like nobody's watching

The wife and I are big fans of the PA Renaissance Faire.  We try to go every year, rain or shine, and we always have a wonderful time.  We revel in the ridiculousness of it all; we're not there for the historicity as much as for the good-natured and jocular attitude on display among all of the performers.  It's goofy, but that's just part of the charm.  And you can't otherwise get this many people in one place committed to a shared fantasy without going to Disney World; it's lovely in its unassuming, homespun splendor.

We've gone twice this year, which is actually very unusual for us.  Two separate groups of friends invited us along, and we decided to just go for it.  And I'm so glad that we did!  The first visit, we frantically ran from scheduled show to scheduled show, with almost no time to enjoy the scenery, shops, or amusing character beats of the actors wandering around the grounds.  The shows were phenomenal, but the day felt a little rushed.  At least we got to enjoy dance lessons courtesy of the incomparable Lady Ophelia!

I have to admit that I was unimpressed with the decision to switch the monarch from Queen Elizabeth I to King Henry VIII.  They're immediate enough in time that it didn't clash too severely with the historical feel (ahahahahaha), but it was still strange to see a non-Elizabethan Renaissance Faire, and I could tell the performers felt the same way.  On top of that, I didn't like the actor who played Henry at all; his fake accent is non-existent, and his singing voice leaves something to be desired.  But at least they nicely portrayed his happy marriage to Catherine of Aragon!

I had a blast the first time, but the second visit was even better.  Since I'd seen all the shows I really wanted to see, I was free to just wander around and soak in the atmosphere of craziness.  I found a strong appeal in the little winks the performers gave; we were all in on the same massive joke.  And the different group of people we went with provided their own unique perspective on the events, which was interesting and fun!

Also, some of the performers kept trying to steal my soul (Sirens, you see).  The quickest way to my heart!

The only thing we repeated on the second visit (besides the obligatory Human Chess Match and Joust) was dance lessons from Lady Ophelia.  After the second lesson, she approached us and declared that we were excellent dancers, and we simply must come back.  We protested!  "Lady Ophelia," stated we, "this is already our second time this season!  We simply cannot afford such grand expenses as all that!"  But Lady Ophelia simply scoffed.  "Nonsense," she declared, "you shall receive passes and be considered part of the troupe, and that is that."  We gratefully and cheerfully accepted!

Soon it may be that you shall see myself and the wife spinning about most gaily to the tune of the Korobushka!  But if things are to take this turn, I may need to get myself fitted for a period-appropriate costume.  Yes...something...with tights.  But not a kilt, no sir.  Not for me.  That'd be the easy way out.  And you know how I feel about those.