My adventures at the PA Renaissance Faire began in 1987 at the fresh-faced age of 5! My mother and I went every year until 2019. My first job ever was in 1998 when I was 16 and would drive a carload of teenaged wenches to work. I loved EVERY moment of the magic, the camaraderie, the hard work in the heat, the sweat in August and layers in October. There is nothing like the smell of the shire before a faire day when the sun is shining on the shops and the village is alive with energy and anticipation of guests’ arrival.

One of the first people I met during my adventures was Jimmy Amor whom, along with his parents Doc and Patti Amor and his brother Billy Brooks were Blackfryars as a family! They embraced the life so much that Doc let us put up shows in the “black box” above his dental practice and they went on to spend several seasons as the King and Queen at the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival while both boys became Knights! This picture is with me and the 7-year-old boy who’s fingers I used to smack for stealing my ice from the CLOISTER water cart by the joust in 1998- WAY back in the 1900’s! He is now a husband, a father, a theatre professional and spent a semester at sea- HOW AMAZING!

During my time performing with Chaste Treasure, an acapella singing group where “ladies” sang songs full of innuendo, but mostly bantered with improv goodness, we emplyed a series of “man snacks” who sold our merchandise. Here is a collection of man snacks from 6+ years of performing from Pittsburgh to Florida, New Jersey to the Poconos and online during the pandemic. These unparalleled humans have touted our best qualities in all weather, laced me, acted as Ladies in waiting, and showed up time and again for this woman who was always very trusting of gentlemen who showed respect.

Since my early days at PARF, everyone has a favorite memory of Lord and Lady Bleu! I even have the distinct memory of being on the finale stage when their engagement was finally announced after many, many moons of courtship. In the years since, I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with Cheryl and Brian and have shared many memorable experiences with them over so many locales. Cheryl was also one of the blessed souls who visited me in the hospital. Her and I were a pretty formidable team at Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune! Arthur Rowan and I started working together in 2010, though I have been an admirer of his work for much longer. He was a fairy hunter in 2010 while I was Mistress Beatrice Quickly, part of the stunt team. I was honored to be in Poe Evermore that year performing, “The Pit and the Pendulum” as a one woman show with Arkansas Bueling as my tech, Arthur as my Director, and I retain to this day that it is the single best acting experience of my life. If I can track down a recording, I will proudly share it. Watching Arthur’s career blossom in Florida, and his family grow with an insanely talented wife and twin boys has been a true pleasure.

I have so many reflections from my visit to the faire- many of which might be better as a diary entry than a blog post, but I mean, if not to share, then WHY?! In the meantime, please know that this experience was a challenge for me because of how very long the day was and juggling the oxygen requirements while making sure I had enough in different forms. I definitely overexerted myself a few times resulting in dizziness and significant tiredness, I did not drink enough water because finding fountains or handicap bathrooms was work, and I should have eaten more but wasn’t willing to commit the time to a food line when I had people to see.

All of that being said, my visit to faire was as close to perfect as possible. I saw SO many beloved humans whom I cherish endlessly. I saw performances by gifted individuals who are thriving in their natural environments. It will take me a few days to recover from the excitement, but I am so very glad that I was blessed with this truly magical experience. Choose Joy, Friends. And BRING JOY wherever you go!