Many people have heard of Renaissance Faires. It's a way to be able to step back in time to the past, usually to the times when Henry VIII was King, or to Elizabethan England when Queen Elizabeth held court. For ones like these, go to the faires held in Mount Hope, Pennsylvannia; Sterling Forest, New York; or Annapolis, Maryland. I've been to each of these, and all have excellent parts. One Faire is different than most, however, and that is the The New Jersey Renaissance Festival and Kingdom held in Somerset, New Jersey.
This Renaissance Festival's cast is all volunteer, and follows an ongoing storyline that evolves from year to year. The savvy follower of myth and legend will recognize many of the main characters - Tristan, Gawain, Gahalatine, Percival, Pelinore - but this Festival does not perform the better-known stories from Arthurian legend. Instead, each season brings out a new chapter in their story, loosely based on various smaller tales from the times of Arthur. The story unfolds throughout the day, culminating in a war between the opposing sides, with 20 to 75 men fighting it out on the field of battle! An exciting show to culminate a day of wonders. Check out the on-line brochure for the 1997 season (show dates start 5/24 and continue weekends through 6/22, including Memorial Day).
Triumverate Productions, the company that puts on the New Jersey Renaissance Festival & Kingdom does other events as well. Ask them about their live-action role-playing game, Venture, or the Haunted Village during Halloween.
Here's photographs of me in my roles from the
1995 Renaissance Festival
1995 Haunted Village. Warning! This
picture is not for the faint of heart! If you don't like horror movies, you may not want to look...you've been warned...
1996 Haunted Village. This one isn't as severe.
