This last Saturday the 22nd, West High School hosted a mock Renaissance faire so the actors in the royal court could practice for the real one taking place in Irwindale, CA from April 5th through May 18th from 10 a.m. To 7 p.m.

   Students from Ms. Marsiglia’s AP Literature and Composition class helped prepare for the faire as well as talked to the royal court and participated during the mock faire. One student, Jung Choi (12) explained, “I have been to a Renaissance faire before during middle school for Bert Lynn’s Renaissance Day, but it did not have a sequence of events as the one on Saturday did. The focus on Saturday was more of the Queen and her court. I liked the Renaissance faire on Saturday because during the whole [event], all the ‘actors’ or people in the court were in character the whole time.” He continued, “My favorite part was the luncheon when we all got to interact with the people in the court. It was great to talk to various people and learn about their occupations and roles in the court and how they all fit together to serve their Queen.”

  Another student Amy Loo (12) commented, “I definitely was not expecting such a professional group of people! I’ve never been to a Renaissance faire, which is why I didn’t know what to expect. But I loved it! Especially since you can interact with the nobles and even the Queen. They spoke in an old-fashioned way, kind of a British accent. Their costumes were authentic and most importantly, they were very knowledgeable in Renaissance court etiquette, history, and lifestyle. It is basically witnessing history in action.” So far it seems that most students enjoyed the Renaissance faire, no matter if they had attended one before. Loo continued, “My favorite part was interacting with the nobles. It truly made book-knowledge three-dimensional. Oftentimes, we see ‘dead’ people in history books and literature, but we don’t get to see them as people who actually existed, lived, and did many of the same things that we do.”

  Some students even had the opportunity to perform in front of the Queen. Brittany Minnis-Lemley (12) sang the opera piece that also won her the Talent Show in the music department, and two other songs. Minnis-Lemley explained, “When I sang for the Court, it was really nerve-racking because I basically had to pull songs out of the back of my head. I sang ‘O Mio Babbino Caro,’ ‘An Die Musik,’ and ‘Aria del Vagante.’”

  The Mock Renaissance faire was a meaningful experience that many students enjoyed. A true Renaissance aficionado should have an even greater time at the real faire to support the royal court on their special event. For more information, click on the following link: http://www.renfaire.com/socal/