Tennessee Renaissance Festival Auditions

As many artist do, I have my various outlets of creativity (because let’s face it, despite the fact that I get to do something I love, production art is still work!). Costuming and modeling are my primary avenues, with the Tennessee Renaissance Festival being the greatest release of all. Every year, Tennessee holds its own Elizabethan faire full of stage acts,  jousting tournaments, live music, human chess, and character performers. Every year I can, I audition for cast. I did it once before in 2007, landing the role of a peasant pickpocket. Last year I moved up the chain a wee bit to a french countess, sister to the Prince of France.

One of the great things about our faire is the immense creativity that goes on behind the scenes; from character development to costume building. All of our costumes are hand-built and custom designed.  This is undoubtedly my favourite part of the year. It gets all my creative juices going (though I have to be careful not to let it spill over other work)! I get to spend months planning, preparing, and designing. It’s heaven for a preproduction gal like me.

Alas, my original design (which was basically a Renaissance version of Belle's green gown from Beauty and the Beast) did not get approved as another lady in cast had a similar colour scheme (and whose garments were already made). So I yielded to the costume director whose daughter, in turn, let me rent her costume (it helps having a body twin around!). At first I wasn’t sure about the gown I was  given as the colours of baby blue and light gold. They were certainly not colours I would’ve chosen for myself. But after seeing the final result I realised I have a thing or two to learn about colour…So although I did not design this costume, I did design/pick out the accessories, hair, and makeup. Here is the final result of me in 2011 as Countess Elaine de Francias, half-sister to the Duke of Anjou (one of Queen Elizabeth I’s favoured suitors):

© Angela C- Zonis

© Pablo Scruggs

© David Merritt

© Daniel Meigs © Derek Deweese © Scott Craig
© Chris Jarvis 

Well, it's getting near time for the audition, so I'm going to pop off here. Mom made a wonderfully hearty, yet utterly delicious bread for our family that I absolutely must have for breakfast this mornin!. It's chock full of all sorts of fruit (cranberries, banana, pineapple) and made with spelt flour and baking soda (no yeast).