Why?

So, I wanted to talk a little about why I do faire to begin with. Why I get up ridiculously early in the morning on a Saturday AND Sunday, to drive an hour, park my poor car in a dirt and rock parking lot, lug a bunch of crap I'll need for the day the quarter mile or so until I get to backstage where I can cover my body with 35lbs of velvet and silk. I cinch about 4 inches or so off my waist with a corset that sexily pushes a mass belly blob down, making me look like I have an 85 year old man beer belly. I hike up the girls, coat them in several layers of sun screen, layer on makeup, braid my hair and put in million hair pins all to make it look like I'm beautiful with no effort, though I have to reapply makeup throughout the day as it sweats off and cover my hair with a hat. I can only eat a little food because my stomach can't expand. I down water like it's going out of style as my dress turns into my own personal sauna. Using the giant port-a-potty to pee is an adventure of unspeakable proportions. After which the dress just does not sit right for the rest of the day.

I'll swing my hoops a bit to catch a breeze whenever I can. Attempt not to trip or fall on any of the unbelievably uneven ground or trip on my own skirts, or someone else's skirts or even a man's sword. I'm on my feet about 75% of the day. I can't raise my arms higher than my boobs, I can't bend over to pick something up, I can't get up from sitting without help. At the end of the day, after 10 hours in full dress, I can release my ribs from their confinement and take deep breaths again. My body is covered with dust and sweat. I feel icky all over as I lay in a puddle for a few moments trying to remember how to be human, before I hang every up, put everything away, lug the dirty laundry and everything else back out to the car, find some protein for dinner that my body is screaming for and go for another hour drive home before I can take a shower and collapse in bed. Then I get up the next day and to it over again.

No this isn't an exaggeration. This is pretty much exactly what faire is like. This is every Saturday and Sunday for 7 weeks. All this in addition to the 6-8 rehearsals we have throughout the year, 4 weeks of workshops and building, which is both Saturday and Sunday, and teardown the weekend after faire. In addition to the countless hours sewing, the million pricks of the finger, the dozens of trips to downtown LA for new fabric, the tears of frustration, spending more nights with my sewing machine than my husband. Alyson brought up a very good point a couple of weeks ago. That we spend our entire year planning, preparing and working towards what amounts to be two weeks of our year in the end. That's a lot of freakin work.

So why the hell am I doing it? Because I Love it. I freakin LOVE every bit of it. All of this is 150% worth it. And I really can't imagine not doing any of this. Yes, I know I may be clinically insane.

In 1989 The Renaissance Pleasure Faire moved from Augora, CA to Devor, which was about 10 minutes from where we lived. I was 10 years old and my mom thought it would be fun to take us to the faire. She even made me a cute little pink princess dress and my brother a cape and hat. I just remember loving every second of that day. It was so magical. I was in awe of the Queen and her Court (ironically many of whom I know very well now). I told my mom that day that I wanted to be in that court.  I remember one of the ladies giving me a little cheap ring, and I LOVED that ring. It slipped off my finger as we were leaving the faire and I was heartbroken.  We visited the faire a few times more over the years, and I always loved it.

In high school, I was always slightly awkward. Not quite a total reject, but certainly not cool. So of course I hung out with those like me, typically the drama gang. Some of who actually worked at the faire. In 1997, I was a junior, and my teacher was Chuck Obversby. Who just so happened to be a key player in the Guild of St George and had already recruited several students to join the guild. I BEGGED my parents to let me just do one year. I would be in household, and the guild would provide the costume, so we wouldn't have to put out too much money. My teacher would be there, and several other responsible adults. With great reluctance they agreed and I started faire.

First of course there were the rehearsals and then workshops. By the time faire was set to open, I had the most amazing feeling about faire. I was home. I felt so welcome. Everyone there was like me. This place was just as magical for them as it was for me. I was shocked to learn that people did this for years, some for decades. The people were amazing. I really can't describe it any other way, except that I just knew I belonged there.

I spent most of that first season in shock and confusion over many of the double entendres, mostly of sexual nature and about 90% of which went right over my head. I was from a Christian, conservative home and was pretty well protected from such things until then. I met and got to know gay people for the first time. I came into contact with such a wide range of people from different backgrounds, beliefs, religions. A whole new world was opened for me. I remember laughing. Laughing all the time. There was always something happening that caused me to smile and laugh out loud. I started acting and interacting with the customers. Trying to make their day as magical as mine was. I gained an amazing sense of confidence. These people had accepted me just as I was and really cared about me, took an interest in me. They didn't talk to me like I was a silly teenager. They listened to what I had to say and took me seriously. I would end the day/weekend more energized then when I started.

Now I'm 30. I'm about to complete my 14^th season. A lot has changed since that first season. A lot of friends have moved on or been sadly lost. I get a lot more of the jokes now, and I'm not quite as wide eyed innocent as I was then. And even some of the shine from the magic is gone. But the laughter still remains. I can always count of someone bringing not just a smile to my face, but laughter. Every day I know I will laugh and laugh hard. I know I have great friends who care about me. I know that there is always someone who is willing to listen to me, support me or just simply tell me when enough is enough. Faire is more than just a hobby for me. It cracked open my world. Exposed me to so much. It has had a HUGE impact on who I have become. It is a large part of who I am today. I can't even imagine who I would be without these people and this place. Every day I learn something new about myself and I continue to grow because of it.

Yeah, sometimes it sucks. It's not easy and not always fun. It's hard work. Some of the hardest work I've ever done. But when it is all said and done. It is totally worth it. So I'll get up and do all over again.