This year marks the 10th anniversary of the University of Notre Dame‘s Medieval Institute‘s Medieval Studies Research Blog—a benchmark and milestone—which warrants both celebration and reflection on the evolution of the project, especially certain important actors and pivotal moments that have shaped the academic blog into an accessible resource for so many scholars and medievalist as well as general and public audiences.
The project was conceived by Dr. Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, now an Professor Emerita of English and Medieval Studies at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in the study of Middle English manuscript studies. Kerby-Fulton intuited that an academic blog could become an asset to the medieval institute, and so she brought together a team of graduate students to whom she pitched her academic blog project. Kerby-Fulton, in her wisdom and generosity, leaned on the next generation of scholars to get her project off the ground. Although she was the founder, the project, then called the Chequered Board, has always endeavored to support and lift up students and junior scholars. She envisioned the academic blog as both a forum for public medievalism, a space for academics engaging directly with general readers and a public audience, but also as a serious online, open-access resource for specialists in the field.
Dr. Kathryn Kerby-Fulton, Emerita Professor of Middle English and Manuscript Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Photo by Matt Cashore (2006).
Many of the earliest blogs in fact, came from assignments in her graduate classes, asking students to reflect and analyze aspects of Middle English manuscripts and their intricacies and peculiarities. Dr. Kerby-Fulton had long recognized certain parallels between modern websites and medieval manuscripts, characteristics that print culture often passed by, including marginalia and visual formatting, as well as their respective function as multimedia objects, especially the interplay between aesthetic (whether illustrations or illuminations) and textual elements in both websites and manuscripts. Just as websites frequently feature a combination of texts, images and paratexts, so too do medieval manuscripts, and this affinity is at the heart of Kerby-Fulton’s vision for the project.
Indeed, my first-ever blog “Bobbing for Answer” discusses the Bob and Wheel in the manuscript containing Gawain and the Green Knight, and builds on Kerby-Fulton’s own work in her foundational text, Opening Up Medieval Manuscripts. My blog explores possible ways in which this poetic feature could offer semantic options and performative opportunities for readers of the poem in its manuscript context. These graduate student blogs, however, were just the beginning of the project.
Images of Arthur, Guinevere, Gawain & the decapitated Green Knight in British Library, Cotton Nero MS a.x f.94v.
Dr. Kerby-Fulton then organized a team of medievalist graduate students to conceive of possible directions and special series, as well as to help her run the blog project (then known as the Chequered Board). From project’s inception, she encouraged students take the reins and shape what would become the University of Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute’s Medieval Studies Research Blog into the active resource that it is today, open to academics of all levels from graduate students to senior scholars.
In order for the project to run efficiently, a blog manager was selected from the team, Dr. Nicole Eddy, who had previously worked for the British Library and had headed up their medieval manuscript blog, so she was familiar with the online genre and brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the project. After her foundational role in establishing the blog and getting the project off the ground, blog management passed to Dr. Andrew Klein who continued the work. Once Dr. Klein left for his current position, the role of blog manager was handed off to Dr. Karrie Fuller. It was around this time that the project shifted from Dr. Kerby-Fulton’s personal research initiative to a project funded and overseen by the University of Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute, which came with rebranding and the new name for the project, the Medieval Studies Research Blog, which remains its title today.
Dr. Nicole Eddy (left) and Dr. Andrew Klein (right). Dr. Eddy is currently Managing Editor at Dumbarton Oakes (image from Facebook post) and Klein is currently Associate Professor at St. Thomas University (image from faculty page).
All projects need funding and institutional support to survive, and without the steadfast championing of the Medieval Studies Research Blog by Dr. Kerby-Fulton and both the Medieval Institute Director, Dr. Thomas Burman, and the Associate Director of the Medieval Institute (and fellow contributor), Dr. Megan Hall, our beloved Medieval Studies Research Blog may not have endured. Instead, it thrived and continued evolving into the valuable open access online academic resource it is today.
Dr. Megan Hall (left) and Dr. Thomas Burman, Associate Director and Director of the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame. Images taken from faculty page.
After a few years of managing the blog, Dr. Fuller passed the role to me, and it was at long last my turn to take the helm of the project Although I had been a contributor and partner throughout the entirety of the project, I have served as blog manager has for the past five years, in which we’ve seen the project continue to expand and transform to meet the diverse and ever-changing needs of the field.
Dr. Karrie Fuller, currently Blog Manager at AptAmigo (image from LinkedIn) and Dr. Richard Fahey, currently Blog Manager at the Medieval Studies Research Blog, in addition to other academic and editorial positions (image from faculty page).
At the Medieval Studies Research Blog, we are blessed to have our regular contributors (currently including Dr. Linnet Mahan, Dr. Nick Kamas, and Dr. Charles Yost, all graduates of the Medieval Institute) in addition to guest and alumni contributors. The work of many junior scholars affiliated with the Medieval Institute at the University of Notre Dame has fostered the growth of our project, which has since received attention from departments of education, scholars, enthusiasts, fellow bloggers and even the occasional author of fiction.
I would like also to cast a spotlight on some of the projects and special series, which in addition to the many excellent blog posts featured on the Medieval Studies Research Blog, have helped shape the project. Some of these projects include: The Medieval Poetry Project and A Scientific Analysis of the Pearl-Gawain Manuscript. New projects are rolling out in force this year, such as the Medieval Homily Project and Medieval Fable Project, while older special series, such as Working in the Archives, continue to prove a resource for young scholars in the field. And now, the MSRB now also features transcripts and reflections on its sister-project, the Meeting in the Middle Ages podcast spearheaded by William Beattie and Ben Pykare. Having a somewhat unique perspective—a kind of bird’s eye view—serving in various roles at the Medieval Studies Research Blog, I’ve had the privilege of advancing the project and watching as it has continued to gain traction and momentum in the field, and I am so excited to see where the next ten years take us, and what is in store for the MSRB.
Most of all, on this 10th anniversary of the Medieval Studies Research Blog, we at Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute want to thank you—our readers—for being so interested and invested in this public medievalism project, and for helping us sustain our viewership. Here’s to another successful year and continued growth and expansion of the Medieval Studies Research Blog.
Stay tuned for a forthcoming Meeting in the Middle Ages podcast interviewing the four blog managers of the Medieval Studies Research Blog, coming this spring!
Richard Fahey, Ph.D. Medieval Institute University of Notre Dame
In my recent blog discussing a new form of theatrical medievalism in which I have become immersed—allowing me both a creative and intellectual outlet—I centered my discussion on my creative direction and process and how my studies in medieval literature informed my directive style at two local Renaissance Faires in North Central Massachusetts which I was involved with managing, organizing and directing, Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire at the Community Park in Winchendon, MA and Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire at Red Apple Farm in Phillipston, MA. Wyndonshire, the first of these faires, will be the center of my discussion today as I explore the way this project engaged local performers, vendors and community members who came together to cocreate an event that revitalized the town and region. It was also a lot of fun, especially when it all came together on the final weekend in April last year.
Crimson Countess (Dawn Higgins), Wizard of Wyndonshire (Richard Fahey), and Sir Joan (Kellie Carter); Image by Richard Carter (April 28, 2024).
Wyndonshire began with an idea proposed by Parks and Recreation Member Dawn Higgins, who championed the initiative and served as RenFaire Coordinator this past year, helping coordinate costume clinics for character actors with Costume Coordinator, Ashley Rust, and vendors with then Park and Recreation Coordinator, Tiffany Newton. My wife, Rajuli Fahey, and I joined on as community members and part of the Planning Group for Winchendon’s RenFaire initiative, but came to wear many hats and serve in numerous roles, including as Creative, Theatrical and Entertainment Directors. Well before directing and academic consulting, I began with world-building a fantasy kingdom, drawing inspiration from town history, and applying my knowledge of medieval culture and lore to imbue the scripts I created as Wyndonshire Playwright. I drew also from my studies and love of medievalism in considering the audience and to both appeal to and surprise patrons. And, as mentioned in my previous blog, I modeled my approach in part on the aesthetic of wonder operative in many of my favorite works of medieval literature.
Green Queen of Wyndonshire (Tammy Dykstra); Image by Kit Catlett (April 27, 2024).
Creating the characters was a blast. I conceived of three main houses, and three primary nobles vying for power: the Blue King (James Higgins), the Green Queen (Tammy Dykstra), and the Red Baron (Dave Fournier). Rajuli created the graphic art for Wyndonshire, and she suggested noble family’s crest included a local animal as a sigil, so we chose the stag for the king, the otter for the queen and the fox for the baron. I also created a host of characters to populate the kingdom: townsfolk, rogues, pirates, vikings, knights, ministers, and additional nobility. There are also wondrous creatures from literature, myth and legend: fairies, merfolk, witches and sirens. Of course, this conglomerate of fictitious characters borrows from medieval and modern traditions, and reaches into the realm of the imaginary. Wyndonshire can only be described as a historical and literary anachronism and amalgamation. In this way, this faire is full fantasy, designed to appeal broadly to audiences interested in premodern and early modern times or their perception of those earlier historical periods. In other words, designed to meet the expectations of those who would typically attend a modern Renaissance Faire.
Wyndonshire cast: Pirate Queen (Katharine Taylor), Robber Baroness (Micayla Sullivan), Blue King (James Higgins), Crimson Countess (Dawn Higgins), Masked Bandit (Mitch Lang), Hooded Rogue (Mandalina Blake), Captain of the Kingsguard (Richard Carter), Fay Rogue (Noodle Doodle), Pirate Quartermaster (Jarod Tavares), Blue Champion (David Geary), Blue Duke (Bill Evans), Blue Duchess (Lori Evans), Kingsguard (Kellie Carter), Herald (Alex Deschenes), Red Champion (Cameron Hardy), Wizard (Richard Fahey), Enchantress (Rajuli Fahey), Sheriff of Shirewood (Jennifer MacLean), Queensguard (Nikolaus Brauer-Chagnon), Jester (Chelsey Patriss), Kingsguard (Ayden Mel), Blue Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony), Baronsguard (Dan Towle), Baron’s Hand (Devon Barker), Fairy Prince (Sasha Khetarpal-Vasser), Red Baron (Dave Fournier), Red Duke (Michael Bearce), Siren (Jessa Funa); Image by Keith Fisher (April 28, 2024).
It was at this point that magic truly began happening, and it came from the local community. At our auditions, the synergy was palpable—dozens of folks came out to try and embody one of my characters or contribute their creative touch to this growing community project. There were people from different backgrounds coming together to cocreate immersive theater—some folks were part of community theater productions, others were veteran “Rennies” and even Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying groups got involved. Everyone rose up and became a creative team. One example of many was the work of Tammy Dykstra, who was cast as the Green Queen, and later stepped into the role of Music Director, taking on a group of singers, with a spectrum of training and experience. Assisted by Planning Group member, Jacque Ellis, Tammy and the Wyndonshire Singers produced a masterful “pub sing” that was engaging for both spectators and participants, and provided some ribaldry, entertainment and comic relief against a plot that was otherwise often grim and tragic.
Wyndonshire Pub Sing: Pirate Boatswain (Merill Blake), Fairy (Jodi Schoolcraft), Weird Sister (Siobhan Doherty), Pirate Quartermaster (Jarod Tavares), Green Duchess (Jen Knight), Baron’s Hand (Devon Barker), Herald (Alex Deschenes), Jester (Chelsey Patriss), Enchantress (Rajuli Fahey), Town Crier (Leanne Blake) & Shieldmaiden (Sylvia Sandridge); Image by Richard Carter (April 28, 2024).
Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire also featured a Belly Dance showcase that paid homage to the evolution of American Belly Dance and American Renaissance Faires, organized through partnership between Rajuli, Rachel Moirae of Our Dance Space, and Cheryl Kalilia of PsyBEL. The showcase featured regional dancers with a variety of styles—some improvisational, some choreographed—all performing to music with live percussion accompaniment added by spectating dancers, performers and patrons, which highlighted the collaborative and community spirit of the faire. From there, Wyndonshire spiraled outward, as performers and vendors were reaching out looking to get involved in the expanding project.
Rajuli Fahey and Nagashri Dancers (including: Lauren Conrad, Kerri Plouffe, Destiny Young, Leah Cameron, and Erin Berndt), performing at Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire; Image by Chris Young (April 27, 2024).
Signage was of course an essential element of the faire as well, both because signs add to the atmosphere and create the physical space, and because they helpfully direct patrons where to go. Another community member, Micayla Sullivan, who also played the Robber Baroness, took the lead on this and other crucial aspect of stagecraft as our “Sign Smith” along with a handful of other character actors. All the raw wood for the signs was donated from a local lumber company, Killay Timber Company in Royalston, MA, which made the production of Wyndonshire signage possible even without a budget. Similarly, local company, French Family Foundation in Winchendon, MA, donated lumber from local hardware store, Belletetes, to create the Wyndonshire gate, which James Higgins (who played the Blue King) and Dawn Higgins constructed for the event. Furthermore, local recording studio Blu3Kat Records volunteered to support the event’s sound management, and members from the local artist collective, Eldwood Council (especially Jacob Bohlen and Tom Fahey), partnered with FaeGuild Wonders, in order to create and build second main stage, the Mirage Stage, at Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire.
Wyndonshire Gate, sign by Micayla Sullivan; Image by Richard Fahey (April 28, 2024).
As performers and vendors were signing up to be part of the Wyndonshire, characters deepened and developed alongside and in tandem with my scripting. The first act of this faire, which will run one more year (June 21-22, 2025), involves conflict between the Blue King and the Green Queen for sway over the realm of Wyndonshire, with the Red Baron biding his time and waiting for any opportunity to climb into greater power. To avoid open war, in an attempt at “peace-weaving” if you will, the Blue King offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to the Green Queen’s son, thereby uniting the realm and settling the question of authority. Of course, each noble is still plotting their opponent’s’ demise, as the game of thrones continues subversively, and breaks out at the wedding feast, resulting in usurpation and regicide.
Knight of Lord Talbot: Blue Champion (David Geary), Green Champion (Frank Walker), Master of Arms (Kieth Fisher) & Red Champion (Cameron Hardy); Image by Richard Fahey (April 28, 2024).
In order to achieve the action scene in a manner that was safe and professional, we called upon the expertise of Frank Walker (Green Champion) who embraced the role of Combat Coordinator and worked out the staged combat with his historical reenactment group, The Knights of Lord Talbot, and in particular David Geary (Blue Champion) and Cameron Hardy (Red Champion), who were also performing combat demonstrations and facilitating a tournament of champions with historical weaponry and armor earlier in the day. Needless to say, this dramatically enhanced the plot and overall theatrical delivery of the climactic scene, and highlights how it was not just the cast of character actors but also performing groups who were collaborating to produce the drama of the Wyndonshire Wedding.
Phoenix Swords perform their fire show at Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire; Image by Phoenix Swords, (April 27, 2024).
Some performing groups contained some scripted character actors that were part of the core cast. For example, the Mt. Wichusetts Witches came to Wyndonshire and set the stage for the carnage, and instrumental in twisting fate and turning the wheel of fortune. They contributed to the physical space by creating the Witches’ Den on the borders of the Faywood, where desperate Wyndonshire nobility come to make illicit pacts in service of their respective aims. The Mt. Wichusetts Witches, especially Wyndonshire’s Weird Sisters (Kate Saab, Chrissy Brady and Siobhan Doherty), who engaged in multiple immersive skits where they made magical bargains with representatives of the noble houses, culminating in a flash mob spell at the royal wedding that allowed the Green Prince (Drew Dias) to escape with the Fairy Prince (Sasha Khetarpal-Vasser) and the Blue Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony) with the Siren (Jessa Funa), before smoke clears and the subsequent chaos erupts.
Weird Sisters of Wyndonshire: Trimmer (Kate Saab), Weaver (Chrissy Brady) & Spinner (Siobhan Doherty); Image by Richard Fahey (April 28, 2024).
But the regicide was not the end of the action. After the Green Queen seems to have consolidated power and claims unilateral victory, there is another surprise in store: a peasants revolt instigated by a rogue rebellion, overlooked by the Sheriff of Shirewood (Jennifer MacLean) and led by the Robber Baroness (Micayla Sullivan) with the Hooded Rogue (Mitch Lang), Masked Bandit (Mandaline Blake), the Pirate Queen (Katharine Taylor) with her Pirate Quartermaster [Jarod Tavares] and the Green Sash, led by Viking Jarl (Jason Sumrall) with his Berserker (Andrew Hamel), Shieldmaidens (Sylvia Sandridge, Sara Hulseberg, Ashley Sumrall & Gabrielle Emond) and Thanes (Gary Joiner, Daniel Berry, Jeffery Allen Evans, Matthew LeBlanc, Henry Peihong Tsai, Gavin Leo, Richard Sprusanky, Joshua Coffin, et al.).
Wizard of Wyndonshire (Richard Fahey) leads a Viking Raid on Wyndonshire Town: Shieldmaiden (Sylvia Sandridge), Green Sash Thanes (Henry Peihong Tsai, Gary Joiner & Richard Sprusanky followed by others); Image by Adam Blake (April 27, 2024).
Indeed, The Green Sash, a “live history” and historical reenactment group (organized by Jason Sumrall) built and became our Viking settlement at the RenFaire. This group not only helped build the world of Wyndonshire, but like The Knights of Lord Talbot and Mt. Wichusetts Witches, The Green Sash became an integral part of the plot and interwoven into the story, contributing numerous immersive theatrical skits throughout the event, including singing and raiding Wyndonshire Town with the Wizard, conspiring with rogues and pirates to overthrow the nobility, and ultimately aiding the people’s revolution at the conclusion of the faire.
Wyndonshire Peasant Revolt overthrowing the Green Queen (Tammy Dykstra); Image by Richard Fahey (April 27, 2024).
Another interwoven subplot at Wyndonshire involved the misadventures of the Fairy Court in the Faywood, which was primarily organized by Amy Boscho in partnership with Emilie Davis and many others. Amy is a local business owner and community member who was also part of the Planning Group for the faire, and she both directed the immersive theatrics surrounding the Fairy Court and coordinated the vendors at the Fay Marketplace in the Fairy Grove near Wyndonshire Gate. Moreover, to further develop the mythic elements near Faywood, professional mermaids, led by Tolkien scholar, Shae Rossi, adorned the shore of the nearby pond at the Winchendon Community Park.
Fairy Court in the Faywood of Wyndonshire: Amy Boscho, Jessica Mcmenamin, Sarai Sylvestri, Summer Skye, Emilie Davis, et al.; Image by Adam Blake (April 27, 2024).
By the end of the process, almost every character was cocreating at some level with the actor playing them, and in one case, one of the character actors, Jessa Funa, (who played the Siren character) even collaborated with me on an immersive subplot centered on fairy romance between herself and the Blue Princess. The sheer extent of community contributions to this event was truly incredible and has inspired me to interlace the storyline of Wyndonshire with its sister faire, so the two plots will interact and events at Wyndonshire will ultimately affect the fate of Enchanted Orchard. A project of this scope and magnitude takes a team—a village—and I am honored to be part of such a collaborative community, now FaeGuild Wonders, which was inspired to participate in a this exciting form of public medievalism.
Blue Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony) & The Siren (Jessa); Image by Mitch Grosky (April 27, 2024).
Additionally, Park and Recreation Chair, Deb Bradley stepped up when the faire needed a liaison, and served as a stage manager during the event, a second representative from the Winchendon Park and Recreation Commission who played a critical role in the planning and operations of the faire. And, Red Apple Farm partnered in advertising the event and as one of the major food vendor, providing standard RenFaire snacks and specialty cider imported from the neighboring agrarian realm of Enchanted Orchard.
Unfortunately, the Park & Recreation Coordinator and the Town of Winchendon, despite all the volunteer and community effort, decided to offer the event to the lowest bidder, and ended up selecting a new director, which means next year Winchendon’s Renaissance Faire will be entirely different than the first year under my creative direction (as described in this blog), without any of my intellectual property, the cast, crew, and performers. As a result, FaeGuild Wonders is locating a new venue where this storyline can continue.
Wyndonshire Crest depicting the sigils and colors of the three high nobles; Graphic Art by Rajuli Fahey (2024).
Richard Fahey Ph.D. in English Medieval Institute University of Notre Dame
Creative, Entertainment & Theatrical Director Playwright & Academic Consultant Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire (2024)
I am always looking for my next adventure, and so this past year I took a risk and wandered into new territory. Through creative partnership with my wife, Rajuli Fahey, and the many folks involved in what became FaeGuild Wonders, we together built not one but two inaugural Renaissances Faires in Massachusetts. Rajuli served as Art & Entertainment Director, and Stage Manager (and one of the Vending Coordinators at the latter faire), I served as Creative & Theatrical Director, Playwright and Academic Consultant for both Wyndonshire Renaissance Faire at the Community Park in our resident town of Winchendon, MA and Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire at Red Apple Farm just down the road in nearby Phillipston, MA.
Witnessing the Maypole Dance at Enchanted Orchard: Orchard Wizard (Creative & Theatrical Director, Richard Fahey), Orchard Steward (Red Apple Farm Owner, Al Rose), Orchard Stewardess (Red Apple Farm Owner, Nancy Rose); Image by Richard Carter (May 4th, 2025).
Public medievalism has long been a professional interest and personal passion of mine, and although I enjoy scholarship and traditional ways of academically engaging with medieval history, literature and culture, I am also drawn to the fantastic and wondrous, to the creative and adaptive, and it has long been a personal dream to produce full-scale Renaissance Faire that takes medieval literature and the aesthetic of wonder as its creative direction. Indeed, during my PhD studies at the University of Notre Dame, I organized a small-scale theatrical production called Grendelkin, which featured innovative and avant-garde performances related to Beowulf, which brought together musical artists, professional dancers and early medieval English scholars.
The Rogue Council of Wyndonshire: Hooded Rogue (Mandalina Blake), Pirate Queen (Katharine Taylor), Robber Baroness (Micayla Sullivan), Master of Arms (Keith Fisher), Pirate Quartermaster (Jarod Tavares), Masked Bandit (Mitch Lang); In back: Captain of the Kingsguard (Richard Carter), Blue Duchess (Lori Evans), Baronsguard (Ben Becker); Image by Adam Blake (April 27th, 2024).
The project’s scope expanded well beyond anything I might have anticipated when I signed on to be a Member of a Planning Group in our small Town of Winchendon, agreeing to create characters and produce a script, storyline and lore for Park & Recreation Member Dawn Higgins’ RenFaire initiative. Of course, there were many challenges to overcome along the way, some from the nature of startup projects and some from the circumstances surrounding organizing two distinct faires with very different models and storylines, which debuted back-to-back weekends this spring. While my blog today is in part a celebration of both events, it will center primarily on the creative inspiration and direction that shape both Renfaires and the world-building aspects that allowed me to leverage my expertise and love of medieval literature, especially that which contains monstrous and wondrous elements, in my creative process.
Wyndonshire Fairy (Jodi Schoolcraft) & Wyndonshire Town Crier (Leanne Blake), Image by Kit Catlett (April 27th, 2024).
However, before we dive too deep into the creative process, a brief description of both faires is in order:
For this faire, Rajuli and I both volunteered our professional services in order to support our town, local community and the beautiful amphitheater at the Winchendon Community Park. As the project grew so did our roles in the production of Wyndonshire. What began as a modest endeavor bloomed into a full-blown production that welcomed and engaged the local art community. Although all of the characters are fictitious (some cocreated with the character actors themselves), I based the House names around prominent families from Winchendon (the Murdocks and Whitneys in particular), though there is no intended relationship (allegorical or otherwise) between the Wyndonshire nobles and said historical families. This year’s plotline centered around “The Wyndonshire Wedding” between the Blue Princess (played by Melony “Melegie” Lemony) and Green Prince (played by Drew Dias). The wedding is coupled with political intrigue and subterfuge, resulting in a contest for power between the Blue King (played by James Higgins), Green Queen (played by Tammy Dykstra) and Red Baron (played by Dave Fournier) and culminating in a peasant revolt featuring rogues, pirates and marauders led by the Robber Baroness (played by Micayla Sullivan), the Pirate Queen (played by Katharine Taylor) and the Viking Jarl (played by Jason Sumrall).
The Red Baron (Dave Fournier) and Blue King (James Higgins) of Wyndonshire; Image by Kit Catlett (April 27, 2024).
After Wyndonshire was underway, this faire was conceived in collaboration with a local farm and festival venue, Red Apple Farm, owned by Al and Nancy Rose, who were excited to cocreate an event such as this in order to advertise their growing business, provide interactive and experience-based agricultural awareness, bring tourism to the surrounding area and support both the regional economy and artist community. Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire features fictitious characters and storylines that are centered on sustainable farming practices and agrarian life which was the bedrock for the medieval world. The main conflict concerns a disagreement between the nobles as to whether or not to expand the orchard or preserve the forest, with the Orchard King (played by Paul Taft) and Blossom Baroness (played by Jen Knight) advocating for conservation and the May Queen (played by Tammy Dykstra) and Duke of Thorns (played by Dave Fournier) opposing and advocating for preservation, ending with an unexpected marriage proposal and announcement between the Prince of Leaves (Michael Barboza-McLean) and the Blueberry Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony).
Enchanted Orchard Knights and Nobles: Prince of Leaves (Barboza-McLean), Green Knight (Quinne Richard), May Queen (Tammy Dykstra), Orchard King (Paul Taft), Blue Knight (Ayden Mel), Blueberry Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony), Red Knight (Dan Towle), Duke of Thorns (Dave Fournier), Hand of the Duke (Devon Barker); Image by Kit Catlett (May 4th, 2024).
Obviously, RenFaires are at their core fantasy. They do not reflect in any consistent or credible way the historical realities of the medieval or early modern period, and even those groups and projects that are purportedly more focused and committed to historical accuracy, such as the Society for Creative Anachronism [SCA] and Pennsic Wars, acknowledge the deep limitations of attempting to recreate a historical past in the present: it’s simply not possible.
Enchanted Orchard Pub Sing: Orchard King (Paul Taft), Hand of the Duke (Devon Barker), Viking Shieldmaiden (Sylvia Sandridge), Duke of Thorns (Dave Fournier), Orchard Wizard (Richard Fahey), Orchard Herald (Nikolaus Brauer-Chagnon), Pirate Queen (Katharine Taylor), Blossom Baroness (Jen Knight), Countess of the Rose (Dawn Higgins), Pirate Quartermaster (Jarod Tavares), Weird Sister (Siobhan Doherty), Wyndonshire Herald (Alex Deschenes), Blue Knight (Ayden Mel), Orchard Jester (Chelsey Patriss), Siren (Jessa Funa), Prince of Leaves (Michael Barboza-McLean), Orchard Enchantress (Rajuli Fahey), Blueberry Princess (Melanie “Melegie” Lemony); Image by Richard Carter (May 5th, 2025).
Although folk certainly do not (and cannot despite best efforts) actually travel back in time when attending a RenFaire, and many of the performance groups embed non-historical or fantastic elements, the desire to experience something historically adjacent, something medievalish, to invoke modern perceptions (and at times misconceptions) of premodern times, and to be immersed in a world of medievalism, has bloomed in recent years and will likely continue to grow. As a medievalist interested in the intersection between medieval studies and medievalism, my goal in cocreating and directing these RenFaires was never to recreate the historical past or attempt to conjure the authentic premodern world, but rather to evoke the experience and aesthetic of wonder that imbues so many of the works of medieval literature I love most and which dramatize the monstrous, the magical, the mysterious, miraculous and the uncanny. I asked myself and the Muses two essential questions: 1.) what would it be like to walk into a work of medieval literature? And, 2.) what would it be like to walk into a medievalesque fantasy world?
Princes of Wyndonshire: the Satyr Prince (Sasha Khetarpal-Vasser) and the Green Prince (Drew Dias); Image by Mitch Grosky (April 27th, 2024).
I knew I wanted the experience to be highly immersive. I wanted folks attending to feel part of something—to have almost crossed into a fairyworld or an uncanny realm. I wanted the experience to be overwhelming, with too much to possibly see or do. I wanted to create the illusion of entering a world that is alive with everything from town gossip to its own historiography and mythography. Most of all, I wanted the patrons to experience the wonder that is embedded throughout medieval literature and that makes medievalism such a joy to modern audiences. I decided to include both stage performances and many immersive skits, as well as multiple interlacing subplots that come together at various points throughout the events.
Wyndonshire Rogues and the Green Sash Marauders: Masked Bandit (Mitch Lang), Robber Baroness (Micayla Sullivan), Pirate Quartermaster (Jarod Tavares), Viking Jarl (Jason Sumrall), Viking Warrior (Jeffery Allen Evans), Viking Berserker (Andrew Hamel) & Wyndonshire patrons; Image by Richard Fahey (April 28th, 2024).
In the end, both faires were a wicked good time and proved to be huge successes—for the town and for the farm—and from these experiences a community formed into a sort of immersive theater company, FaeGuild Wonders. Because of our unique approach to these Renaissance Faires, the immersive and theatrical dramatizations in particular, and the inclusive spirit of community present at these events, we received some local press leading up to and after their debuts. But the best part of the entire process for me, personally, was not even seeing my vision come to life—it was the community building and getting to collaborate with my friends and family.
Captain of the Kingsguard (Richard Carter), Wizard of Wyndonshire (Richard Fahey), Kingsguard (Kellie Carter); in back: Blue King (James Higgins); Image by patron for Richard Carter (April 27th, 2024).
I could talk about each event in detail, exploring the ways I engage the medieval aesthetic of wonder as well as the modern imaginary, but those will likely be the substance of future blogs on Wyndonshire and Enchanted Orchard. Most exciting of all for me to share is a brand-new event that Rajuli and I are planning and directing this winter, again in collaboration with the Red Apple Farm team led by the Roses (because they were such awesome partners): the Northfolk Nightmarket on February 22nd and 23rd 2025. This will offer me the incredible opportunity to dramatize the story of Beowulf, the subject of my dissertation and the majority of my scholarship, and interweave the story into an inaugural event which will draw inspiration directly from medieval lore, literature, myth and legend. Perhaps we’ll see you there?
Richard Fahey, PhD in English Medieval Institute University of Notre Dame
