By Lady Sophia the Orange

There are just so many activities under the scope of Performing Arts at Pennsic, I am tempted to use interpretive dance instead of words to describe them. But there is no time… let me sum up.

There are three general ways to enjoy the performing arts at Pennsic: 1) Watch them, 2) Do them, 3) Learn about them. Expect overlap.

1) WATCHING:  To discover which entertainments fit your schedule, mood, and age/maturity requirements when you want to be the audience, consult the following resources:   Pennsic Book Performing Arts Schedule for the Performing Arts Tent, the Amphitheater, and other random performance places.  Those random places include spots like Runestone hill where the Practice Safe Bardic Safe Practice Circle is on Saturday afternoon or the Enchanted Ground where they hold an in-persona bardic circle almost every night.  The “Bards By Day/Bards By Night” book is one additional place where those performances plus some unofficial performances and open bardic circles can be tracked. If you happen to have internet access, use this link (https://sites.google.com/site/pennsicbbdbbn ) and a paper copy is often available on site at Mystic Mail.

Regular trends you can count on as an audience member include the following:

  • Daily, starting on Saturday of middle weekend, in the Performing Arts Tent, from 2-5:00pm, an Exposition for a specific performing art is held: European Music, Commedia, Bardic, Middle Eastern Dance, Harp, and Storytelling. Audience members are welcome to drift in and out at their leisure.
  • Nightly, Saturday through Thursday, there are performances of Commedia dell’ Arte plays which tend to be for mature audiences.
  • Wandering performers lurk the streets of Pennsic seeking mugs decorated with ribbons hanging from camp entryways. If you wish to sit in your camp and let the entertainers come to you, go ahead and hang a mug with ribbons from your camp entrance and be hospitable. Mugs with ribbons = a ready audience for any polite performer.

2) DOING: Performers can watch for performance opportunities by watching the following resources:

  • See the PA Schedule in the Book for open join-ins like: Recorder Jam Session, Iron Commedia, Open Stage Shakespeare Night on the Green, Who’s Line Doth It Be Auditions, Fool’s Parade, and Mini Bardic Madness.
  • Daily Expositions with open sign ups at the Performing Arts Tent prior to 2:00pm that day (not the “Tri-Kingdom Bardic Exhibition” which is invitation only)
  • The Bards By Day / Bards By Night book is as close as there is to a schedule for open bardic circles, but your best bet is to find an experienced fire-hopping bard and offer to be their water bearer.
  • The Known World Players hold auditions for next year’s play, “The Alchemist” by Ben Johnson, on Wednesday, Aug.5, 4:00 – 6:00pm, in the Performing Arts Rehearsal Tent next to the Amphitheater.
  • Mugs decorated with ribbons hanging from camp entrances are invitations for polite entertainers to come into a camp and perform for the audience there.

*NB: The Performing Arts Tent staff can always use additional volunteers especially from performers who have enjoyed the use of the stage when it comes time to STRIKE the stage on Friday night at 10:00pm! Please come help STRIKE THE STAGE!

3) LEARNING:  Students of the performing arts can watch the class list in the Pennsic Book, but take special note of the following resources:

  • Very rare classes start as early as Thursday of Peace Week, so plan your schedule early!
  • The Bardic Collegium is daily Sunday-Friday (but Monday is the Bardic Expo instead) from 3:00 – 5:00 with a different topic every day presented by experienced Pennsic bards.
  • “Learn by doing” classes include: Iron Commedia, Youth Commedia, numerous kinds of improvisation classes for theater, storytelling, and music, Fool’s School, and the Sing We and Chant It Jam (with optional rehearsal).

Some performances stand out this year as Not To Be Missed from this writer’s perspective:

  • Love Will Return – The Story of Héloïse &  Abélard by Mistress Dervila ni Leanon & Master Efenwealt Wystle: Tuesday 7:30- 9:00 PAT  Mistress Dervila rewrote her previous telling of this story to include 113 additional love letters she discovered from a new source. Master Efenwealt may have done a little work too on some music to go with it. 😉 This performance is the product of two experienced masters of their craft doing a 4 month remake of one of their favorite pieces with a new exciting resource. Magic will happen.
  • Drake Oranwood – Singing Minstrel: Sunday 6:00 – 7:00 PAT Drake’s first CD just came out and all proceeds go to a children’s education charity, but to see him in person sharing his joy of music with you… you will believe in the SCA all over again.
  • Youth Commedia Performance: Friday 5:00 – 6:00 PAT If you want to see kids pull off something impressive you never thought possible, come see this show. During last year’s inaugural voyage, the Pennsic Youth Commedia program under Lady Cael O’Conail proved that teens and kids can improvise comedy just like the pros! You *will* laugh your socks off!
  • Open Stage Shakespeare Night On The Green: Middle Saturday 6:30 – 8:30 Amphitheater  It’s open mike night for Shakespeare geeks at the Amphitheater! Miss that not!

 

There is NO excuse to be bored at Pennsic even if you think “nothing’s going on in my camp.”  No need for a party invitation or required inebriation.  Mug your gate or take your mug to the Performing Arts Tent and see what’s coming to life on the stage!

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