thelasthuzzah

" Admit me Chorus to this history;

who, prologue-like, your humble patience pray,

gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play.”

-King Henry V

prologue

I never quote the Bard lightly... unless I perceive that he wrote it to be lightly-quoted, for who am I to argue with genius? For instance, it is difficult to recite the lines of Puck with any real gravitas. Will meant it to be so and so it is and so it ever shall be - if you'll forgive the turn of phrase. I quote him now because I quoted him that morning, with scarce breath and feverish head as the cannonfire thundered and the gates opened on the 2006 faire season. "Admit me chorus to this history..." fair words for the opening of any endeavour designed to breathe momentary life into the past.

It is a curious thing, this pastime we call 'Renaissance Faire'. It's neither fish nor fowl, neither living history nor pure Hollywood. Elsewhere I have opined ad nauseum on the subject of historical reenactment -vs- entertainment and where we fit in the big picture. I shall not beat a dead horse. Suffice to say that each season of faire takes on something of the character of the world beyond the gates, and as the society goes, so goes faire. A few years ago, all was Hobbits and Harry Potter - the past couple of years, it's been the golden age of piracy and more than our fair share of Jonny Depp wannabes.

Some faires revile such interjections of pop culture into their midst, some embrace it. While I cast no stones at either camp, I would opine that those whose bottom lines are healthier are in the latter camp, because Business 101 tells you that you cannot make money by turning away patrons. The most successful faires seem to find a way to assimilate and even embrace the new cultural zeitgeist. Neither paradigm can get away with pretending they don't exist. But amidst the swaggering pirates and scampering Hobbits, a faire still needs the chorus, the players that fill the color and breathe life into the faire.

Into this melange steps a new guild of villagers to do just that. The Hearth of Saint Brigid reincarnate. Neither purists nor pirates, we came, looking for elbow room on a crowded stage. I would arrogate to say that we have accomplished that goal.

The new guild is the usual mix of battle-hardened veterans and bright-eyed recruits. Big ideas and a whole lotta heart. We come to try something new, to revive something old, and to make a few mistakes along the way... "who prologue-like your humble patience pray..."

We held our first meeting during faire on the final weekend of Washington Ren Faire's 2005 season (sorry Amy). It began as a joke when I turned to the people hiding from the heat in the Peasant Encampment down in the glen and delivered the ancient line "I suppose you're all wondering why I called you here today..." and it went from there. We met almost every month as a large group at our member's houses. The first meeting outside faire was in October at my house, and from that core nucleus of eight mostly old-hands we began to recruit vigorously. New people came at us from the internet, from word of mouth, from approaching us at fabric stores and events. By the beginning of faire, we had well-nigh 30 people on the rolls. I'm told that this is the largest the village guild has ever been.

There were growing pains, but we managed to keep it rolling. We even pulled out all the stops - and with the help of an infusion of cash from the faire - we even managed to pull off my grand vision of a peasant pergola to frame our encampment. Some of our grander schemes still wait in the wings: the village well, a wheel barrow, bubble barrels, a half-timbered backdrop... etcetera, but it's all just wood and nails... nothing without actors to give it life. And actors we have! New and old, everyone showed up ready to go, prepared to wow them at every turn!

I've watched other guilds become a cult of personality, a central strong leader that acts as the center tentpole of the guild. Without them, the whole thing collapses. I have endeavoured at every turn to steer this guild away from that. To be a center of authority and guidance, but to keep the guildmembers themselves largely self-reliant.

This was put to the test early as I fell ill just as the faire season was revving up. I spent most of July in bed or out of town, and yet the guildmember kept it rolling. Despite my absence from Practice Day and the final push on the building party, at each and every hurdle another member or group of members stepped to the fore to carry the flag for the Hearth. When I came to faire with a case of pneumonia and other health concerns weighing on me, I was largely useless for the first two weekends. The guild never felt the bump as they went over it.

I couldn't be prouder of a set of coworkers and friends than I am of the members of my guild. With very few exceptions the comments we have received were compliments. Glowing reviews. Sets, costumes, characters, gigs, the whole shebang.

Thank you. Congratulations. You're a guild in the finest tradition that the term embodies. I am humbled.

When the crew that went to Shrewsbury gave me a pin they picked up at one of the vendors that said "...and then they made me their chief" they couldn't have been closer to the mark even if it had been a quote from the Bard instead of Jonny Depp. I get the honor of being first recipient of the praises you've garnered, but I never forget that you made me your chief.

I have been at times an irascible cuss, opinionated and stubborn and I'm never a pleasant sick person (ask my wife). Each and every effort was bent toward the results we have attained, and the plans which will take us beyond it. I couldn't have planned it better. The honor or passing along the praise I receive is humbling. We've attained so much in one year. So much lies ahead for us.

Was it everything we planned? No. It was more than we hoped for.

"...Gently to hear, kindly to judge, our play."

Some of you will - no doubt - move on to other guilds and new challenges and you go with our fondest thoughts. Some of you will return, and there will always be new faces. And as each new year turns, we will keep getting better, and all those grandiose plans will come to fruition. Of that I have no doubt.

I leave you with a song that is no less heartfelt for being written by someone else. This is a traditional song to close out an outstanding year. And more the present to you that you don't have to listen to me sing it to you!

In faith,

Scott W. Perkins

Your semi-illustrious Guildmaster

A Toast to the Company

(Words & Music Traditional)

Kind friends and companions, come join me in rhyme

Come lift up your voices in chorus with mine

Come to drink and be merry, from grief to refrain

For we may or might never all meet here again

Chorus:

Here's a health to the company and one to my lass

Lets drink and be merry all out of one glass

Lets drink and be merry, from grief to refrain

For we may or might never all meet here again

Here's a health to the dear lass that I love so well

Her style and her beauty, sure’n none can excel

There's a smile upon her countenance as she sits upon my knee

Sure’n there's no man in in this wide world as happy as me

Chorus

Our ship lies at anchor, she's ready to dock

I hope she's safe landed without any shock

If ever I should meet again by land or by sea

I will always remember your kindness to me

Chorus