The Privy Council

The Official Homepage of Odorferious Thunderbottom, Keeper of the Privies and Unofficial Head of the Privy Council at the Bristol Renaissance Faire

(LAST UPDATE - September 14, 2009)

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The ThunderReport

Of all the things I write about in here, this is the most difficult. It is the most difficult because I only give awards to those I�ve actually seen in action, and I didn�t see all that much; especially this season. I was in that box literally 90% of the time. Unless something happened around me, or in the pole barn, or during those extremely limited moments when I was doing that �Dumpling�, thing, then I don�t know about them. Okay, I will readily admit that there will be a few performers who are going to get awards based upon hearsay. But for the most part, I experienced most everything I am about to mention.

Another reason it is the most difficult thing to write, is because I am giving special recognition to members of my family, over other members of my family, and I do not want to offend any of my family. Hey. I love all of you. You know that. You all deserve recognition for the things you did on the streets of Bristol. Please forgive me if I overlooked you.

And the last reason it is the most difficult thing for me to write, is that my memory has gone south for some strange reason. I forget way too much stuff. Maybe I�m just not paying attention. I don�t know, but I know I�ve forgotten so much that I�m looking into getting a spy camera and microphone to wear on my person, so that my day can be recorded for me to view later.

So, with all this in mind, here are the �My Year Awards for 2009!�

Male Street Performer of My Year - Fred Henry as William Drynkmore

Fred Henry has been performing at Bristol for several years. His first service was in the service, so to speak, as he was a member of Bristol�s military guild, �The Guild of St. Michael�, playing their barber surgeon. Then one year he made the decision to move onto the street, and spend most of his day interacting with patrons as �William Drynkmore�, better known as �Willie Drynkmore�. Think about it. Fred continues to do double duty, performing both in the street, and with the military. When he is with the military, he performs one of the more interesting surgical procedures, while patrons look on. It is not unusual to see Fred carrying around a jar of leeches which he uses during his military performances. Fred makes his living in the medical community, but I think that he spends more time thinking about, and obtaining props to support his passion for street performing. Over the years he has either inspired or outright created several bits for my character, and has provided me with several props. He is also a charter member of the �Pole Barn Posse�, a designation I gave some years back, to those who use the pole barn as their dressing area/green room. With all his talent, the thing I appreciate about Fred is the inspiration he gives to all the rest of the performers. It is difficult not to be in a good mood when Fred is around. He will be sharing a great bit, or singing a well known tune with Fred Henry created lyric changes. The start to my day would be greatly incomplete without spending some time with Fred. I don�t know any other street performer who does more for the audience than Fred, and for his marvelous efforts, I have named him the �Male Performer of My Year�.

Female Street Performer of My Year - Kaitlin Chinn as Lady Katherine Tso

I happen to have a list of �Top Ten Women Most Likely For Me to Run Away With�. Katy is on it; pretty close to the top. She is not just a beautiful lady, she is a beautiful person. And she is a talented performer. For the past few seasons, we have seen Katy in her Fantastikal role as the �Blue Fairy�. I have always been amazed to silence whenever I have witnessed her performing this role. Patrons loved her, and she was a major asset to that troupe. But this year she made a change; a change that created controversy in the early stages of this season. She moved over to �The Band of the Twisted Claw�, commonly known as �RenQuest�. Her new character was the female counterpart to James Freer�s evil �Lord High Sherriff�. Katy went from light to darkness, becoming a very evil character. The controversy is not worth going into here, but it did have a tendency to discourage Katy a bit. But she overcame the controversy and successfully created a character that played a very important part in our season. She proved that she was not only a pretty face, not only a seasoned talent, but a very tough individual who refused to allow controversy to stop her. For that, Katy, I think you were the best, and I love you, my lady. When do we leave?

Best Underrated Performer of My Year - John Walski as Ha� Penny Spittlesack, Earl of Bedlam

In my opinion, John Walski is one of the best, and most unique performers that I have worked with in my 16 chubby little years of life on the streets of Bristol. He spends his faire day sitting in his homemade cart, containing various contraptions that move and/or make noise when the cart is being pulled by an unsuspecting patron. Over the years, I�ve seen that cart being pulled all over Bristol by patrons. Somehow John has a knack for talking them into being his personal horse. And their reward for this duty? Nothing. John promises them nothing, they expect nothing, and they get nothing. He has taken the word �nothing�, and turned it into an art form, selling �nothing�, or talking about �nothing�, or giving �nothing� away throughout the day. And it works. John is also a props genius. It seems like every week he shows up with something new, something odd, something that someone else should have thought of, but never has. And if you have a prop need, he will create it somehow. John gets very excited about making new props. Years ago when he first came up with the idea for his cart, he could hardly wait to get started building it. So, instead of waiting for the weekend to head out to the inner circle to begin construction, he built the thing in his apartment. Upon completion, he eagerly pulled the cart to the door of his apartment so he could load it into his car. One problem. It was too big to get through the door. So, he took it apart, put the pieces into his car, and rebuilt it in the pole barn. That�s worth some kind of an award, in and of itself. John only pulled part time duty this year. Next year, I hope and pray he gets all 19 days. We need him in the streets!

Rookie of My Year - Anne Quoiat as Piquita

During the early stages of rehearsals, I tend to size up the newbies. I try to figure out who is going to do well, and who was a wasted draft choice. I listed Anne, somewhere in the middle. It was obvious that she had talent, but it seemed that she didn�t have a clue as to what she had signed up for, but when she hit the street, she blew me away. While I never saw what she did when she wasn�t Piquita, I did see plenty of her when she was. Playing a human marionette with some guy on stilts is not an easy task, but she undertook the challenge with excited enthusiasm. She didn�t just take the role for granted. She did her homework, like a true professional. She researched the role, watching videos, and talking to past performers who previously played this part. She improved upon perfection by developing new ways to make this character even better. Backstage, her positive and friendly attitude was infectious. She is the type of performer that makes you proud to be in the profession. I pray she returns next season. You are amazing, my lady.

Bit of My Year - John Wohlers as John T. Hawser

I mentioned John a lot in the pages of this years �ThunderReport�. There were just a zillion things he did to make the streets of Bristol a happier place. He also performed a stage show for KK. There was this one weekend when Bristol was invaded by a contingent of �Zombies�. The news of their visit had reached us early in the year, so we had some time to prepare. On �Zombie Day�, I remember entering the pole barn, only to be greeted by John, a devilish grin on his face, and a box of salt in his hand. Only it was no longer salt. It was now a box of �Zom-B- Gone�. The plan was to take the contents of the box, pour it between some advancing zombies and some patrons, protecting the patrons from their protagonists. And it worked to perfection. The patrons pretended to be frightened, while the zombies who seemed to understand what was going on, pretended to bump into an invisible wall as they tried to cross over the line of �Zom-B-Gone�. It is a simple idea, with a small, easily developed prop. I have found over the years that the smallest bits turn out to be the best. As far as I was concerned, this was the best. Keep up the good work, John. You are a priceless part of our cast.

Bit That Bordered on Actorbation of My Year - Adam McAleavey as Jasper Trustworthy

Actorbation is loosely defined as performing for yourself, or with other performers, while ignoring the audience that is looking on. I used to take a very dim view of actorbation, but I have since learned that if done correctly, actorbation can provide the audience with an on the spot, improvisational sketch that thoroughly entertains them. In a sense you are taking an �inside joke�, and revealing it to your audience, allowing them to enjoy it as well. On the final weekend of the season, Adam did just that. He took the old head of �Jinx�, that huge jester puppet that roams the streets, made a few alterations to it so that it would resemble the Stacy Hicks, who plays the part of Sir Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester�, and presented it to him down at the glade as the �Bust of Sir Robert Dudley�. I was not present, and I understand that Stacy was not present either, but I also understand that the bit was a hit. Adam has a knack for taking old props and attempting to use them in bits. Years ago he took that gigantic barrel prop that Mayor Bailey was supposed to have drowned in, and tried to work it into some bits on the street. Not every one of these bits turns out to be what was imagined, and I guess that one was one of those. I�m not really sure how this bit went over, but I thought it was genius, and thus the award.

Director of My Year - Gregory Larson as Robyn Hoode

Gregg has been around a long as I have been at Bristol�I think. At least it seems that way. I have a difficult time imagining Bristol without him. For many years he played the part of �Jack Bottoms�, of the �Sea Dogs�, a group of sailors, roles that became victims of the thematic change to the Robyn Hoode thing that we live with today. I miss the �Sea Dogs�. But in that change, Gregg went from a supporting roll, to the star of the scenario. He became Robyn Hoode, and has played the part extremely well for many years. Then came the next major change. The 4:30 scene at the, which had been the traditional end of the fight cast day, as they tied up the ends of the various conflicts with the appearance of the Queen and her court, was scrapped. Instead, the fight cast was consigned to several (by several, I mean lots and lots) small skirmishes in the streets, which built to a final scene at 5:15, next to the old wash well, near the Gypsy encampment. This change was initially greeted with much weeping and gnashing of teeth by fight cast fans who looked forward to that final show on the Cheshire Chase stage. It would also be one of the sources of much of the controversy that rose during the first week of the season. Gregg, also found himself in a new role, as director of the fight cast. Not only did he have to play the leading roll, he now had to create and direct the many, many fights, choreographing them in such a way as to make some sense. I can�t imagine having all that dumped on my shoulders, but Gregg never complained. He accepted the change, met the challenge, overcame the controversy, and produced a brilliant series of performances in the street, that thrilled the audiences. Gregg is an amazing talent, with a phenomenal spirit of cooperation. Bristol is blessed to have him.

By the way, I caught the last performance on the last day. It was the only one I actually saw. When Marian shot the sheriff, I had to go change my underwear!

Iron Man of My Year - Heath Denikas as Little John

Confession time. I know for a fact that Heath has been at Bristol as long as I have. Probably longer. There are a handful of performers that I am in utter awe of, and who intimidate the crap out of me. The �awe�, part is obvious. The �intimidate the crap out of me�, part is a bit of a mystery, because from everything I know about Heath, he is a great, big, ball of fuzziness. Maybe it has to do with the first time I saw him perform. He was playing the part of �Bardolf Simple�, the baddest of Sir Edward Cooke�s bad guys. Heath�s body is the antithesis of , say, Arnold Schwarzenegger�s. There is no way this guy should be able to do what he does in with the fight cast, especially for as long as he has been doing it. But every year this man performs as well as anyone in our cast. Better than most. I have seen him swing on ropes, fall all over the place, crawl on the ground, cut, bleed, get punched, kicked, depressed, pissed off, happy (which is what I usually see), sick, drunk, hung over, you name it. You�ve heard the clich� �you can� keep a good man down�? That clich� was coined by someone who was watching Heath perform. For everything he puts into his performances, he pays an awesome physical price. I�ve watched him do it for sixteen years, and if the good Lord allows it, I hope and pray I get to watch him do it for another sixteen more. He is the toughest dude in the neighborhood, and I am privileged to be in the same cast as he is. Looks can be deceiving. This guy is made of iron.

Shop Keeper of My Year - Juli McCarthy - Mockingbird Studio

As much as I love this lady (and I do love you, Juli), I never got to her shop during the season. But what impressed me was her enthusiasm. Juli has worked her way up through the ranks until she has become an official part of our community. She began as a patron, moved on to playtron, FOF, and even worked in someone else�s shop. She has been making her own jewelry at home, and selling at weekend faires during the off season. This past spring she finally made the jump by obtaining her own shop at Bristol. I remember all the posts in LiveJournal, that described her giddy excitement as the process moved towards opening day. She has become an amazing part of our vending community, and, while sales didn�t quite match what she would have liked, I am confident that she will be successful in the future, as our economy turns around. It is going to turn around, isn�t it? Besides all of this, she is a warm, loving lady, that I am privileged to call my friend.

Saddest Moment of My Year - Tied - The deaths of Marc Lupescu and Uncle Ho

Marc was the owner of �The Forgery�, �The Keeper of the Punishment Place�, �a stage manager�, and a good friend. One Sunday during rehearsals, I was working in the pole barn, when Gregg Larson came to me and told me that Marc was in the hospital on his death bed. He had entered the hospital earlier in the week to be checked out for some problems. By late Sunday afternoon, he was gone. It was a wretched way to begin the season. I didn�t know Uncle Ho that well, but I did know him. I know he was an integral part of the �Friends of Faire�, and I did get the opportunity to have dinner with him one night a couple of years ago. He had been fighting heart problems for some time, and suffered at least one stroke that I am aware of. On Sunday of Labor Day weekend, I heard from his lady that he was very ill. On Monday afternoon, I heard that he had succumbed to another stroke. It was the final day of the season, supplying our community with bookend sadness. Both are major losses to our community and both will be missed.

Happiest Performer of My Year - Doug Mumaw - Dirk Perfect of the Swordsmen

I came to this conclusion early in the season. I saw Doug walking his little rat dog (I call it that because I don�t know dog breeds very well, and here is this big guy with this tiny little creature on a leash), in the Bristol parking lot. Doug was flashing that phenomenal grin that has become somewhat of his trademark. At the beginning of every day, Doug will come strutting by my privy, with that grin, and with some type of greeting that is loaded with great enthusiasm. Some years back, during the off season, I had the opportunity to see Doug play �Captain Hook�, in a production of �Peter Pan�, at a theater in Rockford, Illinois. That same, infectious smile was on display for everyone to behold. He was awesome. You can�t help but watch this guy and know that he loves life in general, and what he is doing for a living in specific. He is an amazing entertainer, that thrills his audiences. �The Swordsmen�, are Bristol�s number one attraction for a reason.

Patron�s Comment that Broke Me Most of My Year

Many times as people are traveling from the back of T3, in the direction that I am facing (which is, by the way, south), I will sit there and make a fart sound. This will usually evoke some type of response from the passer (or passers), and it is not unusual to scare one of them. Yesterday, as this lady passed by with her group, I let one rip. She about jumped out of her skin, grabbed her chest, crapped in her shorts, and screamed, �SHITAKIE MUSHROOMS!� I about died.

Patron of My Year - Bella

If there is one patron that I remember well, one that I won�t forget, it was Bella. I don�t know Bella�s last name. Bella is a tiny, adorable little girl of three. (Can you believe this? I�m getting teary again.) Early in the season she appeared outside ThunderThrone, lying in a fetal position in the front seat of one of those double strollers that was being pushed by her dad. I remember looking down at this precious bundle of young life, and noticing that she was about to pass out. I then noticed the tube leading up to her nose. Her father explained that she visited me last season and I had presented to her one of those magic stones that I give out to the kids. It was one of her cherished positions, and she desperately wanted to visit me again, this year. The trip to the faire had totally exhausted her, and as she lay there, almost unconscious, her father shared with me the story of how Bella had suffered an aneurism last September. But even in her weakened state, she remembered that fat guy in the box, who gave her that silly piece of glass, and it was so important to her, that she ignored her condition so that she could see me again, and get another stone. Bella, I want you to know that I love you, and that I pray for you almost everyday. I hope and pray that you return to see me next season. I have so much to share with you. God bless you, sweetheart. May He heal you sooner than anyone expects.

I said it when I originally posted this story, and I say it again now. What we do on the streets of Bristol, matters to those we do it for, more than we will ever, ever know. It�s not just me. It�s not even just the performers. It includes the playtrons, the vendors, the security people, management, the stage crew, everyone who has a hand in creating the magic of our alternate universe; the Bristol Renaissance Faire, the REAL happiest place on earth.

That about does it for this season. As I mentioned earlier, there are many others who deserve recognition. These are but a few of the performers who make Bristol what she is. It was an amazing season, filled with fun, laughs, smiles, and even some tears. There was controversy, and there was courage. There was brilliance and there was the will to overcome obstacles. You can�t appreciate the Bristol world unless you spend several days there. If you haven�t been there, you are missing something very special.

Until next we meet� �merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again!

and always remember,

otb loves you

Postscript:

For more information on the Bristol Renaissance Faire, go to: www.renfair.com/bristol/.

If you would like to comment on today's unsolicited commentary by Odorferious Thunderbottom, you may post a reply on the Forum page of this web-site, or call your congressman and complain to him/her/it. In either case, you will get the same response.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled programed lives.