Iv. Entertainers

Contents

WELCOME ...... 3

HANDBOOK UPDATES ...... 3 DELIVERY & MAILING ADDRESSES ...... 4 A NOTE ABOUT SHIPPING TO THE FAIRE ...... 4 ADMINISTRATION BUILDING ...... 5 EMERGENCY PROCEDURES ...... 5 FIRST AID ...... 5 INTERNET ACCESS ...... 5 LOCAL SERVICES ...... 5 LOST AND FOUND ...... 5 SHOWERS ...... 5 I. COMMUNITY ...... 6

II. GENERAL POLICIES ...... 7

CAMPING ...... 7 CAMPING DEPOSITS ...... 7 CAMPING FEES ...... 7 CHILDREN ...... 7 CONDUCT OF EMPLOYEES ...... 8 FIRE POLICY ...... 8 HOURS OF OPERATION ...... 8 ID BADGES ...... 8 OFF-SEASON ACCESS ...... 8 PARADE ...... 8 PARKING ...... 9 PETS ...... 9 WEAPONS ...... 10 WASTE DISPOSAL ...... 10 III. DECORUM ...... 11

IV. ENTERTAINERS ...... 13

PERFORMANCE COMPANY ...... 13 MORNING MEETING ...... 14 ADHERE TO THE SCHEDULE! ...... 14 SOUND LEVELS ...... 14 DRAWING FOCUS ...... 14 CAMPING ...... 14 ACTING COMPANY – SHERWOOD PLAYERS ...... 15 AUDITIONS ...... 15 REHEARSALS ...... 15 COMPENSATION ...... 15 DECORUM ...... 15 COSTUMES ...... 16 CAST COMMUNITY ...... 16 PRETENDING ...... 16 V. VENDORS ...... 18

BOOTH/TENT AESTHETICS ...... 18 CRAFT DEMONSTRATIONS ...... 18 FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ...... 18 INSURANCE ...... 18 LOAD-IN / LOAD-OUT ...... 18 PRODUCTS ...... 19 TEXAS SALES AND USE TAX PERMITS ...... 19 OCCUPYING A TENT / TEMPORARY STRUCTURE ...... 19 BUILDING A BOOTH ...... 20 BUILDING APPLICATION ...... 20 BOOTH BUILDER ...... 20 BOOTH NUMBER ...... 21 BUILDING MATERIALS ...... 21 ELECTRICAL WIRING ...... 21 FENCING ...... 21 APPENDIX ...... 22

2013-2014 IMPORTANT DATES ...... 23 2013-2014 FEE SCHEDULE ...... 24 LOCAL RESOURCES ...... 25 USEFUL CONTACT INFORMATION ...... 26 2013 SITE MAP ...... 27 MEDIEVAL AND ARCHAIC LANGUAGE ...... 27 EXAMPLES OF APPROPRIATE ATTIRE ...... 32

Welcome

A hearty WELCOME ABOARD to you all! We wish you all the best of fortune and merriment in your journey with Sherwood Forest Faire.

Being part of the Sherwood Participant Community, you will play an integral role in the Faire’s appearance, excitement, and success! Although Sherwood has only so many magicians, we all must be professional illusionists to give our patrons a quality escape from their daily lives that is worth coming back for. Likewise we must all be actors, must all be salespeople, craftspeople, and security. Everyone will have their own special niches at Sherwood Forest Faire, but we must all be details of the same painting, and all willing to work with one another to keep the canvas from coming apart. To create a Faire that participants AND Patrons wish to call home, we beg you to remember patience; with thy neighbors, thy faire, and with the weather.

Handbook Updates If you are already familiar with the Participant Handbook, please pay close attention to the following sections, which have been updated since its last version:

II. Community III. General Policies Camping Deposits Camping Fees Fire Policy Off Season Access Waste Disposal VI. Vendors Building a Booth Appendix 2013‐2014 Important Dates 2013‐2014 Fee Schedule 2013 Site Map

I. Orientation

Delivery & Mailing Addresses Our team is decentralized in the off‐season, so we have many addresses. Please choose the address you need carefully when sending us anything. Address Type Purpose Address  Receiving your own mail onsite during season  Entertainment (Zane) 3106 US Hwy 290 E  Site/Operations (Shane) Paige TX 78659  Location of Participant Entrance  Finance (Bobby) PO Box 5470 Mailing  Eric Todd, General Partner Bryan TX 77805  Vendors (Brian)  Marketing (George) PO Box 10816  George Appling, General Partner Houston TX 77206  Summer Camp  Site address insurance agents need to add us as a rider to your insurance policy  Location of our Day Parking Lot 1883 Old Hwy 20 Parking Lot  Don’t send mail – it will never be received. To inquire McDade TX 78650 about letters sent to this address contact the McDade Post Office

A Note about Shipping to the Faire You may ship items to our site via FedEx or UPS. Their drivers will leave the packages in the structure next to the Administration Building. Please be aware that no one is available to sign for your packages, and the storage building is unsecured. Use at your own risk! When you are expecting a package, please check the storage building regularly. Use the Paige, TX address in the table above.

If you send mail via USPS to the Paige, TX address they will also be dropped in that holding structure. If you ship packages or send Priority Mail, they will be kept at the local Post Office for you to retrieve unless you are standing next to the package drop when the package arrives.

Administration Building Our administration building is located outside the village fence near the Italian restaurant, across the road from Participant Camping. We do not have regular office hours, so it is best to contact a member of our staff via telephone if you need something (see “Useful Contact Information” in the Appendix). A bulletin board on the exterior wall of the Admin building can be used for messages while we are in season. Emergency Procedures If you encounter an emergency situation during faire hours, the quickest way to get help is either to flag down a member of the management team, or to get to a beverage station. Each of the 6 beverage stations (Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Pub, Three Stags, etc.) have a radio which is monitored by our sheriffs, site team, management team, and first aid personnel. Any fire trucks or ambulances will be entering the site at the gate behind the Greenwood Stage, so it is essential that the gate remain unblocked and the road all around the outside of the village be completely clear of vehicles at all times. For after‐hour emergencies contact the Site Director (see “Useful Contact Information” in the Appendix). First Aid The First Aid personnel are stationed behind the fence next to the Souvenir Booth at the front gate. They are accessible via radio. See “Emergency Procedures” for who else has a radio so you know how to reach them. Internet Access We do not yet have site Wifi. Consistency of phone coverage varies by carrier. Local Services See the Appendix for a list of local services including grocery, laundry, medical, veterinary, etc. Lost and Found While we are open, Lost and Found is located in Sherwood’s Hollow, the souvenir booth at the front gate. In the off‐season it is located in our Administration Building. Contact Zane to check for lost items off‐season. (see “Useful Contact Information” in the Appendix for his number) Showers Hot showers are available in the Participant Campground behind the Administration building.

I. Community

Gatherings Gathering weekends usually happen seven times in the off season. They are a chance for our community (including both patrons and participants) to come together, pitch in to help with various projects around the site, enjoy a Pot Luck dinner and have a party afterward. We usually have 200‐400 people show up for these events. We encourage all participants to come to Sherwood during the Gathering weekends. Visit http://sherwoodforestfaire.com/gatherings for more information about these events.

Online We have a strong online presence. You can utilize these sites to get to know our community better in the off‐ season: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sherwoodforestfaire Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sherwoodforestfaire Twitter: http://twitter.com/sherwoodfaire YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SherwoodForestMedia Yahoo (discussion group): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/robinandcompany/

The Sherwood Crier The Sherwood Crier is an off‐season newsletter where we share news relevant to Sherwood Forest Faire, Sherwood Celtic Music Festival, Sherwood Forest Summer Camp and the community surrounding the three events. You can find past issues at http://sherwoodforestfaire.com/thesherwoodcrier. .

II. General Policies

Camping Booth owners & Managers who have a booth in the tent circle or either permanent booth circle may camp inside their booth or behind their booth if they wish. Due to increasing congestion, no one else may camp in those areas. All participants who are not the owner or manager of a booth must find a camping spot in the Participant Campground.

Quiet time on Friday and Saturday nights begins at midnight

Notes about Participant Campgrounds: o RV electricity is extremely limited and we have a long waiting list. Entertainers can get on the waiting list by contacting Zane, and Vendors can be put on the list by Brian. o Hot showers are available. (see “Showers” in Section I) o Be respectful of your neighbors’ need for sleep. Keep the noise level to a reasonable level given the hour.

The following groups will receive Camping Fee Waivers for Sherwood Forest Faire, though all individuals must still register for Camping:

 Youth under Age 13  Independent Entertainers  Cast Members  Employees of Sherwood Forest Faire  Employees of Renaissance Beverage Company  Two Employees per Vendor Booth

Camping Deposits All participants who wish to establish a campsite are required to pay a Camping Deposit upon setting up for the season. The deposit will be refunded upon your departure assuming your camping area is left in a satisfactory state and in a timely manner. This means all evidence of your presence must be removed by the Participant Move‐Out deadline. Refer to the Appendix for move‐out dates and fees. Camping Fees Any participant planning on overnighting during the Faire season must pay the Camping Fee at the beginning of the season when the Participant ID Badge is collected. See the Fee Schedule in the Appendix for current rates. Children If your children are accompanying you at faire, and are anywhere in the vicinity of you while you are working (near your stage, near your booth, etc.), they must be dressed in appropriate renaissance attire.

Conduct of Employees If you are a booth owner or manager, you are directly responsible for the conduct of your employees. Booth employees should remember that their conduct may directly affect their employers’ future participation in the faire. Fire Policy No open fires and no ground fires are permitted anywhere on the premises. You must keep your fire confined to a fire pit, stone/brick circle, chiminea or other enclosure of some type. You must have a tight metal mesh or solid lid for the top. NO unattended fires are permitted, so when you leave your camp or go to sleep your fire must be completely extinguished. In the event of a burn ban fires will be further restricted or prohibited. Any campsite planning to have a fire must also have a fire extinguisher. Hours of Operation The Faire opens each day (rain or shine) at 10am. We will close around 6:45pm before Daylight Savings and 7:45pm once the time shift has occurred. This is around twilight before full darkness has set in. On days of inclement weather or very poor attendance, we have been known to close an hour or so earlier than normal. On such occasions the decision is usually made earlier in the day. We simply harness the mystical powers of the “rennie rumor mill” to spread the word.

On any day Vendors may start slowly and subtly packing up before closing, but may not close their doors until Cannon. ID Badges All participants are required to carry their Participant ID Badge on their person at all times during the run of the Faire, when on the grounds. If you have a temporary paper pass or a badge without a photo, then you will also need to carry your photo I.D. Off-Season Access The general rule is: no one is allowed onsite in the off season unless they are employed by the faire, or are engaged in a faire‐approved project such as building a booth, cast rehearsals, volunteer projects, etc. For permission to visit the site, please contact the Site Director, whose contact information is located in the Appendix. The site is open during daylight hours only.

Typically the site is not accessible from the Participant Move‐Out Deadline until the end of April, and not accessible at all during July.

Parade All vendor booths must be represented in the Parade by a representative in proper garb and carrying a banner. Parade walkers should be at the starting point by 12:45, and the Parade will begin at 1:00pm. You will be notified of the exact meeting place close to Opening Day. The parade energizes our patrons, so it is

especially important to send a representative to participate when the weather is less than perfect. Bad weather will not be a valid excuse for missing the parade.

The parade is a great opportunity to help patrons become aware of your booth. Draw their attention! Have fun! A short period of time at the end of the Parade will be provided for Parade walkers to (optionally) make short announcements about their booths to the crowd. Parking Booth Owners & Managers who have a booth in either permanent booth circle may park inside that circle if they wish. No one else may park inside the inner circles. Everyone else must park outside the village fence. Please do not parallel park as it takes up more space than driving straight into the parking spot. Do not block the Fire Gate located behind the scenes near the Greenwood Stage. Do not park in front of dumpsters or portable toilets, as these facilities must be accessible for service at any time.

Those parking in the inner circles or on the road that goes behind the Children’s Area, and down to the pond by the front gate, will be among the last to be able to leave. Gates in these areas remain locked until we are sure the last patrons have exited the premises. Typically the gates will be opened an hour after cannon.

All vehicles must be registered with the faire, and must display a window tag with your contact information on it. Pets All pets must be registered with the Faire, which entails payment of a registration fee and a deposit. The deposit will be forfeit to the faire if the pet owner violates any of the pet rules, and in such cases the pet may be prohibited from the faire property. Unregistered pets may be removed from the grounds by animal control upon discovery of their presence, and their owners will be at risk of being prohibited from the faire‐ grounds as well.

All animals are considered pets; however, small caged animals such as rodents or reptiles will only be charged per cage rather than per pet. Any and all animals must have documentation of all necessary immunizations. All pets must be either on a leash or otherwise restrained indoors or with a chain short enough to keep the pet from interfering with neighboring campsites.

Pets are not allowed inside the village, except in the case of walking through to the parking lot. Owners with pets must stay on the main paths in the village, and must not stop, but continue on to the parking lot or back to the campground.

Owners who are walking pets must carry a bag or other receptacle for picking up pet waste. All solid pet waste MUST be picked up.

Violating any of these rules will result in a strike against the pet owner, which will result in the loss of pet deposit, and may result in the pet being prohibited from Sherwood property. After a pet owner’s deposit is lost, subsequent violations will be subject to fines. Weeapons All weapons must be peace‐tied at all times on faire premises. No fire arms are permitted on faire property. Also, replica firearms are not period to 12th Century England, so should nott be worn as a part of your costume (although you are sure to see patrons with them). Waaste Disposal Sherwood has no facilities for disposing of bulk solid waste, grey water, black water, kitchen grease or toxic chemicals. Anyone who dumps these items at Sherwood will be prosecuted and may be asked not to return. We are aware of the environmental impact our presence could have on this beautiful land, and we expect all who are involved with Sherwood to be stewards of the land, soo that it will remain beautiful for many years.

Garbage must be contained in trash bags or other receptacles at campsites and around booths. These areas will be subject to a three strikes rule, and the third strike will result in the loss of the Camping Depoosit.

Please dispose of your garbage in the dumpsters provided. If you require liquid waste removal services, please check the “Useful Contact Information” section for any contact info we might have available at the moment.

III. Decorum

All participants are expected to remain in character all day, even with your fellow participants, while onsite. We feel strongly that a renaissance festival should be about make‐believe and magic. At least attempt the King’s English, or some other appropriate accent, and please, do NOT ask or expect other participants to break character during faire hours. Such actions will be considered as working against the theme of our faire, and will be taken seriously.

All participants must wear period‐appropriate attire, and, when in view of the public, must drink and eat only from period vessels and dishes. All costumes must include a period‐appropriate head piece, whether it is a hat, a circlet, crown, plenty of feathers, flowers, snood, wimple, turban, cabbage, etc. – JUST WEAR SOMETHING ON YOUR HEAD. Braids alone do not count. When we are dressed head‐to‐toe we stand out and are more exciting to our patrons. Beware of the Hat Police (entertainment director), and don’t wear steam punk goggles or other anachronisms that do not fit our medieval/renaissance theme. Attention to these details will make this faire a powerful experience for our patrons. Please, hold yourself and your crew to a high visual standard for the good of the show. Those wearing clothing too modern or inappropriate will be asked to change, or be gone.

All plastic and non‐period objects must be out of sight at all times during faire hours. This requirement includes containers for merchandise, machines, lighting and wires, modern packaging, Windex bottles, and every other bloody thing you can think of that no one could have had in the Renaissance. No modern drinking vessels, cell phones, modern music equipment, or Photos may be showing. Please, don’t burst the bubble. Pre‐recorded music will not be permitted to be played at any stage, shop, or restaurant. DO NOT call, text, or use electronic devices of any kind in front of patrons. Cash registers sitting on a table or counter should have a box built around them to hide them from view. Hand held credit machines must have a cover, and must be hidden when not in use. Cell phones may NOT be used for anything other than credit processing. To the extent possible, use cash registers and credit card machines out of patrons’ view.

Photographs are not permitted on faire signage or decorations. Many computer programs claim to make photographs look like paintings, but almost none of these modified photos will pass inspection. All signage must be approved by the Craft and/or Entertainment Director. All signs, for vendors or entertainers, should be hand‐painted. Do not screw or nail signs onto trees. Tie them.

Participants are not permitted to drink (alcohol) or smoke onsite during faire hours. The only exception for smoking tobacco will be with Renaissance period‐appropriate pipes. Cigarettes must be used only behind the fence, and all cigarette butts must be disposed of properly – not thrown on the ground. Please feel free to point out the pails and barrels of sand provided for this purpose to your fellow villagers.

Have CONFIDENCE in your Sherwood venture, as Sherwood has confidence in you to make this the best Renaissance Festival experience possible.

Have PATIENCE with your fellow patrons, and with the growth of the faire. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but we Renaissance Folk can create an amazing environment in a few short weeks of set‐up. And as the faire’s grounds improve over the years, the attendance will, too.

Show KINDNESS to your neighbors, and especially to our patrons. In our exit surveys one of the most prominent recurring themes is that our patrons love the friendlly people at Sherwood. Please remember that this project, while fun and hopefully prosperous, can be hectic for us all, be ye artist, restaurateur, faire staff, or Mom and Dad trying to show the kids a good time. This is Showbiz, so don’t bring us down. Faire staff will attempt to help mediate problems you may have between yourself and other participants or patrons.

Be ACTIVE! Faire‐goers come to Sherwood to escape from modern life. They want to rremember a time when people were more likely to entertain each other than to wait for a magical box to do it. Please, welcome our guests with jokes, stories, talents, craft demonstrations, and don’t be shy! Let the character you embody at Sherwood take over, and give yourself and your patron the best experience you can.

Please remember that Sherwood Forest Faire is an Art Installation with a central theme. While we want to encourage diverse and original ideas at the faire, we must also expect you to fall in line with Sherwood’s story. The story is: Anything that might have happened in Late Medieval/Early Renaissance England, the time of Robiin Hood, just before the Thirteenth Century. While our world is closer to resembling a fantasy, rather than a history, few modern thing should be in sight. And in order to maintain thhe illusion which our patrons anticipate, few verbal references to modern things should be expressed.

Sherwood was founded with the hope of offering a fresh‐feeling renaissance festival, with a focus on preteending. Bring your best to Sherwood, and consider that the beautiful costumes you have bought and made, and the amazing structures that you have built deserve vibrant characters to go with them. We are all here because we have chosen to walk an interesting path, so BE interesting to your patrons, and set a high standard for the mark you leave on this great canvas, which depicts the many Legends of Sherwood Forest.

IV. Entertainers

All Participants are encouraged to read through the entertainment section, as we expect all who participate at Sherwood to help create our medieval village by acting, dressing, and talking like your own interpretation of a person from such a village, 800 years ago. Performance Company

All members of the Sherwood Forest Performance Company will be held to a higher standard of authenticity than generally expected of other participants. Performance Company members include all entertainers – independent performers as well as Acting Company members. These participants must understand this authenticity is the difference between our setting and that of other renaissance festivals. All Performers will be given a Sherwood Badge to wear on their costume. Please wear this badge proudly during faire hours to identify yourself to our patrons as an official Sherwood Performer.

Most Ren Faires take place in the high renaissance around the time of King Henry the 8th in the 16th Century (1500’s). That setting is almost 400 years later than Robin Hood’s England under the rule of King Richard the Lion Heart. Our setting is the 12th Century, or late 1100’s. Our first season in 2010 was set in the year 1189, and the date has advanced one year every season since. This era, though sometimes thought of as Early Renaissance, is more often considered medieval. The costumes are different, the technology is different, and the Arts are different. While some of our entertainment may be historically anachronistic, we expect entertainers to continue to make the feel of the medieval era come to life by doing research, and by taking time to integrate ideas and images of medieval England into your costumes and your acts. When making costume and character choices for Sherwood, Performance Company members are urged to make their characters distinct in some way from their characters at other faires. Sherwood should have a fresh feel, even to seasoned renaissance festival playtrons. Please go the extra mile to help make Sherwood the most authentic and powerful experience possible.

When performers are not on stage, they are still expected to maintain their characters, and to abide by all rules concerning period‐correctness. Cigarettes, cell phones and other modern devices must not be seen in the village, and modern things like planes, cars and T.V. shows should not be directly referred to.

Give your audience the back‐in‐time experience they have been anticipating – and then go the extra mile to give them an experience beyond their best expectations. Make good use of your time at the faire, and remember that if you are having fun, the patrons will have fun; and they will remember you. And if you are not having fun one day – nobody has to know but you, because you are a great performer. The show must go on! You have the power to take this faire from being a really good example of a faire to being the BEST Renaissance Festival ever! Many of our patrons are already convinced; but we can always improve if we evaluate ourselves.

Morning Meeting All actors and at least one representative of all performance groups are expected to attend the morning meeting on faire days. The meeting will start at 9:00am sharp at the Vineyard Stage. At the meeting the entertainment director will give important news particular to the weekend, and will also hand out new schedules and bottled water for performers to take to their stages. This time period will also be good for addressing the rest of the performance company with news or concerns of your own. However, performers should save any issues that do not deal with the entire performance company until after the meeting when the entertainment director will have a little extra time to address them. Adhere to the Schedule! All shows must begin at the time that they are scheduled, as patrons use those schedules to budget the time they have at the faire. If your show goes over the time allotted to you, you will not only delay the next performer from setting up or starting their set, you will also be taking time from the patrons. Your show must start on time and end in time so that the next scheduled event can do the same. Please note: Even if the performer before you has held their show over, you must not end your act any later than scheduled.

Occasionally, on a faire day, performance times need to be changed from the scheduled times. Schedule changes must be approved by the entertainment director When a change is required, a performer must be present at the time that the show was originally scheduled, and must stay for at least 10 minutes to let patrons know that the show time has been changed or cancelled. Sound Levels Performers must be aware of sound space, and must work with their volume and with the entertainment director to make sure that the sound of their show does not interfere with shows on other stages. Sometimes the issue is a matter of scheduling, sometimes a matter of volume, and sometimes some of both. Once an acceptable volume is agreed upon by the Entertainment Director and performer (or group), that volume should not be exceeded. Drawing Focus If a performer is performing or hawking their show off stage, consideration must be shown to other performers and participants that may be nearby. Do not draw attention away from other performances by sound or by actions. Talking up your show to wandering patrons is important, and perfectly acceptable, but it is very bad form to directly pull a patron’s attention from another performer they are currently watching, or from a shop where they are currently shopping. Camping All Performance Company members will be exempt from camping fees for the 2014 season, although camping deposits and pet deposits will still apply. All performers must keep their camps tidy, and remove all debris and possessions from their camps by the participant move‐out date. Leave it in as good or better shape than you found it. Any members who fail to clean up their camps will forfeit their deposit and this inaction on your part can result in a re‐assessment of your value to the company.

Independent Performers will be allowed to set up their camps on Participant Move‐In Weekend which occurs around mid‐January; refer to the Appendix for the exact date.

Acting Company members will be allowed to occupy Sherwood on Friday and Saturday nights as soon as mandatory rehearsals begin (late Dec‐early Jan). Camps, for Acting Company members only, may be set up the Friday before the first rehearsal.

Acting Company – Sherwood Players

Auditions Auditions take place from mid‐August to early November. Exact dates will be announced on the website, Facebook, and Yahoo. Rehearsals From mid‐October to early December rehearsals occur weekly. All performers who have been cast in roles are strongly encouraged to attend as often as possible. These early rehearsals are a very good time to give your input on the show’s direction, and a good time to get to know your fellow actors.

From approximately the last weekend in December until the weekend before Faire opens (5‐6 weekends in total), mandatory rehearsals occur on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:30am‐6:00pm. All Acting Company members are required to be present at all of these rehearsals. Acting Company members may set up camp as soon as the first mandatory rehearsals begin, and from that point onward may spend Friday and Saturday nights camping in Sherwood Forest if desired.

Consult the “Important Dates” section of the Appendix for the exact rehearsal schedule for the coming year. Compensation All actors will be expected to attend all faire days from 8:30 a.m. until Evening Cannon (dusk). All new cast will be contracted on a pass‐for‐play basis, and so will be expected to come to all rehearsals and performance days with their Sherwood Forest Participant pass being the only compensation. In future seasons, actors who remain as members of Sherwood Players will be considered for some monetary compensation, contingent upon the faire’s resources and the actor’s performance and progress as a member of the company. Decorum Although all faire participants will be expected to act like they are living in the renaissance/medieval era, the Sherwood Players are the actors among actors; and they will be held to the highest standard of authenticity of all participants. Actors will be expected to immerse themselves in their characters, continuing to engage patrons in conversations, diversions, and adventures throughout the day. Actors will be expected to research their roles to bring medieval characters to life that are believable and constantly entertaining. Several stage shows may be expected of any actor in addition to their day of improvised lane‐play. Actors will be allowed to

break for lunch, but should come prepared for a long day, with a period drinking vessel for drinking plenty of water.

Actors will not be permitted to drink alcohol during faire hours; and cigarettes will be strictly prohibited inside the village. Cigarette breaks must be limited, and always outside the village fence. When eating or drinking anything in the village, actors must use period dishes and utensils. Costumes All costume designs must be presented to the Entertainment Director for approval. Each actor will be responsible for providing her/his own costume which must include a headpiece. Many costumes are available in the company Greenroom, which may be borrowed and altered to suit actors who take the time to look through them and see their potential. All faire‐owned costumes and props must be returned to the Greenroom before Participant move‐out day. If any faire‐owned costume piece or prop turns up in your possession after the move‐out date, please return it to the faire site personally or via mail as soon as possible. Cast Community The Sherwood Cast is a larger group of individuals than any other performance group or sales staff at the faire. Several groups and some independent actors make up the Sherwood Players cast; and all will be expected to interact with each other during the faire as if they are in the same world, though they may be in a different story. The Sherwood Players will spend thirteen weeks together, sharing the responsibility of bringing their stories to life, and then bringing our patrons into those stories. Company members will be expected to work together to create the best illusion possible for our patrons who have come to Sherwood Forest to escape into a world more exciting than the one they experience day‐to‐day.

On faire days and rehearsal days actors will be expected to lay aside their differences and their personal problems to give their attention to the task of creating a fantastic experience for our guests. However, no one should hesitate to speak to the director about personal problems that will affect their participation or concerns about the people they are working with – whether the concern is with other actors, other participants, or even patrons. Your director and assistant directors are there to support you as a mediator when you are having problems with others. The best way to get help with a problem is to ask for it; so don’t keep your concerns bottled up. Pretending Do not keep your ideas bottled up either. The Sherwood Players are an ENSEMBLE of diversely talented actors, and as a member of our ensemble your voice is important. Actors will create and perform the stories of Sherwood Forest both on stage and “in the lanes”. In 5 weeks of rehearsals the Sherwood Players will prepare scheduled shows, which they will perform throughout each faire day. But being at a renaissance festival, all the world’s a stage; so when a scheduled performance is over the Sherwood Players are still in their performance space. All participants of the faire are expected to adopt a character and a costume, but Sherwood’s acting company is the most central characters, and so your characters will be the ones most scrutinized by the patrons and by your directors. Patrons should know that you are part of the acting company simply by the level of energy and focus that you are displaying. Actors will be expected to re‐ 16 channel the mindset of pretending that we all knew how to use when we were children. On some level you must believe that you are your character. Immerse yourself in pretending, and your patrons will believe your performance all the better. You will also have more fun when your thoughts become your character’s thoughts – and you, too, can escape the real world for a while.

V. Vendors

Booth/Tent Aesthetics All booth/tent owners are required to keep everything not period (i.e. lighting, fans, cars, electrical lines, cash registers, water hoses, etc.) out of sight of the faire‐goer. Booths must be constructed of period‐appropriate materials. Any modern materials such as concrete footings, galvanized steel, aluminum roofs, etc. must be hidden. You may not use any photographs in your signage or anywhere visible to patrons. All signs must be hand‐painted and constructed from period‐appropriate materials. Craft Demonstrations If you make your product, and are able to demonstrate it, please do so! You will be making the patrons’ experience more authentic and rewarding. You can be added to the Craft Demonstration schedule by contacting Zane Baker, our Entertainment Director, at [email protected] sometime in December. Fire Extinguishers Every booth and every living quarters will be required to have a 5 lb. charged fire extinguisher, out of sight but readily available. Management will conduct a booth inspection prior to the Faire opening and booths out of compliance with fire extinguisher requirements will not be allowed to open until found in compliance. Insurance All vendors are required to obtain and show proof of general liability insurance, listing Sherwood Forest Faire, LLC, as an “additional insured.” Our name must be shown on the certificate or it is not acceptable. The amount of general liability coverage must be at least $300,000. In the absence of acquiring one’s own general liability insurance, vendors may opt to have the Faire assign you to its own policy. We are able to offer this service to all vendors except weapons vendors, who must acquire their own insurance. Refer to the Fee Schedule for current insurance rates.

The deadline for submitting your insurance document is provided in the “Important Dates” section of the Appendix. If your documentation is not received by then, you will automatically be added to the Faire’s policy and charged the current rate. Load-In / Load-Out On Faire days the village gates will be locked at 9:00 a.m. and will not be reopened until security deems the last patrons have left. This is usually 30‐60 minutes after fireworks. Before daylight savings, expect the gates to open at 8:00 p.m. and after daylight savings, expect them to open after 9:00 p.m. Anyone parking in the inner circle (400‐series booths) or behind the 300‐series booths will find themselves locked in until the gates open. If you are concerned about this, we suggest parking in the Participant Campgrounds area.

Products All products sold by vendors must be representative of the medieval/renaissance era in both medium and subject matter (i.e. no plastics, no neon, no electricity, etc.). Preference will be given to handcrafteed products made by the Artisan herself/himself. We have in the past allowed imports on a very limited basis but are not keen on adding any more.

All products must be approved by the Faire; anyone selling unapproved products will be subject to a $100 fine per infraction. Texas Sales and Use Tax Permits The Sales Tax rate for our area is 6.75%. If you are required by the State of Texas to pay Sales Tax, you must have a copy of your Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit in your booth. If you do not have a Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit, you can acquire a number in about 5 minutes, free of charge, by using this URL: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxpermit/.

When you are done you will need to print, sign and fax or mail the form to the State Comptroller. (Please fax or mail Brian a copy as well).

Occupying a tent / temporary structure Tents must be period‐appropriate, constructed of canvas with wooden poles. No vinyl, plastic, or nylon will be allowed. Metal poles are permissible if they are completely concealed from the public eye either by building wooden frames for them or wrapping them in fabric. No EZ‐Ups will be allowed

Your tent’s location will depend on whether or not you need electricity and what our current strategy is for placement. Those spaces that the faire does deem appropriate for tents are first‐come first‐served, and can be marked starting at the December Gathering. Site should be marked with sturdy stakes and caution tape or ribbon of some sort, and also a sign with the booth’s name on it. Tents can actually be set up and filled with product beginning at Participant Move‐In Weekend. Refer to “IImportant Dates” in the Appendix to find where the above mentioned weekends fall.

The Faire has no tents for rent, but check the “Useful Contact Information”” section of the Appendix for possible contact info for some individuals able to supply tents.

Renting a Faire-owned booth Faire‐owned booths are typically 10’x15’ in size although some variation exists. They have one power outlet and fluorescent lighting mounted in the ceiling above a drop ceiling made of cloth. Only twelve (12) are available, and as most tenants are of the mind that they will stay in them a long time, a very limited supply exists for short‐term usage.

Vendors renting a faire‐owned booth are required to supply their own locks. Booths may be painted or otherwise redecorated at the vendor’s expense.

For a fee schedule please see “Sherwood Forest Fee Schedule” in the Appendix. Electricity is not included in the booth rental fee and is a required purchase if you wish to inhabit one.

Building a booth

Building Application Vendors who have participated in Sherwood Forest Faire for at least one season are eligible to build a booth. If you wish to build a booth, your building application and plans must be submitted to Brian and approved by the Construction Jury prior to commencement. All construction must be completed, and debris removed, by December 31st. A fine of $100 per week will be charged to anyone still building after this date, or anyone who has left construction materials lying around. The booth owner will be charged until the booth is finished and the area around is left tidy.

Visit http://sherwoodforestfaire.com/buildingapplication to download the building application, which includes our list of Approved Builders. Booth Builder You have 3 options for selecting a builder: 1. Use an Approved Builder, a list of which are supplied with the Building Application (see above) 2. Use your builder that can furnish us with the following documentation: - An insurance certificate proving at least $500,000 liability insurance coverage - A contractor’s license # (which must be currently in effect) - 3 references (renaissance faire booth owners preferred, but not required) 3. Use your builder under supervision of the Site Director and/or his team. The faire requires a fee, payable to Sherwood Forest Faire and submitted to the Craft Director or Site Director, for his time. Our staff will check in with you regularly to ensure your structure is built to code, is safe, is aesthetically appropriate, and is consistent with the plans you received approval on. Current fees are provided on the Fee Schedule in the Appendix.

Booth Number Permanent booths must have their booth number clearly visible from within the faire grounds and also on the rear of your booth for emergency purposes. Building Materials All exposed booth materials must be period in appearance. Visible roofs must be cedar shakes or otherwise made of wood, tile, or straw. Metal and asphalt are not allowed if they are visible from any angle. Galvanized steel hardware must be painted black to look like wrought iron. Electrical Wiring Electrical wiring of booths must be done by a professional electrician with proper state credentials. Fencing The fencing between booths must be 8’ tall, and is the shared responsibility of the adjacent booth owners. If you are building in a previously unoccupied location, you are responsible for building a fence halfway to your neighbor. Please keep your fence in good repair.

APPENDIX

2013-2014 Important Dates

2013 May 31 – Jun 2 May Gathering Jun 28‐30 June Gathering Month of July Site Closed for Sherwood Forest Summer Camp. No Access. Jul 31 Sherwood Celtic Music Festival New Vendor Application Deadline Aug 23‐25 August Gathering & CeltFest Job Fair Celt‐Fest Product Approval Request deadline Aug 31 Celt‐Fest insurance & participant pass forms due Sep 13‐15 September Gathering Sep 21‐22 3rd Annual Sherwood Celtic Music Festival Sep 30 Sherwood Forest Faire New Vendor Application Deadline Mid‐October Acting Company rehearsals begin Dec 6‐8 December Gathering & SWFF Job Fair Sun Dec 31 SWFF Product Approval Request deadline Dec 31‐Jan 1 New Year’s Eve Gathering Dec 31 SWFF Vendor Construction Deadline 2014 Acting Company mandatory rehearsals begin. Every Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am – 4 Jan 6:00pm. 15 Jan 11:59pm All SWFF Participants: ID Badge Requests due. Requests after this date cost $10. SWFF Vendors: Proof of Insurance coverage for 2013 season due from all Vendors. Any 15 Jan not providing a policy will be added to our insurance and charged accordingly. January Gathering Jan 17‐19 All SWFF Participants: Move In Weekend. SWFF Vendors: Outstanding balances must be settled by all Vendors. Unsettled Jan 31 accounts will result in a $50 fee. Feb 8 Sherwood Forest Faire ‐ Opening Day! Faire hours are 10am‐6:45pm. Mar 8 Vendor Meeting. Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Pub at 8pm. Mar 9 Daylight Savings. Faire is open one hour longer. Mar 14 Spring Break Friday (the one weekday during our 2013 season that we are open) RESCU Rally (tentative). Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem Pub at 9pm. Mar 30 Sherwood Forest Faire ‐ Closing Day All SWFF Participants: Move‐Out Deadline. All campsites must be cleaned and vacated, Apr 8 and all camping equipment, vehicles, and any type of debris must be removed . Rest of April Site Closed. No Access.

Key Vendors Entertainers All Participants Gatherings Site Closed

2013-2014 Fee Schedule

Fee Type CeltFest When Due 2013 Faire 2014 Application Fee With $25 Application Exhibitor Fee $150 $750 Handcrafts Per booth / cart / vardo, regardless of space used Faire Merchants $1125 Mixed $175 $1500 Resale Guest Merchants Faire Booth Rental $175 $650 Limited availability Electricity For Celt‐Fest or $25 $200 Limited availability. Faire: Water With Contract N/A $50 Applies to food booths only Property Taxes Charged per permanent structure left onsite throughout the year – e.g., booths, vardos, etc. N/A $.125 per sq ft Square footage includes all usable space (sales area, sleeping quarters, stockrooms, etc.) Insurance For Celt‐Fest: All booths must have insurance coverage. September 1st Weapons vendors must provide their own. $125 $250 For Faire: January 15th

Electricity (for RV Camping) Due when Celt‐Fest – normally some hookups available $25 $200 space is Faire – long waiting list confirmed Camping Deposit Refunded if your campsite is left clean; otherwise, N/A $50 Deposit paid to the person who cleaned up after you. Participation / Camping Fee Helps pay for services such as water usage, garbage and septic removal, County Sheriff $50 per participant Due when the N/A presence in the evening, etc. Some groups are (for the season) Participant exempt from this fee; see II. General receives their Policies/Camping for details. pass Pet Deposit Returned at end of season if pet and owner follow $25 N/A the Pet Policy. (no pets allowed) Pet Registration Fee $25

Local Resources

Coming Soon

Useful Contact Information

Name Area of Expertise Contact Details George Appling Marketing 832 875 4733 [email protected] Zane Baker Entertainment 512 731 2316 [email protected] Colette Castillo Beverages [email protected] Beata Gillis The Sherwood Crier 512 629 1843 [email protected] Bobby Hubley Finance [email protected] Shane Konakowitz Site 979 574 7090 – Day to day business 612 599 8494 – Off hours emergencies only [email protected] Lisa Levad Sherwood Forest 512 222 8570 Summer Camp [email protected] Brian O’Leary Crafts 832 875 5733 Website [email protected] Mike Pullen Campgrounds 832 567 7795 [email protected] Marijke Stevens Administrative 281 455 8215 (Tue – Thu, 11am‐4pm) [email protected] Eric Todd Other [email protected]

2013 Site Map

Medieval and Archaic Language

You can begin creating a voice that reminds patrons of the time and place of the faire by making a few simple word choices. We don’t expect anyone to use all of the examples. Find what works for your character, and expand upon it. And seek out more renaissance and medieval language, as this list only scratches the surface.

Grammar Do not use contractions. Can't, don't, shouldn't, couldn't, won't, etc. Make it cannot, do not, should not, etc. Two words are better than one. Add "right", "well", and "most" to your speech. o she doth wash right industrious. o thou art most beauteous fair. o i' faith thou dost sing most marvelous well. Add me after first‐person verbs (and before think). o Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed o And yet methinks I should drink me an ale. o I shall think me upon this matter. Likewise add thee/you after second‐person verbs o Now stand you on the top of happy hours! o Now cease thee from bawling and brawling in the lane Thee/thou/thy/thine: use it with your intimates  Thee is the object of a sentence. o Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?  Thou is the subject of a sentence. o Indeed, thou mayest compare me.  Thy/Thine is the possessive form (like a/an—use Thine if the next word begins with a vowel) o Thine eyes shine as the moon and thy cheeks the dawns flush. You/your is formal, use it with your betters o God keep you your Grace! o Good Gentles, I bid you anon. My/mine is used like thy/thine, use the latter before a vowel o Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain.

Useful Phrases General Greetings (Try to always address the person you are greeting by name, profession, or title— Your grace, My Lady, Lord Mayor, Good Peasant, Gentle Friar, Good Shopkeep, etc.) Good Morrow. Good Day, What Ho, Hail, Well met, Blessings upon Thee, Felicitations, Good E’en (evening), How Now, What Cheer, Greetings,

The words used to address someone are based on both social status and familiarity. For example, the Earl of Warwick could refer to the Earl of Pembroke as Pembroke, My Lord, cousin, Sir, etc. depending on the circumstance. Coming from a merchant or peasant, both would be addressed as my Lord, my Lord Earl, or similar.

Sir or Mistress is always a safe bet for someone who is not nobility but who is dressed well. An older man might be addressed as Father. Someone of your social standing or slightly above could be called Goodman, Goodwife or by their name or profession as Master Patrick or Master Brewer. A familiar tone may be taken by calling someone Cousin.

To children, my lad/lass, or good young sir is appropriate, perhaps erring on the side of safety with my young lord/lady.

To nobility, my Lord, or my Lady is safe if you don't know their exact name or title. The Queen is of course referred to as Your Highness or Your Grace . In the third person, the Queen can be called Her Majesty, but this is not appropriate for addressing the Queen directly. Dukes, Duchesses can be, likewise, addressed as Your Grace.

Officeholders, such as judges, constables, or bureaucrats, and knights, or esquires may be called Your Honour or Your Worship. In general, extra words such as Good may be thrown in to add further flattery and pomp to an address. Good my Honorable Lord Constable.

Wench refers to a serving woman and is a perfectly acceptable form of address when appropriate. Sirrah doesn't have the same modern‐day connotations as wench, but it should. It is a slightly demeaning way to address someone: such as a surly child, or in jest to a friend. Coming from a better, this address would sting a bit. My name is I am called…, My name be…, They do call me…, I am known as… What is happening here? How now, what have we here?

Goodbyes Fare Thee Well; Adieu; ‘Til we meet again; Farwell; Eat, Drink, and Be Merry; fare‐ thee‐well (goodbye) fare‐thee‐anon (until later) lord‐keep‐thee anon (until later), Godspeed, God ye good den, Travel safely Expletives ‘Zounds, By God’s Wounds, In Faith, Fie, God’s Teeth, In Sooth, In Truth, By my faith, ‘Ods Bodkins, For Pity’s Sake, By God, By the Devil, God’s Bones, By the Rood, Mercy on Me, Mercy on my Soul, Egad, By Gar, By Gum, By Jove, By the Mass, Gadzooks, By our Lady, Crapeth, By my troth

Cheers Huzzah, Opa, Bravo, Bravissimo, Fantastico, Here, here, Oye, Yo Yes or Okay Aye, Yea, Indeed, ‘Tis well, It be the truth, In sooth, so be it No Nay, nein, It be not so Request; ask Beseech Asked; Made requested Besought (past tense of beseech) Please Pray, Prithee, I pray you, If thou so pleaseth Thank You Thank thee, Grammercy, My pleasure Excuse Me By your leave, if thou wilt pardon me Never Ne’r Often Oft From now on Henceforth Why Wherefore Maybe Mayhap, perchance, belike Enough Enow Very or Truly Verily prithee, pray (please) Away Aroint Go Away Hie, thee, hence Yonder/Over There Yon, thither Here Hither From where whither Are Art Between Betwixt Can Canst Can I help you Might I be of service to thee Comes, coming Cometh Scarcity or scant supply Dearth Do, does Dost To drink belt, consume, down, imbibe, indulge, partake of, quaff, swig Drunk bashed, befuddled, crocked, flushed, muddled, in his cups To Marry To tie the knot, to plight thy troth, to wed, to espouse, to conjoin, to unite, to mate, to become one Wedding Conjugality, nuptials, matrimony, wedlock, connubiality, bridal ceremony, trothplight, marriage, union Rich, plentiful Fulsome Has Hath From now on Genceforth Lake, pool, expanse of Mere water None; absolutely nothing; Nary not even close to anything. 30

Nothing Naught (our modern word “not” is actually an abbreviated form of this Olde‐English word, which was itself a shortened form of “no whit” or “not a whit”) A lot, too many Overmany Will Shall or Shalt Linger, deliberate, wait, stay Tarry or pause Done, Made, Created Wrought

Special Thanks to Margaret Aoki for providing the linguistics section of this handbook.

Examples of Appropriate Attire

Beloow are some historical pictures from the late Middle Ages and very Early Renaissance, which is Sherwood’s time period. Costumes and other accessories, buildings, and products, should trend more toward this period than those of the High or Late Renaissance. Cast members and other performers will be particularly inspected for this look. Please take the time to discover more for yourself about how Sherwood’s time period differs from the rest of the renaissance, and let your presence at Sherwood reflect your research. Thanks for being a part of the Sherwood Community, and helping us to keep this project thriving as a high‐quality entertainment experience for YOUR patrons.