Atlantia’s Twelfth Night event is again overflowing with amazing opportunities to enjoy the Performing Arts!

The Magnificent Lady Jeane Kilmeny has organized an embarrassment of riches for both performers looking to perform and audience looking to relax and be entertained.  If you have questions, please contact Lady Kilmeny via facebook by posting on the Atlantia Bards and Performers group at this link:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/BardsandPerformers/  If you wish to post a comment on this blog post, your question will be forwarded to Kilmeny.

The reveling begins this Friday night!

• Friday night bardic circle: starting 8:00pm in the Hunt Room

• Saturday Wandering Minstrels schedule/sign up sheet here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1a6nQC-aYbVhdnvZyIozoMlHHfU3I15kZO00jLTzZWFo/edit?usp=sharing

• Shakespeare Performance of selected scenes from Twelfth Night by i Firenzi: 11:30-12:30
• Commedia Performance of “The Mystery of the Doge’s Swan” by i Firenzi at 4:15pm

• Dance Band Rehearsal:

• Dance Classes:

1. Gathering Peascods
2. Gracca Amoroso
3. New Yer
4. Rawty
5. Grene Gynger

• Royal Bard Competition: 

• Dancing, Main Hall, after Feast (hopefully starting ~7:00pm)

• An evening bardic circle will be held on Saturday night in the Amphitheatre, hosted by Mistress Dervila, starting at 8:00pm

The Performing Arts community achieved new heights at this year’s Twelfth Night event in the Barony of Sacred Stone! Peruse the pictures below and watch out for these gentles in the coming months if you want to come join in the fun!
1) European Dance! Sacred Stone’s own Lady Elizabeth of Northumberland led the dancing with excellent teamwork and support from Lady Nicolosa d’ Isenfir, our Royal Player in Dance. These two ladies brought dance education and graceful leadership to the event such that over 50 people got to enjoy the noble art of dance at the evening ball.

2) The dancing was supported by skillful and joyful efforts of Mistress Azza and the pick-up dance band under her direction! Ten instrumentalists followed Azza’s fearless direction and organization to produce high energy, live dance music deep into the night. Mistress Azza also serves as a Royal Player and will be producing live pickup bands at more events in the future. Watch for her at Ymir!

3) Our Royal Player in Theater, Lady Meriorie Matheson, produced an enlightening competition for actors to present their favorite Shakespeare pieces! Nine actors presented a wide variety of scenes from The Bard. The winner of the competition was a pair of amazing actors, Lady Machteld Cleine and an SCA newcomer, Cody, portraying Benedict and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. See the video clip of their scene here:  https://www.facebook.com/Lara.Coutinho.Orange/videos/1877274525623126/?l=6072083277919904046

It’s one of the most excellent pieces of theater I’ve seen at an SCA event in years! These still pics are of some of the other excellent monologues.

4) One of Sacred Stone’s multi-talented performers, Lord Akiyama Kazuhiko, took on the great challenge of producing the Twelfth Night Murder Mystery play… and it was a hoot! The cast was talented and engaging as they kept us laughing and guessing at the causes of sudden death all day.

5) The Royal Bard competition proceeded per tradition at Twelfth Night with a long list of talented participants. Royal Bards for 2016, Lord Gideon ap Stephan and Master Ruaidhri an Cu, presented three brilliant performers to Their Majesties for the final competition during feast that night. Despite the most extremely challenging conditions of noise and interruptions in the feast hall, all three competitors, Lord Hakon Erfikvaethiskald, Harper an Cu, and Lord Richard Wyn, proved worthy of the position. The young lady Harper An Cu finished the evening with the title of Royal Bard!

6) The Rotunda, the circular area between the staircase and hall of art, hosted a non-stop stream of performers bringing music to the people throughout the day. Performers in the Rotunda included: Lord Johann von Solothurn, Cornelia Caeciliana, Baroness Margaret Cochrane, Baroness Morgan Wolfsinger, and the amazingly talented instrumental group Lillies Among Thorns!

7) The lunchtime tavern also brought some musical thrills when “Painted Wheel” band took the stage and kept the lunch patrons entertained!

8) Laughter brought the event to new heights with i Firenzi’s performance of Italian, 16th Century, improvised comic Commedia dell’ Arte in the afternoon’s play “Arlecchino of La Mancha!” The premier of this play included many new commedia actors enjoying their first performance. We were blessed by the presence and service of a silent herald who interpreted the whole improvised show into sign language! A special moment was also brought to us when the final scene was interrupted (with permission of the director) by Their Excellencies of Windmasters’ Hill bringing an award to one of our actors in the name of TRMs. Lord Jaume de Monco was honored with an Award of the Coral Branch for his many artistic talents including acting, stage magic, bardic performance, and brewing. See the video of the whole play and Jaume’s honoring here:  https://youtu.be/MKedlRJ-VwQ

Twelfth Night again brought too much fun to cram into one day! Many thanks to the event’s Autocrat, Baroness Caitlin Macdonoughue for her tireless efforts at organizing and providing event space for the Performing Arts Community to enjoy their arts!

Performing Arts Schedule for Twelfth Night is here!

The holiday season brings a joyous occasion for our kingdom to gather in friendship and celebration of our many blessings! Many of us will enjoy the kingdom’s Twelfth Night event on January 14th, 2017 in Greensboro, NC: http://www.twelfthnight.atlantia.sca.org/

Performers and those who enjoy being an audience will revel in an embarrassment of riches at Twelfth Night! See the schedule of Performing Arts Activities below, and don’t hesitate to contact the Performing Arts Coordinator, Lady Sophia the Orange via orangesophie AT gmail DOT com for more information.

War of the Wings is a huge event, and with that comes more opportunities for Performing Arts! And there are so many opportunities to get confused… so let me sum up…

Thursday:

Dance Band Practice 2:00 – 4:00pm in the Castle: If you told the dance band leader, Mistress Azza, that you’re coming, great! If you didn’t, show up anyway, and look here for the sheet music (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kq9aaWUo-i7S3LOrfn7qFCsVPn1rapWMh1iJOyEMHIk/edit?usp=sharing Most of it is from the Pennsic Pile #45 but some is from Eric Praetzel’s Dance Music Database). Print out and bring your own copies if you can, but show up even if you can’t bc Azza has some extra copies!

Friday:

European Dance classes throughout the day – check the site book for details!

Improvisation Skills Class 12:00 – 1:00pm: Improv theater games/training to help anyone live in persona or have better conversations at SCA events.

Bard of the People Competition 1:00 – 3:00pm: Any material welcome. Peoples’ choice for the winner!

Dance Band Practice 2:00 – 4:00pm in the Castle: same as Thursday.

Bardic Madness by the Sea 3:00 – 4:00pm: Bardic Challenges for everyone! You will most likely create the material you perform within this hour of bardic fun!

Who’s Line Doth It Be Anyway SHOW! 4:00 – 5:00pm: Anyone with the daring to do improv games is welcome to perform them, and anyone who wants to watch should come be the audience! Laughs guaranteed!

Childrens’ Ball for European Dance 7:00 – 9:00pm: Dancing focused on kids in the Castle!

Pirate Ball for European Dance 9:00-11:00pm: European dancing with a piratical theme and live dance band in the Castle!

Bardic Smackdown Competition 9:00pm start in the marketplace: This is the war-point competition for bards, and Their Excellencies have asked 8 bards to compete in tourney fashion with the Kingdom MOL keeping order.

Commedia dell’ Arte show by i Firenzi for ADULTS ONLY! We break out some period-but-not-family –friendly material for this annual “Naughty Show” which really starts at 10:00pm in Vingolf Hall regardless of what’s printed in the event book or on the web page. If you are under 18 years of age and want to see the show, bring your parent and have a deeply honest talk with the i Firenzi director, Sophia the Orange, about the adult content in the show. After complete and mature consideration, it’s your parent’s choice to let you watch or not. NO PHOTOGRAPHY OR VIDEOGRAPHY IS ALLOWED!

Saturday:

Intro to Commedia dell’ Arte class 11:00 – 12:00noon: Commedia dell’ Arte basics intended to prepare you for participation in Iron Commedia.

Iron Commedia Rehearsal 12:00 – 3:00pm:  Pull together a commedia scenario and perform it in the hour before court! Anyone is welcome to join the cast regardless of experience level, but you must commit to staying in rehearsal the entire time from 12:00 – 3:00 then the show goes on at 3:15pm!

Iron Commedia SHOW 3:15pm: Iron Commedia cast members put on the show they just invented in the hour before court!  Bring your chairs and set up for court early and be entertained with period comedy!

Musical Instrument Petting Zoo with Lord Gawain de Barri 2:00 – 4:00pm in the Castle!

There’s also a Music Solar in Tent #5 every day from 9:00 – 4:00pm!

The Raven’s Cove camp is sponsoring a Middle Eastern dancing Hofla starting at 8:00pm!

THE BIG CLIMAX of the event is the Spectacular Performance Expo starting at 8:00pm in Vingolf Hall! If you want to perform and have not yet signed up with Master Efenwealt, just show up or find him at his merchant booth – Camelot Treasures – and ask for a time slot!  ELEVEN of the kingdom’s best performers have already signed up to entertain you and bring you the best celebration ending ever!

Check out the War of the Wings web page Performing Arts section here: http://warofthewings.com/performing_arts.html

and the whole schedule here: http://warofthewings.com/schedule.html

But by all means… CHECK AT TROLL FOR CHANGES TO THE SCHEDULE!!!

And bring your comfy chair so you can sit back and be entertained by the most fun opportunities for Performing Arts you’ve ever seen in Atlantia!

The Atlantia Kingdom Art and Sciences Festival 2016 hosted an amazing extravaganza for Performing Arts!  No less than 26 performers showed the populace of Atlantia a Demo Hour of the many ways Performing Arts shows up in the SCA, and the hour before that was filled with impressive performances from groups and soloists!

This link takes you to the video recording of the Demo Hour of Performing Arts: https://youtu.be/8NYrd9kS7Ww
This link takes you to the video recording of the open sign-ups hour we had for all performers right before the Demo Hour: https://youtu.be/6ifUTJwEEFI

More recordings of the Commedia dell’ Arte mini-class/demo and the period scenario presented by i Firenzi are coming soon!
Many thanks to Lord Manus MacDhai for processing these videos and making them available to us all!

Thanks also to Mistress Ceridwen ferch Owain for helping us organize this extravaganza at KASF!

–Lady Sophia the Orange, Kingdom MOAS Deputy for Performing Arts

Here are all the Performing Arts activities in chronological order. Some locations DID change since we lost use of Vingulf Hall, so please watch for announcements, signs, and disturbances in the force to inform you of location changes once you get to site! Friday night Vingulf Hall activities moved to the Picnic Shelter “Madrassa” and Saturday night Vingulf Hall activities moved to the Bardic Center tent. See notes in red below.

FOR ALL PERFORMANCES AND CLASSES – BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR!!!

Bardic Madness Challenges have been posted!  Lady Scholastica challenges the bards and performers of Atlantia to the following Fyts of Madness:

• A Tale a Tale, My Kingdom for a Tale (Pass the Tale)
  • All those who wish to participate get up together and tell a tale from beginning to end. The challenge’s patron will ‘conduct’ by pointing to the person whose turn it is to continue the tale, and deciding when it is time to end the tale.
• Descriptionary
  • Sometimes words have hidden meanings and it will be up to our team to define their given word, one word at a time to the audience until the word is completely defined.
• Wisdom is Often Fleeting
  • Aesop a mere slave, is credited for presenting teaching stories with a touch of wisdom so for this challenge you would be wise to come with a prepared Aesop story to tell. Stories should be five minutes or less.
• Shakespeare on the Fly
  • No preparation, for you will be handed a piece by Shakespeare and must stand and perform on the fly after 60 seconds. Sing it, dramatize it …own it.

Rules of the Challenge:

1. This is a challenge and not a competition. If you are playing then you have already won.
2. Challenges are designed to encourage you to try your hand at something new, to stretch yourself, to enjoy, and to celebrate the creative spirit.
3. Follow as closely as you can to the instructions as possible.
4. In order to allow the largest number of people to participate, prepared entries should be limited to five minutes or less (that includes the introduction).

If you are a Baronial Champion for your Barony in the Performing Arts, and if you wish to compete in Saturday night’s Inter-baronial Bardic Champions Competition, please be sure to sign up with the MC, Lady Sophia the Orange NO LATER THAN 12:00noon on Saturday!  Please send email ahead of time to  dmoas-performance AT atlantia.sca.org OR leave an UNMISTAKABLE message at Windmasters Hill Camp.

DO NOT HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS!  Numerous folks are well versed in this whole program and ready to answer your questions! Please contact any or all of the following people to ask questions or advice on the best way to get the best bang for your buck per minute of fun at War of the Wings!

Lady Sophia the Orange, Whole Program and Commedia: dmoas-performance AT atlantia.sca.org

Lord Johann von Solothurn, Bardic Classes and Competitions: RoyalBard AT atlantia.sca.org

Vrouwe Machteld Cleine, Rabble Rousing: faerieeva AT hotmail.com

Lady Scholastica Joycors, Bardic Madness: totallystories AT gmail DOT com

Reynsa Kyferin, European dance band: meganfair.clarinet AT gmail DOT com

Lady Elizabeth de Northumberland, European Dance: mills_se AT yahoo.com

Mistress Azza: Middle Eastern Dance Hofla and Dance Band

Baroness Alianor of Sacred Stone, Bardic Smackdown War Point Competition:  https://sites.google.com/site/sscoronets/contact

The rule of the day at this event is to be as flexible, forgiving, and polite as possible to your fellow SCA volunteers. This event has had some rocky changes to juggle at the last minute, so please keep lines of communication open as we juggle and squeeze as much fun into these few days as possible!

Thanks for playing!

Lady Sophia the Orange

War of the Wings, Deputy Village Steward for Performing Arts

Kingdom of Atlantia, Minister of Arts and Sciences, Deputy for Performing Arts

Capocomico, i Firenzi

Fan of Anything That Comes To Life On Stage!

Vingulf Hall is Adults Only after 8:00pm on Friday Night!

Research has shown that some material from the sixteenth century and earlier is not appropriate for modern day children and teenagers. Specifically, the material in the research is not appropriate. Many woodcuts, paintings, and sketches of commedia dell’ arte from SCA period depict scenes that would be rated R or worse in modern movies. This does not mean that as adults we should not attempt to recreate this part of history.  Most of it is perfectly harmless with an adult’s perspective (enema syringes, uncovered body parts, bodily fluids, etc.).  It does mean that we need to create a safe space with walls and clear boundaries and communicate clearly regarding when and where we will engage in art forms that are not completely 100% guaranteed family friendly so those who wish to not engage can be not bothered.

War of the Wings is an event with enough space that some has been set aside, with clear boundaries, for an adults only area.  Here we can allow for some of the material from commedia dell’ arte that is not appropriate for children to be brought out from the books and used in real life plays.  I Firenzi has brought such a play to War of the Wings for the second year and will perform it in Vingulf Hall at 10:00pm on Friday night.  Bouncers will be stationed at the doors to Vingulf Hall for everyone’s sanity.  If you or a companion of yours is under 18 years of age, you are not allowed in Vingulf Hall after 8:00pm.  If you wish to break this rule, you must ask for special permission from Lady Sophia the Orange so that you and your adult guardian can make an informed decision based on full disclosure of the adult content expected to be presented in the play. Last year, two exceptions were made after careful conversations with parents, and the teenagers were not scarred. They both lived on to perform commedia themselves. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions ahead of time or get clarification from Sophia by emailing “capo AT ifirenzi DOT com”  or you can also use dmoas-performance AT atlantia.sca.org.

Commedia dell Arte by i Firenzi is improvised, so some risk is implied. No guarantee is made regarding exactly what will happen, what the audience will see, or what will be exposed during the play. All attendees enjoy the play at their own risk.

Photography, videography, and recording of any kind at all will not be allowed under any circumstances.

This year, i Firenzi is not the only performance for adults only in Vingulf Hall!  Remember, Vingulf Hall turns into an Adults Only zone after 8:00pm on Friday night, which is when the Bawdy Bardic by Ky begins!  As with all performances at War of the Wings… BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR!!!!

Friday night at War of the Wings… here is your lineup in Vingulf Hall!

I.

Bawdy Bardic by Ky 8:00 ~ 9:15pm

A beautiful, creative, and vivacious young lady named Ky will sing some of her own bawdy songs and lead a bardic circle in Vingulf Hall for those adults 18 years old and older who want to sing with her!

And if that weren’t enough… the ancient tradition of taunts and insults lives on!

II.

Rabble Rousing skits by Opposing Sides of the War starts around 9:15 ~ 9:30 ish…

The opposing sides of the War of the Wings will have the opportunity to engage in millennia old tradition of taunting and insulting the other side.  Each side will have no more than 15 minutes to crush the souls of the other side taking turns politely.

Then… what you’ve been waiting for since Pantalone stripped to his skivvies last year!

III.

Commedia dell’ arte performance of “The Issues of One’s Loins” by i Firenzi

The infamous annual “Naughty Show” of i Firenzi appears again at War of the Wings as a rare demonstration of some very real and documentable material of period commedia dell’ arte that is not family friendly nor appropriate for children at a regular SCA event. I Firenzi is grateful for this opportunity to stretch their creative muscles and perform some of their art form that is not safe for regular SCA events but appears regularly in commedia documentation.  Beautiful women will parade around Vingulf Hall with this documentation for anyone interested in the educational portion of our program. The family friendly version of commedia dell arte will be presented on Saturday in the Iron Commedia production before royal court.

The scenario, “The Issues of One’s Loins”, was written by Luceta di Cosimo, currently living in Pittsburgh, PA and regularly writing scenarios for i Genisii (often seen performing at Pennsic) in the style of Flamino Scala of Florence in the late 16th century.

Photography, videography, and recording of any kind at all will not be allowed under any circumstances.

For more information about commedia or i Firenzi, visit www.ifirenzi.com  and watch the videos!

Visit http://warofthewings.com/performing_arts.html  for all your War of the Wings Performing Arts info!

And if you’re looking for something lower key or guaranteed to be Family Friendly… there’s a lovely Castle next door to Vingulf Hall with European Dancing and a live Pick Up Band!  http://warofthewings.com/details/dancing.html  The music and dancing starts at 7:00 with the first half hour focused on kids.

Sincerely Yours,

Lady Sophia the Orange

War of the Wings, Deputy Village Steward for Performing Arts

Kingdom of Atlantia, Minister of Arts and Sciences, Deputy for Performing Arts

Capocomico, i Firenzi

Fan of Anything That Comes To Life On Stage!

Have you ever seen performers having fun on stage and craved joining in? Well, now you can! And not just “throw them in and hope they float” Nononono….. We will actually *teach* you something before making you face the terrifying stares of an expectant audience! (WARNING: All shows at War of the Wings are BYOChair!  There will NOT be enough chairs for everyone, so BRING YOUR OWN CHAIR PLEASE!)  And don’t worry about the deadline to register for classes… just show up if you haven’t registered and we’ll make room for you! No class size limits on Performing Arts Classes!

Friday:

1) Who’s Line Doth It Be?   Improvisation Skills class and Show 1:00 – 3:00pm

Have you ever seen the TV show “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” either the American version hosted by Drew Cary or the original on BBC? We’re going to run a mini-version of that show ourselves at WoW based on the version die hard performing arts geeks at Pennsic have been doing for many years.

But before that, a class will be taught in Improvisation Skills. You must take the class if you want to be in the show, but you can take the class and not perform in the show.  The class will run through six basic rules of improvisation that can help you in everyday conversation, living in persona at SCA events, better performance during SCA court schtick, and also performing improvised commedia dell’ arte. We will also learn the short form improv theater games that will serve as the structure of our Who’s Line Doth It Be Show.

Improvisation Skills Class runs from 1:00 – 2:00pm. Who’s Line Doth It Be show runs from 2:00 – 3:00pm.

2) European Dance Pick Up Band:  Rehearsal 12:00 – 3:00pm;  Performance 7:00 – 10:00pm (both Friday and Saturday)

Any and all musicians are welcome to join in a new kind of pick up band! To sign up, click here!

A lovely new professional music teacher and band director has joined the Barony of Nottinghill Coil a couple years ago and brings with her a passion for period music! Our new best friend,  milady Reynsa, will lead volunteer musicians through a rehearsal with Pennsic Pile sheet music from 12:00 noon to 3:00pm on Friday and Saturday to prep for playing for the balls on both Friday and Saturday nights starting at 7:00pm.  Click here for details including links to the sheet music, dance list, and recordings:   http://warofthewings.com/details/pick_up_band.html

3) Middle Eastern Dance:  Band Rehearsals Thursday – Saturday

Middle Eastern Dance Band will Rehearse on Thursday 2-3:00, Friday 3-4:00, and Saturday 2-3:00, then play for a Hofla dance party starting at 8:30pm Saturday night!

Three classes are also offered for learning middle eastern dance.

See the Dance page for details: http://warofthewings.com/details/dancing.html

Saturday:

1) European Dance: 10:00 – 11:00am

The ball on Friday night is a practice ball, so all the dances will be taught then, but more dances will be taught Saturday morning in this class (New Yere, Bel Fiore, Petite Vriens, and some bransles). The ball Saturday night will also have some teaching time.  For more details about learning and performing European dance, click here: http://warofthewings.com/details/dancing.html

2) Commedia dell’ Arte: Intro class and Iron Commedia show 12:00 noon – 5:00pm

Learn the basics of Commedia dell’ Arte, the Italian improvised comedy play style that was very popular throughout Europe in the 16^th century.  Intro to commedia class runs from 12:00 – 1:00pm.

Then whoever is ready for an intense creative thrill… we will run an Iron Commedia session from 1:00 to 4:00pm where we will write a commedia scenario based on who shows up and what characters people want to play. We will rehearse until 4:00, then we will put on our short play in the half hour before court as pre-court entertainment!  (Court starts at 5:00pm) Anyone who wants a part in the play gets one, but you have to have taken the Intro to Commedia class either that day or some other day to join in. Once we start writing the scenario at 1:00pm, the process takes off like a rocket!

3) Bardic Madness: Challenges and Performances  12:00 – 2:00pm

The Challenges put forth by Lady Scholastica Joycors, Kingdom Bard of 2014, are set forth as “Fyts of Madness” which will challenge bards to create material either ahead of time or in the moment.  Bards will then also have the opportunity to perform their material right there in the midst of madness!  Depending on how many participants show up, bards can exchange critique and improve on their works, discuss, challenge each other more, and let the madness lead them.

4) Bardic 101 & 102:  A class in all things Bardic 2:00 – 3:00pm

Lord Johann von Solothurn, the current Kingdom Bard, will help you get started in becoming a bard and/or help you take your bardic lifestyle to the next level based on who shows up to the class and what questions they bring.

5) Research for Performers:  A multi-purpose performers class 3:00 – 4:00pm

Lord Johann von Solothurn continues to spread the wisdom by offering resources for research for all kinds of performers.

6) Bards and Brewers Concert at the White Phoenix Inn – Starting at 9:00pm in Vingulf Hall

On Saturday evening, after you’ve had all this great instruction on performing all day Friday and Saturday, you can put it to good use if you signed up ahead of time to claim a 10 minute performing slot during the Saturday night concert!  Now, the Saturday night performances will begin with the Inter-Baronial Bardic Champions Competition starting at 9:00pm where those performers who have earned the honor of serving as their barony’s Champion in a performing art will compete for glory, honor, and spiffy prizes.  AFTER, the Champions have competed, the regular concert will commence with a lineup of performers who only had to sign up ahead of time.  Did you sign up ahead of time on the Google Form here?  If you miss signing up, you just move to the end of the line and a sign up sheet will be posted in Vingulf Hall so the organized concert can devolve into an all-night jam if performers show up who wish to share the space.

To sign up for a 10 minute performance slot in the Bards and Brewers Concert on Saturday night, click here!

The Kingdom’s Royal Brewer is leading his fellow brewers in gathering in the same space as the concert in Vingulf Hall on Saturday night starting at 9:00pm to share the fruits of their labor. So, no need to sign up, just bring your brewed creations to share!  Rumor has it that a special friend from the Barony of Windmasters’ Hill is also bringing a supply of Savory Toasted Cheese, so the evening will be full of brews, cheese, and song!

Stay tuned for two more blog posts covering the rest of the extensive Performing Arts Program at War of the Wings!  http://warofthewings.com/performing_arts.html 

Sincerely Yours,

Lady Sophia the Orange

War of the Wings, Deputy Village Steward for Performing Arts

Kingdom of Atlantia, Minister of Arts and Sciences, Deputy for Performing Arts

Capocomico, i Firenzi

Fan of Anything That Comes To Life On Stage!

By Lady Sophia the Orange

You never really know what’s going to happen at Pennsic until it does. A lot gets planned, and a lot happens, and the overlap is always an amusing gamble in the end. So here’s some of what really happened in the Performing Arts arena by the time Pennsic 44 was over:

Most performances did get produced according to plan as laid out in this blog post before Pennsic: https://perform.atlantia.sca.org/?p=152 .

Upon arrival at Pennsic, the staff discovered a significant infestation of hornets throughout the Amphitheater requiring a move of all Peace Week activities from the Amphitheater to the Great Hall.  However, reports of our own Lord Richard Wynn’s first solo concert and Lady Scholastica’s Shakespeare Open Mike Night in that space were outstandingly positive!  The commedia dell’ arte rehearsals in that space also found it excellent, so the hornet issue did not get in the way of our fun during Peace Week!

Lord Manus MacDhai and I did perform as planned in i Verdi Confusi’s Saturday night commedia dell’ arte play, but what was not planned was the autographing scene where I experienced a “Pennsic First” of autographing a man’s chest. Tis the joy of improv!

Another commedia thrill that was unplanned was a visit from His Majesty Stephan, the King of Lochac! This gentleman is also a Laurel in the art of Theater, and he enjoyed a day with us in the Iron Commedia session #1 on Friday of Peace Week!  He played Pantalone in the play conceived and produced in one afternoon, and you can see a tiny bit of the production here: https://www.facebook.com/Lara.Coutinho.Orange/videos/vob.100000217895334/1321810187836232/?type=2&theater

 King Stephan of Lochac playing Pantalone with the Iron Commedia cast of Iron Commedia Session #1 of Pennsic 44!

Another surprise from the commedia track came when Isabella the Pirate Queen, also serving as the Assistant Director of the Pennsic Commedia All Stars Troupe, broke her arm during the first 5 minutes rehearsing with her new band of pirates. Twenty volunteer pirates were given three days with the Assistant Director to create, learn, and rehearse their parts for the big Thursday night commedia show, but their fearless leader fell prey to the deep, hard mud ruts in the ground around the Amphitheater left after the last rock music event at Cooper’s Lake Campground by tripping over a rut and falling on her wrist. Crazy Pennsic luck being what it is, the Pennsic Commedia All Stars cast happened to include a blacksmithing Laurel who had a working forge back at camp, so the next rehearsal included a custom made hook for our Pirate Queen. Her final costume included a custom ladies’ pirate hook, personalized eye patch, borrowed ducal coronet, and spiffy red Italian gown. Best looking Pirate Queen Pennsic’s ever seen!

 Isabella the Pirate Queen with patch, coronet, and custom hook!

Master Efenwealt and Mistress Dervila did, in fact, produce their retelling of the legendary tale “Love Will Return; The Story of Heloise & Abelard” with the new sources and 100+ letters Dervila discovered. What we didn’t know ahead of time was how the various skills of Maîtresse Aénor d’Anjou would add to the beauty of the presentation and how support of indigogo supporters can make a simple Pennsic performance last forever. Watch for the crowdfunded DVD that includes footage from this performance to launch next summer.

Our own Lord Yakov did adjust to unexpected changes in his modern employment schedule and change his originally scheduled performance into a private camp bardic performance that had not been promoted enough for the amazing brilliance it ended up being! About 25 people got to witness Yakov’s telling of a reconstruction of a period collection of stories called “Sefer Hashashuim” (“The Book of Delights”) written by the Jewish physician Joseph Zabara in Seville in about 1200. The collection was originally written in poetic form, with a framing story providing a nested “story-within-a-story” structure similar to that of the Arabian Nights. In reconstructing the collection as a performance, he eliminated the poetic form and somewhat edited and restructured the story to enhance performability. For this reason, it is a reconstruction and re-editing and not an actual translation. This beautiful performance was enjoyed by a small group of lucky Pennsic campers who got the message about rescheduling, and hopefully, Yakov will be able to share it again back home in Atlantia for the rest of us.

And it was not a surprise at all that our dear friend, Margherita Battistina, was successfully elevated to the Order of the Laurel for her accomplishments in the art of European Dance as predicted and planned.  The vigil was lovely, and I enjoyed jumping in at the end, thanks to the efforts of many including Master Solvar, Lady Marion the Red, Baron Lorenzo, Master Stephan, and Lady Evelynn. The elevation ceremony in the dance tent was attended by a magnificent inter-kingdom dance community that testifies to Margherita’s great positive impact on a great many lovers of dance.

  Mistress Margherita, the first Atlantia recognized Dance Laurel in 16 years!

A final big surprise on the final Friday of Pennsic, for the final show, the Known World Players enjoyed the thrill of seeing the electric power to Cooper’s Lake Campground go out half an hour before their 8:00pm production of the Merchant of Venice. Seeing the sun set and leaving the stage in darkness, but never questioning the dedication to “The Show Must Go On!”, the KWP troupe, Pennsic Performing Arts staff, and various supporters moved the entire production out into the courtyard and established portable lighting. A combination of tiki torches, a single propane torch, and Manus MacDhai’s camp lantern footlights normally used at the Amphitheater created enough light in the right places for the actors to be seen. The instant teamwork brought to life a magical Shakespeare environment that became beautiful and memorable for all.

 Known World Players producing Merchant of Venice with torchlight and camp lantern footlights.

So, if you missed Pennsic, or if you missed the many Atlantians performing beautiful, funny, and impressive works of art at Pennsic, find them here at home and ask them for a repeat performance!

–Lady Sophia the Orange, Co-Track-Lead for Commedia, Foolery, and Physical Theater at Pennsic Performing Arts, Pennsic University, Pennsic 44 and  Atlantia MOAS Deputy for Performing Arts

Atlantians are stepping up to perform some magnificent works of art this year at Pennsic!
Want to know exactly where and when to see your fellow Atlantians on the stage?

You can sift through the official Performing Arts Schedule: http://www.pennsicwar.org/penn44/DEPTS/PERFARTS/perfschedule.html

or skim the Bards By Day/Bards By Night online version: https://sites.google.com/site/pennsicbbdbbn/home

or see if Mystic Mail has the BBD/BBN paper copy they usually have…
Or just read this…
In order of appearance:

• Lord Richard Wyn is putting on his first ever Pennsic solo show on Thursday of Peace Week, 7/30, 7:30 – 8:30 pm at the Amphitheater.
• Dragonsong, a world music band from northern Atlantia, plays a concert on Friday 7/31, from 10:00 – 11:30pm, on the Performing Arts Tent stage.
• Lady Scholastica co-hosts the Open Stage Shakespeare Night on the Green, Saturday, 8/2, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the Amphitheater
• Lady Sophia the Orange and Lord Manus MacDhai perform with the i Verdi Confusi commedia troupe in “The Courtesan’s Discount Bed” on Saturday night, 9:00 – 10:30 pm, on the Performing Arts Tent stage.
• Master Efenwealt Wystle and Mistress Aenor perform their annual concert on Sunday, 8/2, at 8:00 – 9:30 pm on the Performin Arts Tent stage
• Master Efenwealt Wystle Comedy Music- short concert pre-show to Who’s Line Doth It Be – Efenwealt sings from 6:30 – 7:00 pm on the Amphitheater stage
• Love with Return/ The Story of Heloise & Abelard: Master Efenwealt and Mistress Dervila present a retelling of this legendary love story, Tuesday, 8/4, 7:30 – 9:00 pm in the Performing Arts Tent stage
• Lord Johann von Solothurn, Atlantia’s Kingdom Bard, leads the Atlantia Bardic Circle (also a join in below) on Wednesday, 8/5, from 7:00 – 9:00pm in Atlantia Royal Camp!
• Lady Sophia the Orange directs the Iron Commedia performance at 7:00pm on the Amphitheater stage.
• Lady Sophia the Orange directs and Manus MacDhai, Genefa Wolfelin, Avalina del Dolce, Derek le Garde, and J. Conrad Muni star in the Pennsic Commedia All Stars troupe second annual production of a play produced entirely at Pennsic! Show begins at 9:30pm on Thursday 8/6 on the Performing Arts Tent Stage. (Other Atlantians may be seen on the stage portraying very sneaky pirates!)
• Mistress Dervila presents A Cycle of Norse Myths, from the Creation of the World to Ragnarok, on Friday, 8/7, from 6:00 – 7:30pm on the Performing Arts Tent stage

Open “join-in” Performances where you *might* see fellow Atlantians performing, or you can come JOIN IN include:

• Friday:
  • Iron Commedia session #1 of 2, Friday 7/31, create and put on a Commedia play in one afternoon from 1:00 – 6:00 pm in the Amphitheater. Show goes on at 6:00pm at the Performing Arts Tent stage.
  • Artisan’s Row has Friday 7/31 scheduled for Music Day
• Saturday:
  • European Music Exhibition, Saturday, 8/2, 2:00 – 5:00 pm in the Performing Arts Tent stage
  • Practice Safe Bardic Safe Practice – Bardic Circle, Saturday, 8/2, 2:00 – 5:00 pm, in Runestone Park
  • Open Stage Shakespeare Night on the Green, Saturday, 8/2, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the Amphitheater
• Sunday:
  • Avalina del Dolce, Derek le Garde, J. Conrad Muni, Manus MacDhai, Sophia the Orange and other commedia enthusiasts from Atlantia will perform in the Commedia Expo on Sunday, 8/2, from 2:00 – 5:00pm, on the Performing Arts Tent stage – and audience members will be welcome to join in some scenes!
  • Recorder Jam Session, Sunday, 8/2, 5:00 – 6:30 pm, in the Rehearsal and Class Tent
• Monday:
  • Bardic Arts Exhibition, Monday, 8/3, 2:00 – 5:00 pm on the Performing Arts Tent stage
  • Whose Line Doth it Be? Improv Comedy show – Monday, 8/3, Auditions for evening performance are 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the Amphitheater. Performance is 7:00pm at the Amphitheater.
  • Cantore Borealis, Monday 8/3 5:00 – 6:00 pm, Performing Arts Tent stage, A “pick up” choir formed during Pennsic. Ban Ollamh Orlaith Ballach Ingen Fhlainn, OL, of Northshield, organizes music, rehearsals and performers. Note: If you’re interested in performing, find her in Northshield populace camping for an audition.
  • Sing We and Chant it – Madrigal and A Capella Jam with optional join in rehearsals on Friday and Sunday – Performance on Monday 8/3, 6:00 – 7:30 pm on the Performing Arts Tent stage
  • Artisan’s Row has Monday 8/3 as Poetry Day
• Tuesday:
  • Middle-Eastern Dance Exhibition, Tuesday, 8/4, 2:00 – 5:00 pm on the Performing Arts Tent stage
  • Pennsic Fools’ Parade, OPEN TO ALL FOOLS! Meet at 3:00pm at the bathhouse. All ages welcome, and kids bring an adult!
• Wednesday:
  • Fool’s School Graduation Show, Wednesday, 8/5, 6:00 – 7:00pm at the Amphitheater
  • Iron Commedia session #2 of 2, Wednesday, 8/5, create and put on a Commedia play in one afternoon from 1:00 – 6:00 pm in the Amphitheater. Show goes on at 7:00pm on the Amphitheater stage.
  • Lord Johann von Solothurn leads the Atlantia Bardic Circle on Wednesday 8/5, from 7:00 – 9:00pm in Atlantia Royal Camp!
• Thursday:
  • Mini Bardic Madness, Fun Bardic Challenges, Thursday, 8/6, 12:00 – 2:00 pm Rehearsal and Class Tent
  • Story Telling Exhibition, Thursday, 8/6, 2:30 – 5:30 pm, Performing Arts Tent
  • Storytelling Academy Student Performance, Thursday, 8/6, 5:30 – 6:30 pm Performing Arts Tent
  • Pennsic Choirs Performances, Thursday, 8/6, 6:30 – 8:15 pm Performing Arts Tent
• Friday:
  • Pennsic Youth Commedia Performance, Friday 8/7, 5:00 – 6:00pm, Performing Arts Tent stage

Please come help STRIKE THE STAGE on Friday night 8/7 at 10:00pm, after the last performance! It’s always a hard time to find people still awake and willing to turn a screwdriver to help pull everything down. If you trod the boards anywhere at Pennsic, please pitch in and help us strike the set on Friday night!

Enjoy the Performing Arts all through Pennsic this year!

–Lady Sophia the Orange

Co-Director for the Commedia, Foolery, and Theater track of Performing Arts at Pennsic University