Today the cast of FUSION 2 (Our show at the Horizon in Lake Tahoe) took a trip to the Renaisance Faire which takes place here in South Tahoe once a year. I must admit, the setting is beautiful. The grounds are generously sprinkled with pine trees towering over the tents, booths, stages, and crowds. There are zero sightlines of present-day civilization anywhere to be seen, so at times one can truly get the feeling of being in a period-piece or documentary special on PBS.
But then you actually meet the Faire people.
Now it's an easy thing to make fun of this unusual group, and come to think of it, many have. And I'll admit that there are those among them who 'get it' - they don't drown themselves in delusions of the time, hoping it will whisk them away from contemporary life. They are the real, down to earth merchants & performers who work the Ren Faire 'circuit' from coast to coast. Selling their wares and wardropes for good money, offering fencing lessons for a few dollars and singing, dancing, juggling, and cajoling for hard-earned tips.
No, I'm talking about the other ones that come out of the woodwork - Ren Faire termites you might call them. They've worked on their costumes just as much as a Star Wars fan might painstakenly stitch hair after hair onto their Wookie outfit. They're the ones who make a point of chatting up with unsuspecting strangers in "Old English", like Japanese tourists longing to converse with Americans when they visit the states. They feel a strange sense of superiority because most of us can't answer back in the same old dialect. We stutter and stamper, as we're "Lord & Lady'd" to death.
But they're harmless. And truthfully, most of us go to a Ren Faire to people-watch. We'd be extremely bummed if it were as clean and pristine as Disneyland. Where the theme park costuming reeks of simplicity, bordering on almost cartoonish design. Where the name-tagged employees may be working a bavarian themed restaurant, but their accent is all american through and through.
The long and the short of it? We were, as my friend Eric put it, "Just here for a big ol' turkey leg" - Throw back some grog in pewter cups, and watch an endlesss bevy of bossoms flutter about. Ren Faires ARE definitely cleavage-heaven.
Some women push their boobs up so high, that I swear they could rest their chin on them if they wanted. Or have a nice place to carry their lunch. Their dresses are full and I imagine the detailed machinery involved underneath it all that permits the...well, let's call it upliftment. I'm sure structural engineers would be in awe.
All in all, a good day. We got in free, and left with everything intact. The crowds were friendly, the Ren Faire people as a whole were nice and generous. Many were willing to take pictures with us, even though we secretly only wanted proof of their outrageous costumes. Some never quite hit the mark, nor the time period. We discovered several Xena-type women warriors, huns, and quite a few fairies. People who decided that Ren Faires meant strapping a pair of fairy or angel wings to their shoulders. Oh well, not everyone is going to get the concept spot on.
Lords & Ladies? No, I'd much rather stick with the guys & gals of today. But where else are you gonna get a big ol' turkey leg?
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