Since I had to call in sick at Unevent, the kickoff meeting for the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild will be held as a conference call on December 20, 2015 from 4:00 – 5:30pm.

We will be using Zoom.us, an online service much like Skype but with some extra fun features:

• anyone can call in using either a web browser on the internet or a regular phone line
• you can use a web cam or not
• the call will be recorded for later viewing
• no account is necessary for you to join

Please feel free to join in the call even if you did not RSVP. This call is open to anyone interested in supporting and participating in the Performing Arts Community of Atlantia.

If you’re on the call or not, please read the plan I will present to the guild on the call available at this link:

Atlantia Performing Arts Guild FINAL plan

Info to join the call is listed below:

Hi there,

Sophia the Orange is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Atlantia Performing Arts Guild kickoff meeting
Time: Dec 20, 2015 4:00 PM (GMT-5:00) Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://zoom.us/j/131792440

Or join by phone:

+1 646 558 8656 (US Toll) or +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll)
Meeting ID: 131 792 440
International numbers available: https://zoom.us/zoomconference?m=oCAJPsWiczis507zbo5nblhsGBHdaMym

I look forward to kicking off the Guild Rebirth with you all tomorrow!

–Lady Sophia the Orange

Guildmistress of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild

Atlantia Kingdom MOAS Deputy of Performing Arts

The competition to select the next Kingdom Bard will take place at the Kingdom Twelfth Night event on January 9, 2016. The letter below was published by our current Kingdom Bard, the Magnificent Lord Johann von Solothurn. Make note that anyone wishing to compete for the position of Kingdom Bard must submit a letter of intent to Lord Johann, and his deadline was published as December 18th.  If you are considering competing, have not yet submitted a letter of intent, and would like to have more time to consider taking on this significant position, please email Lord Johann to express your concern and he might extend the deadline.  (Keeping the bar as high as he and Lady Scholastica have raised it is a task worthy of some other magnificent performers in our Kingdom, and worth taking serious time to consider.)

Please read and make note of Lord Johann’s email address and directions below, and Bona Fortuna to any performers ready to step up and compete for this position!

Lady Sophia the Orange, Kingdom MOAS Deputy for Performing Arts

Letter text from Lord Johann von Solothurn:

If you know of Performing Arts activities happening at events other than these in the next 2-3 months, type them into the comments, or email me at dmoas-performance AT atlantia.sca.org – Lady Sophia the Orange.

December 5 – Unevent, Barony of Caer Mear – Meeting of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild at 4:30pm   (https://sites.google.com/site/atlantiaunevent2015/)

December 12 – Caer Mear Yule – From Lady Kilmeny: “We will be performing in a larger group and smaller groups. Focus is on period Christmas music drawn largely from a collection created and generously shared by Mistress Rosalind Jehanne a few years back. I’m just the facilitator, as my barony has tons of great singers and they asked to have chances to perform at our SCA family potluck. A piece may even be performed in baronial court that afternoon. I’m holding 2 classes at our baronial A&S before the event so we can practice as a group and identify smaller groupings for the scattered performances.”  (http://caermear.atlantia.sca.org/home.html)

January 8-10 — Kingdom Twelfth Night, Barony of Nottinghill Coill  – including the competition for the next Kingdom Bard, run by our current Kingdom Bard, Lord Johann von Solothurn.  Letters of intent need to be sent to Johann by December 18^th via RoyalBard@atlantia.sca.org (http://atlantia.sca.org/137-events/167-event-flyer?event_id=7b71b57c)

January 23 – Ice Castles, Black Diamond – Bardic Circle by Johann von Solothurn, Former Kingdom Bard  (http://blackdiamond.atlantia.sca.org/icecastle/)

January 23 – Torquemada’s Trans-Iberian Winter Tour, Lochmere – A little Bardic Madness shall be run by Lady Scholastica with at least one round of ‘pun’ishment which could result in vegetables being thrown and possibly a cat of nine tails.  Some random inquisitions may also happen…  (http://atlantia.sca.org/137-events/167-event-flyer?event_id=de23671a)

February 6 – Atlantia University, Raven’s Cove – Lots of Performing Arts classes!!!!  (http://university.atlantia.sca.org/index.php)

February 26-28 – Tournament of YMIR, Windmasters’ Hill – Morning Meeting of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild, Afternoon Bardic Circle, Afternoon Bardic Competition, Pre-Court Commedia dell’ Arte play by i Firenzi, Evening Dancing, After-Feast-Reprise-performance of the Adults-Only Commedia play from War of the Wings by i Firenzi, Late Night Bardic Circle   (http://ymir.windmastershill.org/)

Most of what was planned for War of the Wings 2015 did happen and get produced as planned which was posted in the other 4 blog posts laying out the plan for the Performing Arts Program at War of the Wings 2015:

WOW Performing Arts 1 of 4 , WOW Performing Arts 2 of 4, WOW Performing Arts 3 of 4, WOW Performing Arts 4 of 4,  but as we all know…nothing ever goes quite as we planned it…

Friday started with a great kickoff of a new method for creating a European Dance Pick Up Band! We used sheet music from the Pennsic Pile, Milady Reynse Kyferin from Nottinghill Coil led the band, and volunteer musicians from all over the kingdom came to the castle to rehearse at noon on Friday and Saturday. They provided music for the European dancing on both Friday and Saturday nights!  Here is a picture of some of the volunteer musicians:

The pick up band for Middle Eastern dancing led by Mistress Azza that played on Saturday night was also a great success!

On Friday, we did hold a great class in Improvisation Skills followed by a laughter filled “Who’s Line Doth It Be Anyway” show! Here are a few pictures from that show:

After “Who’s Line” we held an Unbelted Bardic Tournament. The “unbelted” part was a challenge to any Peer who wanted to participate… any Peer needed to bring a *partner* to perform with who was not also a Peer. The one taker we had on this challenge was Mistress Dervila who partnered with her husband Tom the Drumbuilder in the telling of stories.  The winner of the tournament was Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger of Black Diamond!

Here’s one pic from that tournament:

Friday evening, many performances occurred.  The Bardic Smackdown War Point Competition happened.  There was no light nor heat nor clear direction provided, but once Mistress Dervila stepped in to instill some guidance on the chaos, ten performers did provide their best performances in contribution to the War effort.  The performers that braved the cold and chaos of war were these brave souls:

North:

• Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger of Black Diamond
• Lord Johann von Solothurn of Black Diamond
• Mistress Dervila of Hawkwood
• milady Fennic du Blayz of Black Diamond
• milady Rosheen from Highland Foorde

South:

• Lady Morgaine of Hidden Mountain
• milady Reynsa Keyferin of Nottinghil Coil
• milady Albree of Nottinghil Coil
• Lady Isabella Arabella Daughter of Hidden Mountain
• THLady Jorunn nic Lochlainn of Hidden Mountain

The South side won the war point.

Also preparing for war on Friday night were the Rabble Rousers and Bawdy Bardic singers warming up the Adults Only crowd for the eventual Naughty Commedia Show of i Firenzi.

Rabble Rousers for Black Diamond were led by our Kingdom Bard, Lord Johann von Solothurn, and Rabble Rousers for Nottinghill Coil were led by the ever-innocent Lady Machteld Cleine.  Milady Ky led the Bawdy bardic singing until i Firenzi was ready with the very silly, adults only, commedia dell’ arte play “The Issues Of One’s Loins” which had special guest star appearances by Master Efenwealt Wystle and also His Majesty Christophe of Atlantia!

Here is the one picture allowed to be published from the i Firenzi play:

Saturday saw a cascade of successful plans come to fruition!  All the classes, rehearsals and performances ran as planned including: a European dance class, meeting of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild, Intro to Commedia dell’ Arte class, Iron Commedia rehearsal, Bardic Madness class & performance, Bardic 101 & 102 class, Research for Performers class, and the Iron Commedia performance before court!  Here’s a rarely seen before and after set of pictures of the novice commedia student cast before and after the Iron Commedia show:

Before:   After: 

Saturday night, there was a competition held for the Baronial Bardic Champions from all the baronies of Atlantia that was supposed to be followed by a lovely concert with performance slots for both a handful of pre-scheduled experienced performers and also open slots for whoever wanted to come join in the fun.  As it turned out, we did not have use of the Vingulf Hall, so we were out in the open air experiencing the very cold wind that night.  We did bring with us one fire bowl and the camp-lantern footlights we use at Pennsic, so we had a little light and heat. The following brave souls huddled around the fire bowl kept their promises to compete for the honor of their home baronies:

1. Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger – Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Black Diamond (Who won the Unbelted Bardic Tourney on Friday!)
2. Lady Thamira HaSopheret- Baronial Bardic Champion of our hosting Barony of Sacred Stone
3. Lord Jaume de Monçó (Craig B. Daniel) – Baronial Performing Arts Champion of the Barony of Windmasters’ Hill
4. Lady Morgaine Ferguson (Ivy Pandora) – Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Hidden Mountain
5. milady Reynsa Keyferin – Baronial Bardic Co-Champion of the Barony of Notinghil Coil (also Director of the WoW European Pick Up Dance Band!)
6. Lady Deirdre O’Bardon – filling in for the Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Bright Hills
7. Lady Scholastica Joycors (Mylinda Butterworth) – Baronial Bardic Champion of the Barony of Lochmere

Many thanks to those who braved the cold to witness and provide an audience for these dedicated and loyal Baronial Champions! That includes a few performers who had committed to perform in our “Bards and Brewers Concert” which turned out to be a cozy circle of dedicated bards including Master Scott Efenwealt Vaughan and Mistress Aenor (Kirsten Humdinger Vaughan), Lord Johann von Solothurn, Mistress Rosalind (Jonna Bernstein), and my ever supportive baritone husband Manus MacDhai (Scott Dean) , AND Dervila Ni Leanon and Tom Drumbuilder!

Special thanks also to Their Excellencies of Windmasters Hill, Callixtus and Adriana, who did come brave the cold to witness the competition.

The winner of the Inter-Baronial Bardic Champions Competition on Saturday night at War of the Wings was Lord Jaume de Monçó, the Performing Arts Champion of the Barony of Windmasters’ Hill!  He performed an impressively smooth period magic trick of “Cups and Balls” and will share the research documentation of it by request.

Sorry, there are no pictures to share from Saturday night’s performances – it was WAAAAAY too cold and dark!

So watch this space for the next announcement for your opportunities to take part in Performing Arts in the Kingdom of Atlantia!

The Queens have spoken! Both of them! Our own beloved Queen Adelhait and Gloriana herself, Elizabeth I, Queen of England, agreed upon the day of the Natal Anniversary celebrated in the Canton of Buckston-on-Eno (the Buckston Birthday event, November 14^th) that the Guild Master of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild, our own Master Corun MacAnndra, was needed in Elizabethan London to serve the Lord Chamberlain’s Men more than he was needed in his homeland of Atlantia. Her Majesty Elizabeth swore to return him when Master Shakespeare’s troupe finally learned proper pronunciation of the Queen’s English. Until that day, Her Majesty Adelheit is allowing me to serve as the guide (cat herder) at the head of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild.

As such, I am leading the first official meeting of the new and REBORN Atlantia Performing Arts Guild at UNEVENT!  We meet this Saturday at 4:30pm in the Auditorium. World domination by 5:30pm.

Unevent Schedule:  https://sites.google.com/site/atlantiaunevent2015/schedule

A draft Guild Restructure Plan has been written out and approved by numerous appropriate and reasonable stakeholders. This plan does not recreate a guild structure from SCA period, but rather creates a structure of positions and job descriptions that creates a structure of support that will actually help performers of all kinds perform more and perform better throughout our Kingdom. This guild will not include auditions, rankings, judgements, or other inhibitors.

This plan still has room for suggestions from the populace! Please bring your dreams, projects, and requests! Come to the meeting and put your ideas on the whiteboard! Are you someone who loves to perform – or dreams of maybe trying it out someday? Then you have a place in the Performing Arts Guild! Come to the meeting at Unevent and learn how we make dreams come true!  Disney ain’t got nuthin’ on us!

If you’d like to read a copy of the draft Guild Restructure Plan ahead of time, request a copy via email from me via dmoas-performance AT atlantia.sca.org.

Long Live the Queens!

— Lady Sophia the Orange, Guildmistress of the Atlantia Performing Arts Guild

Atlantia MOAS Deputy for Performing Arts