Welcome to Willingtown.
An enchanting Elizabethan village comes to life at Casa de Fruta
when the Northern California Renaissance Faire opens for a
six-weekend run this Saturday.
Welcome to Willingtown.
An enchanting Elizabethan village comes to life at Casa de Fruta when the Northern California Renaissance Faire opens for a six-weekend run this Saturday.
Modern “travelers” to Willingtown will be charmed by a host of historic figures from England’s Golden Age. They’ll test their wits against the silver tongue of an “upstart crowe” named William Shakespeare. They’ll down a pint of ale with a couple of his play-writing buddies – rough-cut Ben Johnson and somber Christopher Marlowe.
And they’ll find themselves mesmerized in an “audience” with her Royal Majesty, Queen Elizabeth I, whose name shall forever grace England’s most culturally fruitful period.
“Willingtown was named after the spirit and the will that brought this Faire together,” said Lady Penelope Rich (played by the fair’s entertainment co-director Deirdre Clyde). “We had a group of people with the will to create this town.”
That group of people got together to put on the fair after the original producers announced they would not continue to put it on because it had lost money.
Lady Rich encourages travelers who come to the village for the fair to interact with the assortment of actors who have worked hard to create the look and feel of an Elizabethan era community.
“It’s like a play that’s going on all around you,” Lady Rich said. “It’s really exciting with all the activities going on along the streets … We really want to bring the time alive.”
On Sept. 12, the Faire’s players went through a dress rehearsal. Whether of noble lineage or of the lower-class “mongers” stock, performers roamed Willingtown in costumes sewn as facsimiles down to the smallest period detail. During the rehearsal, various actors, keeping in character, conversed with a 21st century newspaper “chronicler” about life in Tudor England.
Sir Nicholas Blenkinsop (as portrayed by Don Blankenship of the San Joaquin Valley town of Delhi) discussed the behind-the-scenes political plots going on in the English court.
“Elizabeth’s entire reign was filled with intrigue,” he said. “England was broke and terribly weak when she came into power.”
A young woman of 25 when she took the throne, Elizabeth desperately had to take charge of a nation at war with itself. A religious conflict for power raged between Catholics and the Protestants recently inspired by Martin Luther’s Reformation.
Making matters worse, he said, Spanish King Phillip II sent an Armada of 130 ships to conquer the poorly armed island nation. England defeated the Spaniards in August 1588, inspiring boldness and daring in the English character for the next 300 years.
“Politically, Elizabeth had to show power,” Sir Blankenship said of his queen.
Sir Rafe Sadleir (played by software programmer Steve Hanlan of Los Angeles) demonstrated his skill with his “rapier,” a marvelously decorated dueling sword. A pewter cup hung from a utility belt around his waist.
“All our eating utensils, we must carry them ourselves,” he said. “Whether dining in a tavern or someone’s home, the custom is to bring your own knife and spoon for meals.”
As Sadleir discussed with the Chronicler the Elizabethan era’s obsession with codpieces (ornamental cloth phalluses), Blenkinsop pointed at a proud peacock of a man in black leather garments ambling into the glade. The fellow had a curving codpiece with a fake pearl at the end.
“Speak of the devil, and he shall come,” Blenkinsop roared. “There’s Master Shakespeare, himself.”
The Chronicler quickly stepped over to the Immortal Bard (played by David Carter of San Ramon) and asked for an autograph. He introduced himself as Shakespeare’s “biggest fan.”
The famous playwright took the chronicler’s Bic ballpoint pen and seemed in deep awe by it. He asked why “this most unusual writing implement does not have a goose quill.”
A discussion of college education soon arose. Shakespeare said he never attended a university himself, being only the son of a poor glove maker.
He mentioned one of his friends, a “scallywag” named Christopher Marlowe who had attended Oxford University and now competed with him for fame and fortune in London’s theater business.
“Know ye that it is the way of a good courtier to take in the wisdom of all subjects?” Shakespeare asked.
The Chronicler shrugged his shoulders, a bit overwhelmed by the poet’s ornamental style of speech.
The Renaissance gentlemen doffed their hats and bowed formally when court musician Mistress Elisabeth Good (played by Lisa Schultz of San Jose) strolled into the glade carrying her recorder (a period wind instrument). Shakespeare gleefully suggested a dance. Before the Chronicler knew what had happened, he found himself sidestepping to a simple peasant line dance with various members of the court while Mistress Goode played a dainty Elizabethan tune.
The dance over, the Chronicler chatted with Goode about the period’s music.
“There are two distinct styles, sir,” Goode said. “There is the style of the people – simple but very friendly. Then there is the court music, much more,” she paused reflectively, “much more somber … Elizabethans loved music, and everyone sang and played instruments.”
Strolling musicians will entertain 21st century travelers throughout Willingtown’s harvest fair, she said.
Shakespeare’s lovely wife Anne Hathaway (as played by Tara Pool of Escondido) ventured into the glade and was promptly introduced to the Chronicler. Hathaway proved to be the equal of her husband at turning a poetic verse. She read a lilting sonnet she wrote especially for this year’s Renaissance Fair. She also showed quick flair coming up with witty remarks to match her husband’s well-known way with words.
The topic of the Shakespeare family’s children came up. The couple have three youngsters, she said: Suzanne, age 5, and the twins Judith and Hamnet, age 2.
“Hamnet is the boy,” she said. “That is my husband’s pride and joy.”
“Didn’t Hamnet die at an early age?” the Chronicler asked, forgetting his manners for a moment.
A pained expression crossed Hathaway’s face. “My good sir, I assure you my son is still very much alive.”
A bit flustered, the Chronicler said, “I’m sorry, I’m thinking of a different Hamnet.”
Wandering about Willingtown, the Chronicler met more historic characters throughout the village. Wearing a scarlet red military attire, Sir John Elsworth (played by Gordon Bradley of Los Angeles) described how he served as the queen’s yeoman of the guard.
And how did he perceive Her Majesty whose royal life he and his fellow yeomen were sworn to protect?
“Her Majesty is new to the crown,” he said in a deep voice. “She’s young and has some very definite ideas on how to run the country. She definitely has a mind of her own and has no problem speaking it.”
Alongside a food stand set up to sell turkey legs and other period cuisine, the Chronicler met two members of the “Fools Guild,” Aryanna Addyngewood (played by Suzanne Gordon of San Jose) and Priscilla Strange (played by pre-school teacher Devon Slawson of Oakland). The two, dressed in outlandishly colorful garments (Mistress Strange had a cuckoo’s nest for a hat), were practicing silly antics to entertain the fair’s travelers.
“Essentially, we’re the ambassadors of insanity,” Aryanna said. “We want to draw people out of their shells and introduce them to this world.”
As the noon sun hung overhead, the Chronicler returned to the court glade in time for his “audience” with Queen Elizabeth. He waited a bit nervously with Shakespeare and Hathaway who hurriedly gave helpful hints on royal protocol.
The moment came. Accompanied by several ladies in waiting, Elizabeth (as played by Deirdre Sargent of Oakland) strolled regally down the path.
Her subjects bowed and hailed her glory. The Chronicler kissed her extended fingers lightly in greeting. Lady Rich set a purple pillow on a tree stump for the queen to sit upon and brought out a wine goblet filled with red herbal tea.
The Chronicler asked what brought Her Majesty to Willingtown. “We are upon ‘progress’ which we do every summer when the streets of London are hot and the plague does have outbreak,” the queen said with royal plural reference to herself. “We do so enjoy progress.”
“Progress” was the queen’s annual royal tour of her country, she explained.
The queen expressed her wish the Morris dances during the village’s harvest fair might bring “good blessings upon the land” and bountiful crops.
“For when your people starve, they do tend not to like you very much,” she said, and gave a gleeful laugh.
Queen Elizabeth said during the six weekends of the fair, she plans to have “nobles attend us in the glade” at 11:30am when she will knight children and provide them with certificates of their nobility.
After the audience with the Chronicler, the queen sat on a wooden throne brought in by a servant and her needs were attended to by courtiers. The Chronicler stood at a distance, watching the court scene and chatting one last time with Shakespeare.
He asked what Shakespeare might like to say to the people of the 21st century in regards to the Northern California Renaissance Faire.
The playwright expressed hope many of the South Valley’s residents will visit Willingtown for its annual harvest fair.
Shakespeare stroked his chin, thinking for a moment, then proclaimed: “We would invite all to come and share in the pageantry of the Renaissance, and partake of its joy and laughter and wit.”
What:
Northern California Renaissance Faire, an Elizabethan-style village where costumed actors interact with visitors, entertainment, games, food, merchandise.
When:
Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 18 to Oct. 24, 10am to 6pm
Where:
Casa de Fruta, Pacheco Pass (Highway 152 east).
Price:
Adults $20 at gate or $17.50 online
Children (ages 5-11) $10
Children under 5: free
Discounts for groups of 15 or more. “Fantasy Packages” available.
Fairever Pass (good for all 12 days): $90
Contact:
(408) 847-3247
Web site: www.norcalrenfaire.org
