Reinventing Renaissance
REVITALIZED FAIR TO BRING OLD WORLD FUN TO GILROY

By Lisa M. Krieger - Mercury News
Posted on Tue, Sep. 06, 2005

The Renaissance has returned, new and improved.

Two years after Northern California's Renaissance Faire was sold by a corporation to its own actors and vendors, the rowdy cast of characters is preparing for a season that they predict will be bigger and busier than years past.

"It's much more fun. Now, we all work together to put it on," said Deirdre Sargent of Oakland, who plays "Queen Elizabeth" but also owns shares in the new non-profit Play Faire Productions. ot that I would not be interested but I do not have the funds at this time.(This quote is a fragment of a longer thought and not exact. I did not say nor imply that we never worked together before. To me the addition of the word "now" changes the meaning.)

On the eve of its opening weekend at Casa de Fruta, between Gilroy and Hollister, the 17-acre site bustles with activity. Carpenters hammer nails for new stages. Actors rehearse their roles, their words floating on the breeze of a warm summer afternoon.

Even an ATM machine has been decorated with Olde English text, in an effort at authenticity.

"Our village is called `Willington,' named for the will of people to save the fair," said entertainment director Maureen Drew.

The fair, entering its 38th year, has long been a popular fixture of Northern California's autumn season.

A historical re-enactment event that combines period-inspired costumes, performances, sporting events, food, drink and revelry, it offers an escape into places like Sterling Forest, where Queen Elizabeth and her courtiers greeted villages. (I have NO idea how the Sterling reference got here in regards to the Queen or villages. I told the reporter that REC operated 3 other Faires, one in Sterling Forest in Tuxedo, New York. She must have been confused when she was putting this sentence together.)

But two years ago, 16th-century England collided against a modern problem: revenue loss.

Originally created as a way to present living history to students in the 1980s and 1990s, the fair business turned commercial and competitive, with dozens of fairs across the country.

At the Northern California site, attendance and revenue dropped precipitously. Owner Renaissance Entertainment Corp., which owns three other Renaissance-themed events, was facing financial difficulty. On the last day of its 2003 season, the Northern California-based fair closed its doors.

The future looked grim.

``So we thought: `How hard can it really be? Let's put it on ourselves,' '' said Michael Gardner, director of marketing and public relations for Play Faire Productions.

The crew discovered that it is harder than it looks -- not just acting for an unprincely sum, but also producing and managing the production as well. Happily, last year Play Faire Productions sold 41,800 tickets despite six days of rain.

But a renewed commitment to the production has infused it with new spirit and energy, the actors agreed.

A comedy troupe will perform interactive skits on the street, a practice once judged too risky and improvisational. (I have no idea where that came from. In the past we had a great many improv groups in the streets so this is not true.) The faire's 135 craftspeople and artisans, motivated to sell their wares, will beckon visitors. Jousting on huge Percheron horses will be real, not choreographed, risking life and limb.

"The energy is different. It is our show," said publicist Frances Larose. "We decided it was important to keep the living arts alive."

Added Gardner: "For years, it was a $10 show for a $20 ticket. Now it is a $40 show for a $20 ticket."

For the first time, the fair will present special weekends, with themes ranging from romance to an angry Celtic invasion. (I don't know why its an "angry" Celtic invasion. We never promoted anything angry. We just have a Celtic Invasion weekend.)

Once visitors leave, the crew plans a party for itself.