Renaissance Faire workers are organizing to overthrow their exploitative king

We’ve got hard-core attendees in Michigan, attendance is down in rain, but it’s still kinda crowded. It’s not on terribly large grounds, so it always feels crowded. I grew up going to Minnesota’s, they have a ton of land, it pretty much never feels crowded even when you’re stuck parking in the literal back 40.

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Speaking of ren faire, i am reminded of American festivals in Europe. This would be really fascinating to experience as an American and i wonder what Europeans think of our Faires.

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There’s an ongoing situation at SF Dickens Fair that has some similarities. See:

https://blackatdickens.wixsite.com/load

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The villagers at the New York Renaissance Faire don’t even get free admission. They have to pay $100 for the season. https://guardiansofsterling.com/

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they’ll happily issue you a rain check for admission on a different day

Ohhh, I’ve just learned what the phrase “rain check” actually means.

(if they’d spelt correctly as ‘cheque’ I might have worked it out earlier)

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You are confusing Jim Belushi with John Belushi and King Richard’s for Bristol (formerly King Richard’s faire). Jim Belushi was the king for a single day at Wisconsin’s King Richard’s Faire and spent the entire day drunk out of his mind and making passes at anything that moved. There was a collective sigh of relief when he didn’t return.

As for the rest of the claims? Being made though, I’ve not worked that show so I’ve no idea.

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…and while that was happening, old man Wallenda was getting up on the wire anyway. That was one HELL of a day.

Well torches and pitckforks are all good role playing but remember, you can’t actually behead the king or people will be pissed

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They are playtrons, not cast members, and there is a difference. Playtrons have no set costume guidelines, undergo no training and, at the end of the day, are their for their own entertainment. They even describe themselves as “regular patrons”. There is nothing wrong with that, but they aren’t cast members.

That said, if you want a really problematic faire in New York? The Sterling faire has had no shortage awful scandals.

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Not quite, you are right that it was Jim, not John, but this was earlier, when King Richard’s started in Chicago before moving to Carver MA a few years later. He quit after a week. Google King Richard’s and Jim Belushi. Various reasons are given

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I didn’t think the show moved, IIRC both sites were open for at least one overlapping season. Then there was the “hostile” takeover. KR’s had a lot of problems, including way too much “snow” in the summer that caused people’s checks to bounce.

If you follow the links you will see that their are costume requirements, behavior guidelines, and required hours of service.

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Yes, set by that particular guilde. That isn’t an officially recognized group. As they say, they are patrons.

When you’re filming a movie or a TV show, the background actors still have a union. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

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The people attending a stage show, even if in costume, do not.

Oh yeah? Well I start my OWN Renaissance Fair! With blackjack and Hookers! Y’know what? Skip the Blackjack.

(no one posted this yet? Am disappoint!)

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It didn’t end well that one time.

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You can always be the hero

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There is a similar group at the Bristol Renaissance Faire, the “Friends of the Faire” group. There’s a membership fee, they have their own garden area in the middle of the grounds, and are allowed special privillages (e.g., they can bring in outside food as long as it’s for shared meals within that private space.) They do have some fairly loose guidelines for garb, but are not expected by the group or by the faire to interact with other patrons.

This is a patron group, not actually part of the faire. It can be a little difficult to tell the difference without more knowledge, but the important difference is they are not actors or performers, even if they put on a BFA from time to time!

(Now the people who get up on stage or engage in other performances … that’s a completely different situation! There’s at least one group that performs there that’s not paid by the faire, but does have a contract that allows the group to get in free, have a bit of space to perform, and collect tips.)

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It wasn’t that bad last time. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t that bad.

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