Renaissance Faire comes with a flair

By KREMENA TODOROVA

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- A lady will marry a duke; a pirate will teach his trade to the court jester; a thief will display his "skill" -- as befits its nature, this year's Renaissance Faire boasts plenty of flair.

The Renaissance Club made up of MLC students organizes the fair, or carnival, with the idea of educating the public about feudal Europe and the Renaissance. The club comes together in German Park dressed in costumes, speaking in accents and transforming the area into a place of living history enjoyable for all ages.

To top it all off, a cast of actors this year will present Shakespeare's play, "Much Ado about Nothing." The play is put on by a different group, the MLC Forum, and timed to coincide with the fair. That group produces four plays a year, including its pending outdoor production.

This year's Renaissance Faire, from noon to six p.m. today, features several new elements, according to Renaissance Club member Stephanie Evanson.

There is the wedding, a historically accurate re-enactment of the union between a lady and the Duke of Tuscany, replete with bodyguards, a lady-in-waiting for the duchess-to-be and a bishop.

There are the short skits: the pirate and the court jester; the thief; a skit on period etiquette; and the "story time".

This year's fair will also feature archery and dancing, says Evanson, listing the highlights. The latter, which Renaissance Club members will teach to the audience, are genuine Renaissance dances.

All the costumes and re-enactments are historically accurate, says Evanson. Members of the Renaissance Club have spent many hours researching costumes, dances and traditions, in books or on the Internet. The club has also borrowed a dance from the state's largest similar event in Shakopee.

Some costumes come from a stock pile, but the club also made new costumes this year, says Evanson. The club is hoping to continue to make costumes in future years, always with authenticity in mind.

It takes "a good two or three months" to prepare for the fair, says Evanson. Since the beginning of the year, the club has been meeting "once a month or so"; and they've been meeting a lot more frequently in the past eight or ten weeks.

The Renaissance Club has about 30 members. Each person, from the food sellers to skit performers, has a part to play in the fair.

The Renaissance Faire is free and open to the public. A large project, it is totally funded with donations from individuals and businesses, in the form of cash, gift certificates and even supplies for the sets and games.

"We've had an incredible reaction from the public this year," Evanson said. "So many people and businesses want to sponsor us; it's been a great blessing."

The fair also functions as a charity. After buying what they need for the fair, the students send the proceeds to the United Way of New Ulm.

The Renaissance Faire boasts a long history -- but it had been discontinued for some years before resuming in 2001.

"Much Ado About Nothing," also free to the public and donation-funded, will be performed on Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the German Park amphi-theater, with an alternative location at the MLC gymnasium.