FriendsOfMDRF.org - THE BLOG!

Because we were at my 30th HS Reunion all weekend (fri-sat at least) and we couldn't pick up the dogs from the doggie daycare till after 5pm on sun, we decided to head down to MDRF for the day and go in civvies.

Made for the perfect day too!

Stopped by Steak on a Stake and not only was I greeted with a smile and a yummy piece of dead animal flesh, but the group behind the ledge sang for me. I tipped 'em an extra $5 for treating a non-garbed customer so well!

Next stop was to be some water but was stopped by two castmembers that I didn't recognize who wanted to help me decide what show to see first (I was glancing over the map of Revel Grove while walking). They gave Cyn and I some direction, with a smile, then set upon the next set of wandering guests.

We got our water and the young lady behind the ledge recognized me out of garb and complimented me on my new, stylish black bowler. . .she got a $2 tip for being so nice.

Since not a lot of folks recognized us out of "uniform," we got to run here and there without stopping to chat with different peeps. It was a wonderful day, albeit short (we left at 1pm).

It just goes to show that it doesn't matter what you wear when you walk through the gates of MDRF, you're always greeted with a smile by everyone, be they cast, crew, vendor, or guest. . . . and the smiles are always addictive!

With Scottish, Irish, AND Celtic weekends this season . . . I think it's a bit over-done on the Celtic theme! A couple of us sat down and discussed some other themed weekends and since the Renaissance effected much more than just England, why not have:

1) Italian Weekend
2) French Weekend
3) Spanish Weekend

The ethnic diversity might bring in visitors who might never come to faire otherwise!

By Royal invitation, I made my way down 95 for an hour-and-a-half from Delaware through what I thought would be rush-hour traffic. I wanted to be at the grounds no later than 730 to catch some of the "Six Wives" show and of course the full "Don Quixote, Book II" with friend Fred in the lead. I left at 5pm on the nose figuring in an extra hour for traffic.

I was pulling onto the parking lot outside of Revel Grove at 6:45. No traffic. . .not even a delay in the B'more tunnel.

I got my trusty camera, phone and iPod touch (I was told to bring a flashlight. . . I have an app. for that). Met up with

Ray Partenheimer, who plays one of the king's guards. . another friend. We got a seat in the back of the Globe, stage right.

I was very luckiy to get there so early as I was able to see three full shows, not the 1.5 shows I'd expected.

The most amazing of the three was the first show. . . The Chess Match. YES, I said the Chess Match. This is my eleventh season (when it starts on Saturday) and in all the seasons (and I've seen all the Chess Matches therein), I've never seen one so well performed as this. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen the cast do on stage. . . I'm talkin' "Shakespeare's Skum" funny here folks. I won't give it away but by the end of the match the cast gets to make fun of themselves and when all hell brakes loose, look for Middle J. Middle (J. Owen Dickson) whose work with a baking pan is music to the senses. GO SEE IT EVERY DAY OF THE SEASON! I expect the end to change unexpectedly with each show, given the free reign of the actors!

The second performance was "The Six Wives" which presents a wonderful "what if?" scenerio. What if five of Henry's wives had a confab over the impending marriage of the sixth wife? Six wonderful actresses on stage giving incredible performances. The show is very entertaining and makes you think about the truths and legends of each wife.

The last dress rehearsal was that of Don Quixote, Book II and I can best sum it up this way:

"See Fred sing, see Fred dance, see Fred once more in his underpants."

In fact in Book II's program you'll get double the underwear and now has 50% more lather. There's great acting, great fighting, choreography, singing, comedy, and listeneing to the funniest lisp in the world by Glenn Evans (think Thane Redwald from the BBC "Dark Ages" TV series).

Go see all three shows. . . . see them often. Get everyone you know to come with you because the performances are wonderful. I was told this was a dress rehearsal. . . . but they all looked pretty polished to me.

It's the first day in months that I won't be driving 1.5 hours down 95, looking for that exit to I-97 (the shortest interstate in the United States) and then the Crownsville exit.

It's the first day in months that I don't hear cannonfire to REALLY start my day.

It's the first day in months that I don't get the hugs and handshakes from the men and ladies that I consider the best friends I've ever had.

It's the first day in months that I can't rationalize having a hard cider or an ale at 1030 in the morning. . . and noticing I'm not alone in that rationalization.

It's the first day in months that I don't give a Klingon chest salute to Ray the guard and be granted either a hug or a wink from His Majesty, King Fred.

It's the first day in months that I won't growl at the O'Danny's first show when they ask men, "comfortable with their masculinity" to swoon. . . and have Daisy point at me and accuse me of creeping out the crowd!

It's the first day in months that I won't hear all the background noises of faire, from vendors to knights. . . . I won't smell the folding of iron from the blacksmith or the steak-on-a-stake. . . . I won't see the leaves changing from green to gold. . . I won't feel the sod/straw/chips/gravel/stone/dirt/mud of Revel Grove's lanes underfoot . . . and I won't taste an ice cold cider, washing down a Scotch Egg.

It's the first day in months that I'll be sad.

It will also be the first day in months that I get to experience the expectation of a new season of The Maryland Renaissance Festival and all the joy that suspense brings. Melancholy over the season that's spent but joyous in hope that the faire will do what it always does. . . . evolve into a spectacular event that exceeds every expectation. . . and brings with it more magic than the year before.

It's the first day to share a new season with everyone at www.friendsofmdrf.org

For years now at MDRF, since I voiced my unpopular opinions in 2002, there have been those that "don't appreciate" my sardonic wit and very dark humours. Many of the folks who populate faires are of a tender and sensitive nature. . . . most of those can't take a joke.

Because folks consider Faire a serious hobby, one that makes them pine for it in the off-season, wishing away much of "real life" to get back to Revel Grove. Some make it their sole reason for living and MDRF and those who enjoy its fruits, the only people they consider friends. It's a bit sad in my opinion.

It is those type of folks who vandalized The Pyrates Way truck last weekend, giving a rotten end to an almost perfect day. If making me miserable in the short term was their goal then they won. If they think such actions would deter or even bother me long term then they're very sadly mistaken. Worst part of the situation is that m'luv Cynthia owns said vehicle and regardless of what anyone thinks of me. . . . why would they go out of their way to injure my wife in such a way?

Anyway it wasn't a lot of vandalizm. . . . just ripping apart one of the Pyrates Way logo magnets that I sported on each forward doors of the vehicle. Just enough damage to scratch a bit of paint and piss me off a bit. . . nothing more.

It does suck though that there are people who revel in such juvenile and criminal actions. Most humans interact when they have a problem with another. . . criminal cowards however, take a different path because deep down they know they're both wrong and a scared of facing me. No biggie. . . life goes on. . . but as I said. . .it DOES suck.