Huzzah!
The 34th annual Medieval and Renaissance Faire will invade the South Oval Saturday.
Rain or shine, hundreds of reenactors will transform the area into Buck's Eye Hollow, a village straight out of 16th century England, complete with singing, dancing and - of course - plenty of warfare.
"Anything you want, we've got it," said sophomore Jennifer Torpie, guild master of the Ohio State Medieval and Renaissance Performer's Guild.
The event is a collaboration between the guild and students in the Council for the Medieval and Renaissance Faire, whose members have devoted the entire year to organizing the festivities.
"They do it all by themselves," said James Mulick, the guild's faculty advisor. "It baffles me how this goes on for three decades, combining all these amazing components, when students are coming and going every four years."
Like family heirlooms, various aspects of the event are handed down through the years from guild member to guild member. Older "guildies" help the new recruits choreograph fight scenes and create their costumes from scratch.
Other elements of the performances rely on independent research. For assistance with their accents, Torpie said the members turn to "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
"It's actually pretty accurate," Torpie said with a laugh.
The faire's theme, "The Road to Camelot," has the guild acting out the story of the transformation of a young servant boy (played by junior Steve Wohlwend) into the great King Arthur. When Merlin (junior Brittany Zweibel) comes to collect young Arthur, she meets opposition in the form of Lady Ester (alumna Reylissa Miranti).
The results are often adrenaline-pumping, as the scenes entertain audiences with realistically choreographed chaos.
At one point, a heated debate between Merlin and Lady Ester is settled with a human combat chessboard, where rooks, bishops and the lot are replaced with weapon-yielding village members who must duke it out to retain their positions on the board.
Later, an action-packed melee scene features more than a dozen guild members battling with swords and daggers, filling the air with the harsh clanking of metal on metal.
For every draw of the sword, there is also a giggle, with the guild frequently throwing improvisational comedy into their act.
Particularly funny moments happen whenever Torpie's character, town leper Jane Farmer, enters the scene. Forced to wear a belt equipped with a cowbell, Farmer's appearance spawns blood-curdling screams and sends town members running for the hills.
The passion the guild members have for this event is apparent to their audiences.
"These guys look like they've been having a lot of fun with this," said junior Sean Stevenson as he watched the 25 guild members rehearse on the South Oval. "I think it's pretty cool."
Professional performers will also be on display at the faire, including Shakespearean actors, magicians, acrobats and warfare demonstrators.
Students looking to get in on the action can participate in duels with foam swords called boffers.
Dozens of vendors will also be available, and will be selling period food, crafts and clothing.
Mulick said the faire will provide students with greater knowledge of history and cultural diversity.
"This is probably the best event on campus," Mulick said. "It's just wonderful."
The Medieval and Renaissance Faire takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday on the South Oval. Admission is free.
Kim Setliff can be reached at setliff.3@osu.edu.
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