’s ears. It took a little while, but we got going and had a fun crowd. We reminded them that we have an additional show at 4:30 this weekend at the Globe. Whee! Many are pleased as we tell them it’s new stuff, We bring up CDCB, and offer up our parting glass to the crowd once again. We welcome the Hooligans. This time, we meet audience at the side of the bar, which seems to be a much better location. More cd’s find their new homes and we sign in pink and blue and finally reset and go our several ways. Mine, includes lunch.
MMMMMMM STEAAAKKK
I head over to Danicia (the steak lady) and grab my first steak on a stake for the season. It feels good as I hadn’t really eaten since 7:00 am with all the running around. I grab water and stop by Noblesse to pay for the new chemise that was dropped off earlier. I didn’t wear it as someone thought it would clash with what I had on…I proved that theory incorrect on day 2, but that is for tomorrow. I then head out toward the front of the festival to find Baby Stupina.
WALKIES
I bring out my little girl and we wander toward the front gate where we stop and greet people who are leaving the village. I am alone in the area, which is unusual, so Baby Stupina and I wave and greet people. I am on a med right now that requires that I stay out of the sun as much as possible…yeah, right. So I try to avoid a lot of sun on my shoulders, because even with 30-45 protection, I don’t want tan lines. One of the new security members happens to know a woman I worked with in a completely different occupation from a few years ago and I ask to her health. She is well. Others wish to stop and have conversations, which I can only do for a short while and I have to keep moving them so Stupina stays in view and I can keep working. I have been there for around 45 minutes and still, no one has come to take my place. It is getting close to time for my last show, so I must go. I stop on the way to let Stupina play with friends newly met.
REPAIRS AND PREPARES
I take Stupina back and when hanging her, inform her creators that her hand is waving strangely. After some review, we fix the issue and she is back to normal. I hang her up and safe till tomorrow’s playtime. We discuss the future briefly and some costuming options for the Interpreters and I head down to the costume house to touch up for our final show and pub sing. Fresh water and a touch base with my actors about to start their second show, then I am off. I get to the Globe as the Skum version of R&J is about to start. We doublecheck the timing for entrances, etc then get the systems out and begin set up. We are a bit slow for need to be quiet, but we get everything set up and ready to go in time. I am feeling my bodice now as the last time I went to the bathroom, the non-natural fibers I was wearing tore at my sweaty skin a bit and are hurting. I am not looking forward to the welts later.
AND THE CROWD GOES WILD
The stage is passed to us, after a caveat that we REALLY aren’t for kids and I hang our sign that says that we are bawdy while Trinket puts out the sign that says PG. I think we have gone beyond subtle in our warning. The audience is very full and extremely responsive. We have kids again in the audience, but we have learned to expect it. Most of the time, they really don’t get the jokes at all, they just like the Disney-like pretty ladies who are singing. During Captain’s Daughter, the one boy in the front claps too early. The comments were so close to getting us in trouble, but the audience was in hysterics. They are getting all of the jokes and can hear the subtle stuff, cause they are listening. The only song that doesn’t work great is the Drinking song, as they don’t have beers (well most don’t) We add a song since our time slot is open after us and they are oh so nice a crowd. They are very responsive and happy. We clear the stage and sell CDs and sign them and chat with those who stay after. Once we have packed up, its time for the first pub sing of the season.
PUB SING THE FIRST
We head over to the Petting Zoo and touch base with PL again. Still worried, but it’s sounding ok. We are all stopped by various wellwishers and those who want to chat. It’s hard to say, no we have to work, so much of the time, we wait for one another to be ready to try again. We are informed that we will need to do Fathom tomorrow, but tonight we can do something else. After a few rethinks, we come up with the evening’s entertainment. We get organized and head out to the crowd. We are there to dance around in the crowd, but the music is a bit subdued for that, with a few exceptions. There is much bawdy behavior, much silliness and flinging of panties…not mine, but I was informed they were fresh and new, so no worries. There was much happiness to be home.
IT’S *THAT* NOTE HUH?
So we start the show and Jack begins the first song…about 5-6 notes higher than we had been rehearsing. I have learned over the years that Girl Range is very different that Boy Range and I am now singing notes I really can’t sing. Oh Hell. We get to the women’s solo and …well, I thank them for the kindness of not pelting me off the stage with rocks for the lack of pretty musicality. Ouch. We will work on it if we have to do it again, which, I am informed at the end of the sing, “oh yes” you have to work on it ….um, joy. Ok. We head to the audience again until its time for us to sing our Children’s Song. Introduced by my dear Collier Remington, we again are stopped from our “passion” as there are “too many people.” Our song choice was even more appropriate given it’s Children’s Weekend, which I had forgotten, so it was even more amusing. There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly…Trinket gets a cheer and we get many laughs. Off we go again until the end of the evening. Boatman, Wild Mountain Time, Old Lang Syne…and again, for the Bells of eight, I am quiet and say my goodbye’s to times gone past. We finish, cheer and grab our odds and ends (forgetting my voluptuous beauty wine…and her bodacious blonde…hee). This is when I find out that we WILL be doing Health again…a lot. I let PL know I will learn her alto for tomorrow and we head our several ways. We don’t want to be locked out, so off to the Costume house Trinket and I go.
CHANGING THE LAYERS
Off we go and begin to peel off the layers. The Costume House is awash with tales of the day and laughter. It feels like home. I am a bit overwhelmed with the smell of Febreeze from those already dressed and out. I go to pull out my wet wipes, and they are dried out. Luckily, I have some more, because my skin is brown from dust. Licorice root is my friend to protect my throat and taking off the bodice is like removing an irritant from a blister. Around my entire waist is a welt from where the fabrics and sweat ripped at my skin. YUCKY OW! I am glad for loose clothing and sneakers. I finish changing quickly and head outside so that the house can be locked up and finished. I am hungry and after some conversations, I go out for a meal at Ruby Tuesday’s with a small group of friends. I get home around 9:30 and begin to sing on a very dusty tired throat. I think I have learned it and sing it against the melody (I love my Mac and Garage Band/Itunes). Finally, I collapse completely into bed and crash…mostly.
THE NEXT BEGINNING
Tonight I get more of the toss/turning and wake up feeling really draggy. Great…here we go…AGAIN! (yayee). I am running much later and don’t get breakfast before I leave. I get to site and don’t have my water either, grand. I start to stretch and eventually Trinket arrives and we warm up and get our hair and makeup ready. Our sound guy is with us and as we head to the White Hart, we are greeted by more friendly faces.
CARDIO SINGING
We sing and run lines as we go from the Gatehouse to the White Hart for our sound check. It’s a bit of a tradition and gets us both into the mindset and warmed up as we have to sing and breathe. It’s a challenge to walk and sing as we go up and down hills and we are glad we are on a song where we both get verses off to breathe. Today, as we are more achey, we are doing warm ups on the way. Sound check is easier today, Trinket and I remember to grab our wines and head to get changed, a WHOLE lot earlier than yesterday. I still feel a bit behind the gun, but not nearly as badly. CDCB arrives and I give him the singles I have…we used up a lot of them yesterday…and off I go to get dressed.
RECAP AND RECOUP
Once dressed and organized, I head out to the morning meeting. There were many stories again about the day before. I give a few messages out and almost lose my seat…sniff. I get it back in time and meeting starts. While we don’t have exact numbers, it appears to have been our biggest opening day ever, which is great. Everyone is feeling the pain of being back but overall things went very smoothly. Time for Beep and off we go.
SMOOTHER HORSES
I take my final bathroom break and prep for the morning boom. In the distance, I see a pair of blue eyes walking towards me and I squee and run to hug William Teller who was absent last morn. Turns out he was also stuck behind the traffic back up north of us and didn’t get to site till late. I am a happy Stupina now. I go over who is and isn’t here this season with him as he is a day behind. As the king enters, again, I see no one opening the gate, I am about to put on my face when I see two from Hengrave opening the gate from the outside. Once they are done, I ask them if they would like assistance in the future. They thank me and say yes. I put that in my memory bank for next weekend. As I hear the show about to end, I put on my face and step up but warn others that a horse is about to arrive and leave its passenger here. They step aside. In come the king and queen and as they disembark, the cannon booms and the horses jump a little. Our queen is an accomplished horsewoman though and she takes it in stride. Down they go and away go the horses…and the smell. Horses are pretty, I am not fond of the smell that follows them in the wheel barrow. Ah well, it’s nature. The crowd pours in we cheer our good byes and hellos. It feels better with William present…normal again. Mrs. Pugh is still missing, sadly, but time does change people’s paths and sometimes they must travel elsewhere. I am expecting some silly guests and am happily rewarded with their arrival, in partial garb. Turns out my cousin has been sewing and made them shirts, vests and hats. I helped fix them so they were wearing their garb correctly. My nephews look fabulous, as does my brother, not in garb.
A SPIRIT TO BE CHEERED
They head on their way after a few introductions (some not necessary) and I head back to the fountain. I see a woman talking to Mistress Laceles Hall. Ms. Hall has had a bit of a time lately, and the patron she is speaking with is crying. I realize this might be an unneeded stress for the goodly lady and stop by to visit. Turns out the lady’s friends stood her up and she is having a very bad time of it. I sit with her, tell her about shows and try to cheer her up a bit. By the time I have to leave, she is in better spirits. I stop at the Fairy Godmother’s to say hello and we give out a few gifties to the little boys and girls. She is the nicest sofa you will ever meet. Time for me to find Columbina and I head out again briefly chatting with others before I disappear behind the wooden curtain.
THE CHEMISE THAT WOULD NOT BE WORN
So after I got some more opinions, I agreed that I should wear the new chemise. I had brought ribbon for it, but it appeared that the lady had already given me some, so I took it home the other day. Sadly, I was wrong and she didn’t leave enough for me to open the top or tie the sleeves as I needed. I try to put it on and lose the ribbons in the casing. Ok, I find ribbon that will work (I am NOT putting pink on this, no matter WHAT Trinket says) and again, they fall through, AARRGH. I have so much more to do to get ready, Trinket kindly takes the shirt and ribbon and I sit half nekkid in the dressing room fixing make up and getting other parts of me dressed and prepared and I chat with our Juliet, who is a very sweet lady. Finally we are threaded and I can get dressed and get hair finished, etc. Thank god I took the extra time because we are running late now and we get to the stage at the White Hart in time for us to get wired and take the stage. Yeesh.
SMALL ENTHUSIASM
Today’s crowd is much smaller than yesterday. It’s a bit hotter and many had plans for the day. Our crowd starts small but builds quickly. They are responsive and by the end of the show, we have won over “mundanes” and others that had never heard of us before. We also have a row of little girls who LOVE us and sit in the front row every time they can to see our show. Um, ok. At one point, Trinket takes water into her mouth and I tell her to spit it out. When I inform the audience she doesn’t swallow, the little girl yells, “Yes she does”…from the mouths of babes. We also discover that the Pyrates seem to time their arrival to the stage to when they start to hear Parting Glass from us. We privately joke about using a different song one day to screw with them and see if they come to the stage. We pass the sage to the Pyrates After, we spend time signing CD’s and are asked to drop by a booth and sign a CD or two for others who can not make it to the stage. I head out with mine to get food and I go for a quick steak lunch/breakfast, while my partner visits friends. I sit with patrons and chat about their day…I miss this part. This time I have kids (teens) on one side and a family on the other. I find the family more conversational and we talk about shows and stuff they have done. Once I am finished, I head back to the petting zoo for some needed rehearsal. I am stopped on occasion to ask if my dress is new…um, no, just the shirt. Really. Guess it is a good choice.
MADRIGAL SYNDROME
PL, Trinket and I gather again to try to go over the harmony that I worked on. Sometimes it works and sometimes I can’t hear it. PL splits Trinket and I up and I am able to keep the harmony now. We sound much better and agree to meet up just before pub sing to go over it again so it’s fresh for the show. Back to the White Hart with moments to spare to wire up and hit the stage. The act was completely on time, thankfully, and we start on time and this bunch gets the new show. They are amused, even though it’s a smaller crowd.
THE CAPTAIN’S WRITER
The lyricist of Captain’s Daughter is in the crowd and is able to see the crowd laughing at his cleverly insinuative lyrics. Another he knows is nearby, but standing in the sun when you are wearing a couch is not a good choice, so he doesn’t join the author. The show is fun and we have another new convert by the end of the performance. Z. Mulls stops by and we chat about copyright, registration and other fun things…I know. Wheee. We pack up and head our separate ways after we head over to Noblesse to deliver some goods after I grab both Trinket’s and my mugs and bring them with us. I stop by Piland’s where he informs me he would like to have a CD and we need to come back. He also asks about Stupina and tells me he has something for her…um, ok. Stupina is very iffy about things like that. Expensive things scare her…unbought expensive things, like baubles make her cry and run away. Piland keeps trying. I don’t know when I will have time to get her there, but I will try.
SAVING GRACE
I wander about a bit and head toward the hill of doom. Before I get there, I stop at my favorite bench area and see a mother, baby in stroller and little girl sitting. I ask them about their day and discover it has not been good. I ask permission to sit with the little girl. She is quiet and through questions, I discover dad has gone off to make a complaint about an incident while they wait. After a few minutes, the King and Queen wander by, I ask them to stop, and while they can’t, they tarry a moment and say they are off to the Chess game. I tell the little girl about it. Minutes later, Robin Hood and Maid Marian stop by as well. They stay and chat with the little girl and I feed her things to say. She is quiet but pleased. She is lovely with big blue eyes and medium blonde hair. Robin and Marian leave and I stay to make sure they are entertained while they wait. As I sit, I see one of the management wander by…and another. I assure the mom that this is a place where they sincerely care about their patrons. I try to piece together what I think happened.
ASSUAGING CONCERNS
Dad storms by and after a few more minutes comes back with management. The powers that be are trying to assure him that the issue will be addressed and doing what they can to make sure that the family feels the issue is addressed on their side. Dad is still angry. Management leaves, but I don’t think it’s time for me to go yet. Dad explains to his wife what happened and I was correct about the incident. He apologizes to his daughter for making her wait and I note that we had some goodly entertainment. He suddenly realizes I have been sitting next to his daughter. Mom tells him that I have been keeping them entertained and I tell the little girl how much her daddy loves her, and why I don’t blame him for his concern. Her face lights up and my heart melts a little. I ask her to forget the bad parts of what happened and to remember the good that she learned. I also ask if she can promise to go and have a good time for the rest of the day. She says yes and I ask for a hug, which she willingly gives me. Turns out that the show I directed is one of the little one’s favorite stories and I let them know where and when to find it. I say my goodbyes to a family I hope will go to have a good day with many fond memories to follow.
VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
I head toward the front of the village for Baby Stupina time. There is a musician that I love to dance with and she is at the front now…I am heading that way and see a family (mom, dad, older son) and they look lost, I give directions and realize they are not from this country. They are French and saw something about the festival and decided to see what it was. We talk a bit of history, she knows hers, and we discuss Katherine a bit. I note that she is light in behavior and might be at risk for her life (it’s late enough in the day that I can insinuate a small bit). She recommends revolution. I say a simple beheading is fine. She still recommends revolution. I note “ah, that is because you are French.” We smile and wander our separate ways.
DANCING FOR THE CROWD
Baby Stupina comes out and we head toward the ladies for a song or two before their set is over. Baby S gathers a crowd of little ones and big ones. There is a brother and sister who just can’t stop touching her and wanting to hold her hands. This draws another crowd who want to touch her too. It is getting close to overwhelming for her, but the parents are smart enough and ask their kids to let others share, etc. At least Baby S is loved. Another walk for some quick gate duty then back to the Fairy Godmother who is in the sun and really should move, but can’t right now. Then, back Baby S goes so I can get ready for the last Interpreters show of the weekend.
RESPITE AND REVITALIZE
I head back to the costume house and retouch make up, get fresh water and pee. Once done, I realize that the show I directed is about to start and that I should be able to watch a bit of it. I head out the side and who do I see in the back row, but the very same family I met by the hill of doom. We joke that most of my cast never knew the tale before hand, which surprises them. The little girl just keeps staring at me in my funny accent and bright sparkly dress. I tell them if they sit closer, they will see and hear better. Mom is nursing, but dad and the little girl head to the middle of the house as the show starts. I stay in the back and watch the show, and the family. The little girl keeps looking up at her daddy and smiling. Dad keeps looking at his little girl making sure she is having fun. I walk to the side of the audience to see a bit better. They look very happy. THAT ladies and gentlemen, is why I love my job. I adore making people happy. I think they will have some very positive and special memories to take home from the day.
RUSHING TO THE WORLD
I head over toward the Globe as it is now 4:10ish. I get to the stage during R&J, Skum style and the sound is almost set, but there is a very overheated princess backstage. This is one of the cooler spots of the village. I give her some of my electrolyted water. We set everything up and in no time it is time to go on. It’s the end of Sunday, so it’s a smaller crowd. We hang our sign and again the audience is warned that the show is NOT for kids (booked on children’s weekend “what was I thinking.”). We bring out our PG sign. There are still lots of kids in the crowd. We do our normal disclaimer they didn’t learn it from us. One of our regular young-uns says, no, I learned it from the O’Danny Girls. Oh? Really? You learned it from THE O’DANNY GIRLS????? So if it’s anyone’s fault, it should be “THE O’DANNY GIRLS???? Perhaps we should tell Carolyn that it’s the fault of “THE O’DANNY GIRLS??? This was particularly funny as Liz of the O’Dannys and Carolyn are both backstage still post Skum. I suddenly hear a female gruff “You got a problem with me?” and turn to see Liz. Then, she turns to see Trinket and the two of them start shrieking and giggling with each other bouncing in circles and turning totally blonde. I cry out “Oh god, now I have two of them!” I am told from backstage it sounds like two scrambling chickens. Auspicious starts.
THE FINAL SHOW OF THE WEEKEND
For the Interpreters, is what we call “show 1.” We do add an additional song in the middle. There is much mayhem, even with the smaller audience and we are greatly amused. We do lose a few families with kids, but hey, with two on stage warnings and the two pre-show verbal ones, they made their choice. The group there has fun and enjoys the show. Once done, we sign CD, chat with a few regulars and head to pack up and head to the Petting Zoo for one last rehearsal. There, PL, Trinket and I run the song a few more times to the point where it sounds ok and I think we will not be too embarrassed. We are also informed that we will be asked to sing two songs tonight. That is fine with us. It’s two I know we do well and go over well at Pub Sing. It’s almost like old times when the acts would come up and then leave the stage many times through out the event. That feels more right, ya know?
BUT THAT’S THE MELODY
We start Pub Sing and get to the first song, I can hear my harmony and, better yet, sing it this time. We go up to sing and we have added another singer to the group, singing melody, right next to me, AACK! Luckily, I do ok and we sound pretty good. We sit and dance around with the crowd. The queen learns how to shimmy and we conga line to Drink a Rum. It is festive, there is much insinuation and butt grabbing …well, almost. We sing Fathom and I inadvertently have alcohol…it was minute and I will survive, but I almost forgot what it was like to have that flavor in your mouth at faire mid run…behave gang. During Parting Glass, the crowd sings along with us. I hear the guitar trying to figure out our rhythm, it’s not easy and we know it. We stay for more songs, bells and moments both touching and happy. Finally, the cannon sounds, the queen is cheered off and we head home for the day. I find CDCB to do an exchange and then I rush to the costume house again before we close. I gather up all my crap. My welts are much better today as I was careful to pull layers off slowly when I used the privy. Life is better, I am pooped and my throat is full of dust and dirt. I touch base with a few friends and co-workers to recap the event. I agree to dinner with a few friends at double T and off we go.
ASSUAGING AND COMISERATING
We leave site around 8:30 and head to eat. There I see two other workers who I saw at the previous nights restaurant. I jokingly go up and harass them for stalking me. Turns out my comedy was well timed as the drunks at the table near them were making fun of the guy for wearing tights. Classy. The woman at the table came to apologize and by the time I walked away, all seemed better. My table and I share tales of the weekend including a detailed version of the tale of the daddy and girl, as they have another side of the story. I learn about the errant trebuchet that stopped by for a random visit. We watch the closing ceremonies on the TV in the corner. We are even greeted by Slash and Duncan, who is just as tired as I am, if not worse. By the end of the evening, we are all well-fed, exhausted and taking home leftovers. I shower and collapse into bed after using a neti-pot. I think I should have done it the night before to get dirt out of my lungs overnight, but next week I will remember.
This weekend coming, is the big 3-day one. LONG. I am glad I only have the 2 shows per day. Diego has already made a request for Sat’s Pub Sing and we are all gearing up for excitement. See you in the woods…