The Last Apple: In Memory of Gaffer Applewright

When I first started faire, the first thing I read wasn't a history or costuming book. It was a 'Meet & Greet' primer written by someone who called himself Gaffer Applewright.

He had six basic premises that have been my guiding light in the years since:

1. Notice the Patrons.

2. Be Helpful.

3. Be Friendly.

4. Be Your Character.

5. Speak the Speech.

6. The attitude sells it.

It would be six years before I had a chance to meet the man and let him know how much he'd helped me without ever meeting me. He was kind and humble, and told me that if I had found something in his words, then it was in me to begin with.

A more generous actor I cannot imagine working with.

Roger Russell, known far and wide as Gaffer Applewright, died this weekend.  I only knew him through the faire. His trademark 'apple trick' (a story he tells as he cuts an apple in a way that makes it come apart like a puzzle) was the perfect, irresistible bit to break down the barrier between the actor and the patron. Like many others, I have long sought to emulate the effortless way that he interacted, the completeness of his characterization.

He was everything I expected from reading his meet & greet paper, a fascinating man with a wise and gimlet eye, a quick wit and a penetrating mind. So it was that I felt greatly honored and somewhat taken aback when one of my companions pointed to him the day I met him and said "that's going to be you in thirty-odd years!"

I can only hope so.

After his speech we had some time to discuss the politics and oddities of renaissance culture, from the search for a cure for scurvy to the nuance of Elizabeth's reign. It was the pinnacle of my time at faire that year and one of the great highlights of my years of doing this thing we call ren faire.

Rest in peace, Gaffer. You will be missed.

The Lord Mayor photoshoot

The faire has been asking me for photos of my Lord Mayor, and I finally have enough of the costume done to take some character photos.  Today, we took advantage of the nice weather to do a proper photoshoot with props and all.

"Our Lord Mayor, the Right Honorable, Sir James Winterbottom likes to style himself as the consummate Elizabethan gentleman adventurer. Never mind that the Elizabethan adventurer is generally brave, stalwart, and daring, whilst Sir James is generally agreed to be devious, scheming, and greedy. Being an educated man, Sir James knows that being rich allows him to pay people to say he's those other things rather than go to the bother of being any of them. The passage of Her Majesty's court through his town is the perfect opportunity for Sir James to advance his fortunes and possibly buy his way into a proper title.

Do you solemnly swear you are up to no good? The Lord Mayor is always looking for minions! Visit him and as long as they promise to say nice things about him to the queen, he will induct thy children as members of the city watch, instructing them in the ancient arts of villainy and mischief."

Looking slightly perturbed at being interrupted as he counts his money...

A little too friendly for such a scoundrel...

More scoundrel!

MMmmmmmmm... pointy!

Just enough scoundrel! This is the one that will appear on the faire's website.

So you would like a loan, would you?

Reasonable interest rates!

I loved this one, but again, it's a bit too friendly.

The photographer said "Look more diabolical! Twirl your mustache or something!"