11 Running Away with the Renaissance Faire
For me it started with a Non-Renewal of Lease notice from the owners of my apartment building in Baltimore, MD. At the time I was working six days a week for a beauty company owned by Estee Lauder. I was clocking overtime at multiple locations all so that I could afford to put a 150 square foot roof over my head, where I mostly just slept. So, when the new owners of my building sent me and the rest of the tenants our non-renewal notices, just in time for Christmas, all I could think was: why am I doing this to myself?
The way I saw it, I needed to take action. I felt that I was working myself to exhaustion in order to scrape by in order to afford a less than ideal living situation. On top of that I was working so many hours that I hardly had time to focus on anything else including school. A quick search online told me that I would not be lucky enough to find a new apartment for the same price, and that in fact I would have to work more hours or look for a second job if I was to afford a new place. What I needed was time. Meaning that I needed a job that would pay me enough money to live off of while also affording me the time to focus on my studies. Essentially, I needed to start reviewing less conventional options.
I am no stranger to houselessness, and my life has fluctuated between steady housing and the generosity of family and friends more than I am comfortable with. Even as recently as a couple of years ago I was seriously considering moving into my car. However, this time I considered the appeal of houselessness as a choice not as a circumstance. The way I saw it, if housing was my main expense, and its cost was controlling my life, why not opt out of housing altogether? Suddenly I felt lighter, as if a weight that had been lifted from my chest. It was then that I concocted my plan: I would quit my day job, and go on the road. I decided to join a circuit of Renaissance Faires.
Rennies:
I am what is known as a “Rennie”, meaning that I work, take part in, and am employed as part of the diverse community of artisans and performers who make up Renaissance Festivals. Specifically I am a hair braider, which means that seasonally, without fail, I have braided hair at the Maryland Renaissance Festival since I was fourteen years old. I have now been part of the Rennie community for over twenty years.
“Renaissance Faire People” aka “Rennies” are historically equated with hippies. That is because the earliest Renaissance Faires coincided with outdoor and folk music festivals in the 1960’s and were an outlet for “the utopian outpouring counterculture creativity” (Wagner, 2013). The very first Renaissance Festival took place in southern California, where it started as a motley assemblage of tents. The very first Rennies would arrive in a caravan of automobiles to sell their wares and entertain each other and patrons. In the early stages bartering was quite common since the festivals aligned with communal ideals, but over time, the Faires became more business-oriented. This led to more structure, and thus more festivals: as a result, Rennies became more transient. Like the “Carnies” of the 1900’s, many Rennies now adopted circuits, meaning that they would travel from state to state to work at different festivals.
“Patrons” is the term used to describe individuals who attend Renaissance Festivals. They are in a sense “tourists” who purchase tickets to take part in the fantasy that Rennies create. Many of them are regulars, attending every festival day, dressing up, and even traveling from Faire to Faire. From a sociological standpoint they make up their own subculture (Dumas, 2013): many of them refer to themselves as Rennies, but in the truest sense they are not, and actual Rennies refer to them as “Playtrons”. That is because Playtrons or Patrons enable Rennies and our lifestyle to exist by buying our art. It is an economic relationship of supply and demand. The Rennie and the Patron cannot exist without the other, but the key difference is that the Patron is buying into the fantasy that the Rennie creates.
Previous sociological studies have often compared Renaissance Festivals to theme parks. They lament the “Disneyfication” (Wagner) or encroachment of the gaming community (Dumas) on the historical reenactments that have been traditionally part of the Faires. Although it is true that Faires have been strongly influenced by popular culture and that they offer an interactive fantastical experience similar to Disney World, the reality is that Faires themselves have always varied in their levels of historical accuracy. Some strictly adhere to a script and require their workers to dress a certain way, while others embrace fantasy fully. This means that each Faire offers a unique experience that is quite unlike the other and is decidedly un-Disney-like.
The diversity of the Faire experience does not detract from their primary service, however, which is retreatism. Retreatism is a “tactical act of identity” where, as a response to the negative emotions created by social strain, an individual may retreat from society and form a subculture wherein they feel more comfortable (Dumas). The Renaissance Festival acts as the setting for that retreat. It is essentially a safe space of expression and identity for both the Patron and the Rennie that provides the unofficial service of acceptance. For the Rennie, the service cycle of acceptance is an act of active participation.
Previous Studies
Outside of the realm of sociology not many studies have been done on Rennies as a community, and from what I could see, none of those studies have been done by actual members of the Rennie community.
- 1) Well Met: Renaissance Faires and American Counterculture by Terry Wagner places Renaissance Festivals in the broader context of communalism, antimodernism, and craft revival of the 1960’s and ‘70’s. Their study is mostly concerned with the role of the Faires themselves in a counterculture society and how they have endured. Wagner relies on the research of others and complies that research into one book.
- 2) “Playing Pirates: The Construction of Shared Fantasy and Identity Performance in the Renaissance Festival Subculture” is a master’s thesis by Heather E. Dumas for the University of Ohio. Dumas was concerned with the culture of retreatism that Renaissance Faires provided, and sought to determine why that appeal existed. She collected her data by attending two Faires as a Patron and by conducting qualitative interviews with the Rennies who worked there. She relied on field notes, photographs and interview transcripts. She then looked for patterns of comparisons from what she collected. She also uses her observations to quantitatively chart the demographics she observed amongst Rennies such as race and gender.
- 3) “Behind the Castle Doors: A Crew of Renaissance Faire Workers Find Family Amidst the Fantasy” is an article by Alison Thoet for PBS News Hour. Thoet gives a detailed account of the management of the Maryland Renaissance Festival and some of the more unlikely roles that Rennies can take by interviewing the caretaker of the Maryland site
4) “Renaissance Faire Healthcare” is a report by Dan Weissmann for NPR. He highlights the internal organizations that Rennies use to support each other.
Overall, qualitative interviewing has been the main method of studying Rennies as a unique community. This method makes sense because of the transient nature of our community and our significance as a counterculture movement. However, particularly when I read over the academic studies of Rennies I felt that they failed to grasp a realistic picture of what it was like to actually be a Rennie. While reading these studies I felt like I was observing Rennies from the other side of a pane of glass, as if I was at a zoo or an aquarium. They focused so strongly on the show that we created for the enjoyment of Patrons, and failed to grasp the gritty reality of our lives and the very real role that we play as part of the American society and the American economy. We are an unconventional community, but we are a very real community.
Methods:
As I previously mentioned, I have been part of the Rennie community for over twenty years. However, my participation in that community was what can best be described as part-time. For two months out of the year I braided hair at my “Home-Faire” which is the Maryland Faire. I did this on weekends, which equated to twenty-four hours a week: Monday through Friday I worked my regular job, I went to class, and I lived in an apartment. When I decided to hit the road I gave all that up.
When my lease was up I downsized, put my non-essential belongings in storage, left my beloved cat with my parents, quit my job, and prepared to take my classes remotely. I packed up my car and headed out to the first Faire on my circuit. I was now a full-time Rennie.
This year my circuit will consist of four Faires, but for the purposes of this assignment, I will be discussing data I have collected at my first Faire which is in Fairburn, Georgia.
Like previous researchers I decided that the best way to conduct my research was through qualitative interviews. I felt this method would be the best way to capture the uniqueness of the Rennie lifestyle, but I immediately encountered a problem.
The Georgia Faire runs from April 15th to June 4th. Similar to working at the theatre, everyone is in a mad rush to prepare for the “show”: approaching someone about any topic that doesn’t have to do with that preparation is a good way to be yelled at. Furthermore, once the show actually starts everyone needs a couple of weeks to adjust. This meant that I would have to wait to start conducting my interviews, and I wouldn’t have as much time to meet and build trust with other Rennies before I had to complete this assignment. Luckily I nailed down a wonderful interview with my booth manager Linda Oatman who, at the age of 74, has been working as a Rennie for 40 years.
I also realized that my own current lived experience was a form of research. After all I was actively participating in my community in a new capacity. Every experience and interaction with those around me was new, and I was learning from it. In Maryland my experience was similar to any other job but now, in Georgia, I am literally living at the festival. My home is currently a loft above the braiding booth. Therefore, I decided that I would compare my lived experience and interactions with Linda’s interview and look for similarities. I also decided to utilize the forms of communication that are unique to Rennies.
It is my hope that my research will contribute to an accurate understanding of Rennie life: however, I do recognize the limitations of my research. Each Faire is unique and my research only includes the Georgia Faire. I also cannot speak for Rennies as a whole because I am only conveying my and Linda’s points of view. Lastly, it should be noted that my experience as a Rennie is a highly privileged one. I have shelter in a booth that is larger than my previous apartment. Most Rennies camp on site in RV’s or tents. I also have electricity. Finally, I have a stable job that pays better than my previous one with Estee Lauder. Some Rennies make less than minimum wage and live on site but work for multiple booth owners. I am also single and childless: I do not have to support anyone but myself.
Finally, I would like to note that since this is a live document, I will refer to others I have interacted with by the first initial of their first name in order to protect their privacy. The only person I refer to by name is Linda, since she agreed to participate actively in this assignment.
*The full interview with Linda has been published as a podcast. I decided to make it publicly accessible so that it can be used as a resource for other researchers, historians, and Rennies themselves. The link to access it is here: https://anchor.fm/natasha-lopez-fisch
Linda Oatman: Highlights and Comparisions of Our Lived Experiences
Linda and I met when I was 17 years old in 2007. She was a relatively new hair braider, but she was a veteran Rennie. Linda got her start as a leather worker at the Georgia Faire in 1987. She was attending the Faire as a Patron when she noticed a sign that a booth needed help. She went in, spoke with the owner, and started off as a salesperson for him. She then quickly progressed to working leather herself and running her own shop. After a year she became a full-time Rennie and hit the road. While traveling she met her husband Myles, who was a professional shoemaker. Together they traveled their circuit from Faire to Faire in a 300- square-foot bus that Myles had converted into a living space and his workshop.
It was while living in a confined space with Myles that Linda decided to become a hair braider. Her reasoning was that for the sake of her marriage she needed some literal space from her husband, so she sought a job away from him. This was how she came to approach my boss’s sister and asked her to train her as a hair braider.
Leatherworking and hair braiding are unique trades in the sense that they must be passed down from a master to an apprentice. This process used to be known as a guild, and Renaissance Festivals are one of the few outlets where knowledge is still passed down in this way. For example, hair braiding is not taught in cosmetology school (I know this because I went to cosmetology school): they may teach basic braids, but they do not teach the specialized skill that Linda and I learned in our 3 years of apprenticeship.
Many Rennies cultivate an entire arsenal of skills. My coworker J works as a henna artist and makes chocolate at other Faires, while my coworker C is a professional fire dancer. Being proficient in a variety of skills give Rennies a “strong work ethic”, according to Linda: she feels that being versatile also gives us freedom because it makes us adaptable. As an example, Linda tells the story of an acquaintance who started off living in a tent, but started a side business painting wooden swords during the week. She painted up to 500 swords a week and earned enough money to start her own booth painting silk scarves. She no longer lives in a tent.
Some Rennies do have a formal education and they bring those skills to the Faire. Linda knows a professional illustrator who prefers selling her art at Faires than at galleries. I myself set up a side business cutting hair during the week to earn extra money when I’m not braiding. According to Linda, one of the biggest misconceptions outsiders make about Rennies is that we are not prosperous.
However, that does not mean that our life is without challenges. A transient life means a reliance on our modes of transportation. Car trouble is every Rennies worst nightmare; another hardship is distance. When you live without running water or the ability to cook your own food, you are forced to travel. The time it takes to accomplish the tasks of living is something those who don’t have to travel take for granted. When I got to Georgia the first thing I did was locate a laundromat, a library (for internet), a gym (to shower), and a grocery store. Each was about a 20-30 minute drive from the festival site (hence my reliance on my car). As Linda says, as a Rennie she “learned to live with a lot and learned to live without a lot.”
In fact, “living with less” is a great theme for the Rennie lifestyle. On Monday mornings Rennies participate in what is known as, “Bazzar Bazzar”. It is one of the ways we communicate and socialize. I used it to schedule hair cut appointments for the week, but tables were also set up for games like Paddy Whack for Knick Knacks. The Rennie Fleamarket also served as a way to unload the extra weight and space of excess belongings.
In addition to organized events, Rennies almost exclusively use social media to communicate. All information for campers is run through a Facebook group that is not open to the public. I asked Linda what Rennies did before social media and cell phones, and she said they were heavily reliant on payphones not only as a source of communication, but as a source of power. Social media is not the only form of important communication. When I arrived in Georgia it dropped to 30 degrees, and Linda asked around for someone to loan me a space heater. When you are on the road it is the relationships you cultivate that save you, and there is an understanding that we must help each other. This understanding is reflected in two nonprofits that are aimed at exclusively helping Rennies. RESCU provides healthcare to Rennies in need, particularly since many Rennies do not have health insurance. RCEAF provides catastrophe relief for emergencies and fatal losses. Both organizations are run by Rennies, and every Faire hosts fundraising events for them.
In light of the recent popularity of films like Nomadland which highlight alternative ways of living and working, I asked Linda how she thought Rennies compared. She thought that the situation of nomadic living was much more common than the nation acknowledges, and that Rennies had a distinct advantage to this type of life because they were already “used to living with less”. She also pointed out that many Rennies are retirees who joined the lifestyle because it afforded them the ability to travel. According to Linda, the Rennie lifestyle is a choice: “We do it for the freedom it provides,” she says.
As far as the retreatism we provide to the Patrons, the value of that service can be measured by the level of participation at the Faires following collectively traumatic events, such as 9/11 and the Coronavirus. Both times the Faires were attended at maxed out capacities by Patrons. Linda believes this is because we offered the patrons an escape; we also offered them a chance to be outside and to have fun. As Rennies, it was our responsibility to provide this and put our own hardships aside in the pursuit of offering up a greater joy. This was the true service we provided, and highlights our necessity in the greater American culture and economy.
Works Cited and Further Reading
Dumas. H.E. (2013). Playing Pirates the Concstruction of Shared Fantasy and Identity Performance in the Renassaince Festival Subculture. College of Arts and Sciences. Ohio University. OH. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/send?accession=ohiou1365516030&disposition=inline
Theot. A. (2017). Behind the Castle Doors, a Crew of Renaissance Faire Workers Find Family Amidst the Fantasy. PBS News Hour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/behind-castle-doors-crew-renaissance-fair-workers-find-family-amid-fantasy
Wagner. T. (2013). Review of Rubin, Rachel Lee, Well Met: Renaissance Faires and the American Counterculture. H-1960s, H-Net Reviews. https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=38524
Weissmann. D. (2018). Renaissance Fair Health Care. National Public Radio. https://www.wvtf.org/2018-04-27/renaissance-fair-health-care
