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SO YOU WANT TO WORK THE FAIRE? v.1.1
You've just been to the faire, and you love it. Maybe it's
your first time, maybe you're a 10-year veteran, but you're
starting to think how great it would be to join the players,
spend all day, every day, at faire, and not have to pay to
get in.
Maybe you just want to attend for free. Maybe you want
to make this your life's work, travelling the "circuit"
and working numerous faires. Maybe you want to be a
performer, maybe you'd like to market your leather designs,
maybe you want to be a 20th-century knight in armor (real
men on real horses knocking each other off with real lances).
No matter what you're looking for, there's a good chance
you'll find it working the faire, and enjoy it immensely,
if you approach it with realistic expectations.
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LET'S BE REALISTIC...
First advice: don't quit your day job. It's VERY hard
to make a living at faire; most jobs come complete with low
or no pay, and few or no benefits. Also, there are some
nontrivial expenses to become a faire performer. And, there
are other drawbacks to the "faire life." Sometimes flush
toilets can be very hard to find.
Second advice: now that you've got your feet wet, jump
in up to your neck. Attending faire as a customer and as
an employee are drastically different experiences. Working
faire is WORK, with long hours, requiring a very high energy
level, sometimes gruelling physical labor, sometimes dealing
with obnoxious drunks, always under the microscope. And,
you won't get to enjoy the faire in the same way you used
to. You're likely to be very busy most or all day, with
little time to shop, stroll, and enjoy the shows. I love it
(even more!), but will you? Sure you love the faire as
a playing customer, but will you still love it as a job?
Find a large-ish faire in your area, and work there for
a season. Then you'll know. And, keep that day job.
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HOW DO I FIND A FAIRE IN MY AREA?
The SCRIBE network maintains a list of U.S. faires (and
at least one Canadian):
http://www.faire.net/SCRIBE/
They have useful information about each, including location,
schedule, and contact information.
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HOW DO I GET MY FOOT IN THE DOOR?
Relax, this is the easy part.
Talk to the people at faire. When I first decided I wanted
to be a faire musician, I asked the minstrel how to go about
it. Basically, I was asking (politely but clearly) how to
get HIS job. He gave me lots of good advice, told me who
to talk to, and gave me plenty of encouragement. Faire folk
aren't trying to keep you out; we want you in.
But of course, don't interrupt an active gig. Wait until
the person you want to ask will probably be able to drop
out of character and actually talk to you. If a performer
is in a booth talking to the vendor (but not in the middle
of a purchase), the isolation will make it more comfortable
to "talk shop."
If, by sheer bad luck, the first person you talk to isn't
very helpful and encouraging (this is really quite rare),
talk to somebody else! There are lots of us, and the vast
majority are eager to help.
If you're interested in a particular job, talk to the folks
who do that job. They're usually not the ones who do the
hiring, but they know who does, and they know how to get
hired on.
For some performance jobs, auditions will be advertised
in a local entertainment-oriented paper. For example,
KRF in Massachusetts advertises in the Boston Phoenix,
auditions for its apprentices (volunteer actors).
Check out the program when you go to faire; some will
have information about joining the cast.
If you can't talk to the faire folk (maybe the season is
over), get contact information from the SCRIBE network.
Call! Talk!
Read the newsgroup alt.fairs.renaissance regularly. There
are occasional posts from people looking for booth workers,
but mainly look for someone who seems to be a person able
to provide you information. Send an e-mail message
expressing your interest; one response, and you're off
and running.
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WHAT CAN I DO AT FAIRE?
Lots. Some of it, you can't do anywhere else.
Glory jobs (knight, fencing master, stage performer) are
hard to get, and very hard to get paid for, especially
as a rookie. They often require very specialized skills,
so start studying -- now. They can be hard to break into,
so don't expect a paycheck until you've proved yourself,
and expect to start at the bottom and work your way up
the ranks.
Merchants at faire must have wares to sell, relevant to
the faire, and must pay a fee to the faire (it can be
a lot). If you want to market your goods and services
at faire, talk to other merchants to find out how much
investment money you'll need.
Acting at faire (especially for street actors) is easier
to break into. This is a GREAT way to get into the faire.
You won't get paid, but it's lots of fun, and a great way
to gain experience, both with faire and as an actor. You
DON'T need to be a great actor (although Hoffman and DeNiro
will not be turned away). Ask the street actors; find out
who runs the program, when and where they hold auditions,
and get a phone number.
Many faires have guilds (especially on the west coast);
talk to the guild members to find out about the guild,
then talk to the guild master. In areas of the country
where guilds are more active, the size of the guild can
allow you a number of options regarding your level of
interaction with the public. Guilds generally allow
a new person to break into being a participant at his/her
own pace. They also often supplement the workshops
generally held in advance of opening. For example, where
you might have a workshop on persona development, there is
usually someone in the guild who has the task of helping
new people in this area. From the SCRIBE network you can
download the St. Cuthbert's guild handbook, sure to give
you a good feel for the workings of at least one guild.
Arts/craft demonstrations also make marvelous ren-faire
entertainment, and sometimes even help to educate while
entertaining. Glass-blowing is very popular, there are
often several blacksmiths (and they often draw a crowd),
so if you can weave cloth, spin thread, or demonstrate
some other art or craft, consider doing it at faire.
Research how it was done in renaissance times; people
are sure to ask!
If you really need to be paid, look for work with the
merchants. Lots of merchants need RELIABLE booth workers
(boothies). Talk to the merchants at faire... lots of
them. All of them. If time permits, go to the faire
site BEFORE opening to seek work with the merchants.
One or two weekends before opening is your best bet, but
it won't hurt to try a little earlier (but not TOO early,
or they won't even be there!).
In addition to the usual merchants (selling goods), there
are also some services. Games need "gamers" to push the
carousel and hand out the arrows. Contact the faire
to find out who hires the gamers. Ask the gamers.
Food service usually needs people, as do ticket sales.
It pays, and gets you through the gate, but at some of
the faires it's not so much fun (you won't even get to wear
a costume), while at others you'll be expected to wear garb
and speak in BFA (Basic Faire Accent). Find out how it is
at your faire.
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WHAT SHOULD I PREPARE?
No matter what job you go after at faire, there are some
common skills that will help you get hired, and help you
be better at your job.
>>> GET GARBED...
You'll NEED a costume. Some street actors are costumed
by the faire, but they'll love you if you've got your own.
Boothies must provide their own costumes. You can buy
most of what you need, ready-to-wear, at faire and other
places. It's not cheap, but if you shop wisely and stay
simple it needn't cost TOO much money. If the money thing
is too intense, garb can be obtained at MUCH less expense.
Ren-garb is NOT too difficult to make yourself, even if
you're new to the game and can't thread a needle. The
SCRIBE network has a costume FAQ, with lots of help for
getting your garb together. Download it.
GARB IS IMPORTANT.
Definitely check with the faire you intend to work before
finalizing your garb. Some faires place great emphasis of
historical accuracy, and even the garb you bought at the
faire may not pass muster with the costume master. Learn
your faire's requirements.
In addition to clothes, you'll want some accessories.
Weapons are among the best (but no "modern" ones, please),
unless your faire prohibits it. Some kind of pouch is
indispensible; garb rarely has pockets.
>>> SPEAK THE SPEECH, I PRAY YOU, AS I SET IT DOWN...
How's your BFA (Basic Faire Accent)? A really good accent
goes a LONG way toward getting you behind the curtain at
faire. The most important thing is to avoid "modernisms."
Such utterances as "OK," "yeah," and "uh-huh" really ruin
the mood. A little vocabulary goes a long way. Forsooth,
m'lord, thy manner of speech doth seem most strange to mine
ears. The SCRIBE network has a FAQ on faire vocabulary;
pick your favorites and USE them. Learn by listening:
I like good Shakespeare movies. I suggest any Shakespeare
film directed by Zefferelli, especially "Romeo and Juliet"
(NOT the recent version) and "The Taming of the Shrew."
Many of the larger faires conduct workshops in BFA, and
some events actually sell manuals in "speaking the speech."
The manual may even be available for purchase during the
run of the faire.
>>> LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION...
A lot of (the most fun) jobs at faire are acting jobs. This
includes (a few) paid actors with large roles, sometimes in
scripted shows. It also includes (a lot of) unpaid actors,
most of whom go "out in the street" and INTERACT with the
customers. This means there's no script, and you never know
exactly what's going to happen. Improv.
You don't have to be a rapier-wit to be good at this (but
it doesn't hurt). Work on your improv skills. Try to hold
a conversation, from the point of view of someone in the
renaissance. Do it in BFA. Be funny (even silly). A lot
of faires will give their street actors considerable
training, mostly acting/improv exercises, but every bit
of preparation you make ahead of time will increase your
chances of getting hired on, not to mention increase your
confidence and FUN. Practice with friends. Go to the faire
and "practice" with us (but please don't step on our gigs
too hard). Practice alone. How do you get to Carnegie
hall? Practice!
As you practice more, you'll accumulate a lot of gigs,
and they will evolve over time. When you find something
that works, add it to your bag of tricks.
SCRIBE has a "meet and greet" FAQ with more info on
interacting with patrons at faire. Check it out.
>>> WHO ART THOU?...
All actors have to portray a character (and many of the
boothies and gamers will find it to advantage). Who will
your character be? If you're a street actor, you'll
probably have a lot of freedom to choose. Are you nobility
or commoner? Rich or poor? Parents dead or alive?
Siblings? What's your trade? Most important: what's your
NAME?
Note: if you choose to portray nobility, you'll need fancy
garb. If you're a commoner, it's much simpler. If you
portray a leper, well...
>>> 'TIS A *RENAISSANCE* FAIRE...
The theme is renaissance, so it's very useful to learn
about (ta-da!): the renaissance. Since most faires are
set in England, this means the English renaissance, most
often the 16th or early 17th century. It's not necessary
(or even possible!) to learn the entire history of the
English renaissance, but learn a little. Try to find out
about the way common people lived in those times, and how
they entertained themselves. If you have decided on an
"occupation," find out about its renaissance incarnation.
At some faires (the so-called "fantasy" faires), you won't
need much historical knowledge, but at others, the emphasis
on authenticity is considerable. Find out about the faire
you intend to work. Do they require authentic costume?
Have they chosen a specific year (1592), or is it just
"renaissance", or might it be "medieval?" Is their
King/Queen a real historical figure (usually either
Henry VIII or Elizabeth I) or a mythical one? Does it
"take place" in England (almost all faires do) or some
other country?
Renaissance England was a highly structured class society.
Know thy nobles, and the proper forms of address:
King or Queen majesty
Prince or Princess highness
Pope holiness
Cardinal eminence
Archbishop, Duke grace
Learn how to bow/courtsey, and when superiors approach,
suck mud.
>>> IF MUSIC BE THE FOOD OF LOVE, PLAY ON...
Can you sing? A lot of it goes on at faire. If you can
carry a tune, learn the words and melodies to faire songs.
If you're a REALLY good singer, you've got a big edge in
the competition to be a street actor.
If you can play a musical instrument, start learning
appropriate music. The music which is "appropriate" isn't
necessarily genuine renaissance music; in fact, there's
far more 19th- and 20th-century music at a ren-faire than
16th-century music. You do have to avoid sounding "modern."
If you want to be hired as a musician, you'll need a good
"act" and the more polished, the better. Avoid "modern"
sounding or looking instruments.
A few words about renaissance music: almost all of it was
written to be performed for SMALL audiences in intimate,
QUIET settings. Also, the instruments of that time (lute,
viol, etc.) are much quieter than their modern counterparts
(guitar, violin, etc.). At faire it's open-air acoustics
with lots of background noise, and the audience is more
likely to want bawdy drinking songs than Dowland lute songs.
This doesn't mean you can't make it work, but be prepared.
>>> OUT, SWORD!, AND TO WORK WITHAL...
If you really love that swordplay, start studying. There
are actually two approaches to this. One is the art of
fencing, which is a competitive sport. It's a lot of fun,
and will always serve you well in ren-faire swordplay.
However, it is in many ways different from "stage" combat,
the art of making people THINK you're swordfighting.
Although skill in one helps with the other, you should put
most of your effort into what you hope to do. If you want
to demonstrate fencing (a specialized skill at faire), study
fencing. If you want to join in the mock combat, study
stage combat. Most colleges have drama classes which focus
on stage combat, and you may get useful information from
the Society of American Fight Directors (look them up on
the internet).
>>> WEIRDEST BUT NOT LEAST...
Do you have an "unusual" talent? It just might work at
faire. If you juggle, do magic, walk a tight-rope, swallow
swords, or something even more bizarre, it might make
a good "act" at faire, or a good "bit" to do as a street
actor.
>>> BE A "RENAISSANCE" MAN/WOMAN...
There's no reason you can't learn several faire-related
skills. Work on your improv AND study fencing. Perfect
your garb AND your music. Speak the speech while you
throw the knives that you were just juggling while riding
horseback. Pick what you like, and study it well. What
you don't like, you generally won't have to do.
Make the most of every skill you have.
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DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Although faires have their "faire" share of jerks, they also
have a much higher than average share of really cool people.
Bonus!
Still, there are jerks, so don't leave anything too valuable
lying around unattended. Use common sense.
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BOTTOM LINE
Bottom line: TRY IT! That's the only way you'll find out
whether or not the faire life is for you. Jump in up to
your neck, but not over your head. If you find yourself
swimming, head for the deep water.
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Written by Grant Foster (a.k.a. Robert Dowland), with
generous and important additions and assistance from
Carl Heinz and Ed Westfield.
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