I am off again to the local Faire tomorrow. I offered my services (via e-mail, letter, and personal messenger) but was left unanswered. I have a pouchful of tricks I plan to bring and perform as the mood stikes me, but I don't plan to hat openly. My real hope is that someone in power at the faire will take note and ask me back fo next year. Wish me luck!

Good luck. I hope you let us know how it went.

So, I chickened out on doing any magic at the faire; more accurately, I chose not to press my luck performing uninvited, for a couple of reasons. The first: I was having too much fun strolling about and really did not want to. The second: my wife would have killed me. The third, and only true one: They did actually have a magician hired (which I choose to believe is why they did not contact me) and I did not want to interfere with his work.

I enjoyed what I caught of the magician's performance. He was a kid's performer, and I saw him do the torn-and-restored napkin to paper hat and a comedy bit with a sheepdog puppet (which I coincidentally saw someone selling on the Café the next day--hope it was not him!) The comedy by-play was a hoot for the kids, and the magic was fun.

Another performer at the faire is a talented singer in a popular group who as a sideline does a solo magic act. He did a nice job--and used me as a volunteer--but I did have one comment to pass on to all. He did a nice version of the cigarette in silk (TT) bit using a spectator's shirt as the "indestructible" cloth, which worked well. Some people have moved away from cigarette tricks as smoking becomes less popular, but I still like them in the right setting. My issue, though, was that he used a kid (probably 9 years old or so) to tap the cigarette into his fist. I'm no fuddy-duddy . . okay, I am . . . but I don't like mixing kids and smoking gags. Or alcohol. What do others think on this topic?

All in all, a good faire.

Interesting, Motley! I'm not surprised you decided not to push your luck... Ren Faires are tightly controlled. I got away with a little pocket work at the Fest here last year- not busking, just 'adding flavor'. Of course, me being me, I did it at closing, right inside and outside the main gate where I'd be sure to be noticed.

This year, I'm on cast as the first Court Magician!
Which is little more than being an approved busker, but I've weaseled my way into the upper class as the "spare heir to a lesser lord". My years in the SCA were a god-send; I'm basically well ahead of the curve on costume, character, history and 'speaking forsoothly'.

My guess is they want to see if I have the chops before making it a perm position; but I accomplished my goal- which was to get my foot in the door.

Essentially, the E.D. (Entertainment Director) is letting me create my own 'role' as it were. I'm ultimately angling for a stage slot, but they're highly sought after.

Check with your local faire's ED for audition information; but be warned- it's a heavy duty commitment. Our faire doesn't open until March and we began workshops in October!

So good to hear from you, Christophe'!

I have tried to contact the E.D. via the Faire's website contact, by mail, and through a personal message from a mutual friend, but he has not replied. I am going to contact him again in the next few months, but for now I will leave him be. I've got a walkaround gig next weekend for a local charity; maybe he'll see me there!

As to the rehearsal schedule, I am very familiar. Both of my teenagers have been faire cast for the past several years; they begin their auditions and weekend rehearsals about three months before faire day.

Blessings!

*nods* Well, you're familiar with the routine then; keep an eye on their website for open auditions and keep prodding the E.D. they're very busy, very... er... grouchy (if mine is any indication) but the auditions would be your best bet.

But yeah, I'm happy! Approved busking in a venue where folks are pre-disposed to actually sit and WATCH shows with several thousand through the gates daily? Heck yeah!

Plus, I've been told that talent scouts frequent Renn Faires looking for new blood- Penn and Teller did the circuit back in the day... so who knows? Even just on a local level, the exposure will be well worth it.

Ekuth is spot on, (and congratulations on your role in the Royal Court!)

There certainly is a lot of exposure at a Renn Faire, so the opportunity for spin off work is really good. From what I've seen, E.D's from other faires scope out the acts at neighboring faires looking for new blood for their events (it's a small world). I see a lot of the same people at each of the faires I perform, so you start to become family. There are national acts that pretty much just move from Faire to Faire as the season progresses. I know several people who make their living solely from being a renaissance festival performers (yes, a two day work week.).

At the main Faire that I work, the Minnesota Faire, I'm on the same stage where P&T, as well as The Flying Karamazov Brothers once performed. A couple of the acts have been there for 30 plus years. The karma there is amazing. There's another act, The Danger Committee, across the Faire from me that gets a lot of corporate work (I think they were on Americas Got Talent too).

Anyways, the sky's the limit.

How is Ren on the Glenn as a venue for performing?