LUMBERYARD LOGS: All’s fair in this Faire

A pair of haughty — dare I say “mad”?— queens and four jousting jacks, i.e., knights, added up to a “full house” of fun Monday during the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Renaissance Faire and Hometown BBQ. (OK, I know four-of-a-kind beats a full house, but don’t let that stand in the way of a great concept.)

The costume-optional — but not clothing-optional — event drew an enthusiastic crowd of revelers to a vacant lot transformed for the occasion into a 16th-century Shakespearean hamlet, with groaning boards for dining, bales of hay for sitting, and milling townsfolk in capes, caps, gowns and bodices.

Chamber members were celebrating the Pageant of the Masters’ 75th anniversary with their own pageantry, and for the occasion presented a commemorative plaque embedded in a full-sized suit of armor that stood on stage throughout the event. (Although some of us were expecting the suit of armor to turn out to be a living statue, alas, that was not the case.) The plaque was transported across the road to the Pageant of the Masters grounds by the throng heading to a performance of same.

The theme of the Faire was “All the World’s a Stage,” which is this year’s Pageant theme, and that proved true as Lagunans showed up to prove that, as Shakespeare said, we are all players.

Children dressed up in period frocks, with hair braided in ribbons. Men strolled about gnawing on huge turkey legs a la Henry VIII. Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters board member John Hoover was resplendent in a bright red cape and hat as he chomped delightedly on a large bone he simply refused to put down.

JJ and the Habibis gave a magnificent belly-dancing performance that transported everyone to yet another time and place while Kevin the Bard, dressed in a sumptuous Italian Renaissance doublet, played his lute with delicate flair.

At the height of the evening, a troupe of professional “jousters” battled royally for the favor of Ivory and Ebony queens, who themselves were in high umbrage most of the time. Kay Kearney of Doctors Ambulance regally portrayed the Virgin Queen, and Michelle Clark of Waste Management went all out as the Moorish Queen. (I do hope they kissed and made up later!)

The jousters, egged on by their master of ceremonies and aided by young squires, wielded swords, battle-axes and other heavy metal weapons against each other until one was finally named the victor. Apparently they also fight on horseback, but thankfully not that night.

Courtliness was the order of the day, or “morrow,” for the begowned and bejeweled assemblage, who had been instructed beforehand in proper speech and etiquette.

Even ragtag journalists such as myself were inspired to dress in period outfits, and I donned something called a “muffin” hat and a capacious blouse (which may have been for a man, but seemed to work with my gypsy skirt), in an attempt to look Renaissance. My costumer, Ren Faire expert Candice Baker, thought I looked like an artist of the time, dubbing me “Leonora Da Vinci” for the evening. I was quite pleased with that role.

For her part, Candice fit in beautifully in her bodice, cap and flowing skirt and, having spent summers working at Ren Faires, was one of the more accomplished period performers, even taking a turn as a magician’s assistant, to the delight of the crowd.

A Renaissance Faire fits in so well with Laguna’s Pageant of the Masters, art festivals and general love of play-acting that you have to wonder why it wasn’t thought of before.

Chamber executive director Rose Hancock pulled off quite a coup with this memorable event, which could be repeated in the future, as the Chamber is planning to theme its annual Hometown BBQ in keeping with the Pageant of the Masters every year from now on.

Bravo, and well done!

CINDY FRAZIER is city editor of the Coastline Pilot. She can be contacted at (949) 494-2087 or [email protected].