Bristol Renaissance Faire offers medieval mayhem

Denise Giesen wasn't always thrilled about dressing up in medieval garb with her husband Larry Giesen to stroll the wooded dirt paths of the Bristol Renaissance Faire.

For 26 years, the faire, running through Sept. 2, has immersed visitors into a medieval fantasy world filled with fairies, animal-man hybrids, wenches and knights.

"I dragged her into it kicking and screaming, " Larry said of Denise's reluctance. "And then she discovered it combines her two favorite pastimes, dressing up and shopping."

Although their elaborate costumes as a lord and lady suggest otherwise, the Giesens of Milwaukee, Wis., aren't faire employees, but loyal fair-goers since 1994. The character Larry dressed as this year was the Earl of Bedford, a historical character from Queen Elizabeth's court.

"He was fairly influential," Larry said, admitting his costume was not necessarily historically accurate. "He was a puric and wouldn't have dressed the way I am."

A special touch to Larry and Denise's costumes are glass-blown artisan goblets that hang from leather strapped to their waists.

"Most of the court carry goblets," Denise said. "Having one lets people know you've been around a while." They got them from a shop that no longer appears at Bristol.

"When you go to other faires, people will know you're from Bristol if you have the goblet," Denise said.

Larry said he most enjoys "the friendships we've made, bringing a smile to someone's face, adding to someone else's experience and getting your picture taken all the time. It lets you be someone else for many hours." He said it often happens that someone will take his photo and ask him why he dresses up.

"I'll say, 'Well, you just took my photo, didn't you?'" he said.

Although July 28 was Renaissance Runway costume contest weekend at the faire – the faire has many themed weekends including steampunk and anime – the Giesens didn't plan on participating in the contest. "We don't need that kind of validation," Larry said. "We just enjoy dressing up."

In the spirit of the time portrayed, much of the entertainment at the faire relies on physical comedy and storytelling. On the path next to their stage, the long-haired fellows of the Tortuga Twins Comedy Show held signs pointing the way. The act includes juggling, whip stunts, sword fighting, mime, audience interactive theatre, fairy tale satire.

"Please, control your enthusiasm!" shouted one of the twins to the passing crowd, eliciting a few chuckles and gaining some audience members. For the last 24 years, The Tortuga Twins, which is actually three people, Ronn Bauman, Jef Hall, and Riki Robinson, have been a national act touring festivals. They got their start at the Bristol Renaissance Faire.

At the start of the PG-13 rated show, a tongue-in-cheek rendition of Little Red Riding Hood, the twins yelled, "Are you guys ready to party?" "Yeah!" the crowd replied. "Get naked?" No, said the silence. The twins pulled from the crowd a white-haired woman to play Red Riding Hood, large bearded man for the wolf and a young lady to play the part of Red's grandmother.

The last Tortuga Twins performance was Aug. 11, but a similarly funny act, Sturdy Beggars Mud Show's

The Mud Pit, which includes muddy mayhem, runs all season through Sept. 2.

For adults, a bawdy Rated R bar show, Iris and Rose: Wild and Thorny, is essentially a rap battle of the renaissance, with the saucy duo flinging medieval 'yo mama' jokes at each other.

"A rich girl wears a ring of gold, a poor girl a ring of brass, but the only ring that Rosie wears is the one around her..." Iris sang, to the cheers of the beer drinking crowd.

Rose and Iris, played by Roxanna and Damaris Wilcox, of Colorado Springs, Col. said they travel the country singing their bawdy ballads. Because the show is "great for grown-ups, not for kiddies," they loudly shun anyone who approaches the bar area with a child. The Iris and Rose show runs through Sept. 2.

Faire maiden Kacie Lomas, 24, has worked at Ophelia's clothing shop for the last five years, and eight years at the faire. "The thing I enjoy the most is interacting with people from all walks of life," Lomas said. At the shop, Lomas dresses shoppers in layers of medieval garments.

Lomas said she has to follow certain rules while working the faire, like not wearing too much purple because it's the queen's color, wearing long sleeves unless it's unbearably hot, and wearing different skirts. "Vendors enforce different rules on if you have to speak in a medieval way," she said. She chooses to speak in the modern tongue.

The strangest things she's seen at the faire include human-wolf hybrids and a living tree, Lomas said.

Other faire employees are more dedicated to portraying medieval life. Vashta Nerada, from Bristol, Wis. stood in a camp laying out leaves on a table. "I'm drying leaves for herbal remedies to get us through the winter," she said.

Christine Welman, artist from Waukesha, Wis. sat in a grove with ribbons hanging from lines all around her, painting the Lady Ettie's colorful mad tea party. "I grew up coming here and always wanted to paint at the faire," she said.

"Oh, I hope you're married, holding hands that close in public," said a lady in a grand velvet dress as she swept by modern-dressed faire-goers.

Bristol Renaissance Faire runs weekends through Sept. 2. For more information, visit renfair.com.