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Re: [EK] Operation Renaissance Persona




Poster: "Terry L. Neill" <longshipco@hotmail.com>

Judith de Northumbria wrote:

>>When was the last time that you (the general populace) stayed in 
persona at an event? When was the last time that you had a discussion at 
an event that was non-mundane<<

I also do not in any way intend to be rude; but I point out that not all 
of us *want* to be "in persona".

I like the breadth of the SCA.  One can have elaborate persona or one 
can have nothing but a name and garb. 

Personally I dislike 'persona play' a lot. The idea of having an event 
that revolves around 'persona play' sounds like a great way to get those 
who *do* like it together to enjoy their fun.  I won't go, but I doff my 
hat (if I had one) in your direction and say "have a ball!"

>> When was the last time that you really felt the magic of the SCA (not 
including Pennsic)?<<

Careful.  One person'a magic is not another person's magic.  If the SCA 
became a place where one had to be "in persona" _all the time_, I would 
leave after almost 22 years of great enjoyment.


>> A Mundane observer once said to me at a demo, " You all look like 
actors dressed up on the stage without actually doing anything."<<

Not doing anything?  I spend my times at demos spinning my fingers off 
and showing others how to use a drop spindle.  Almost all of the demos 
I've been to lately have a huge variety of stuff going on.  In addition 
to the fighting, there is usually music, dancing, Arts and Sciences, 
costuming, etc.  I've seen wood carving, mail making, knitting, dyeing, 
viking faering boats, nalbinding, lace making, painting, etc. at demos.

What I like about the SCA is it's participatory nature.  We aren't, even 
at demos, there to put on a show.  We are at events to show off the 
stuff we've done, teach others to do it, practice our arts, both gentle 
and marshal, and have a great time with friends.  I do demos to show 
others how much fun this can be and some of the variety of things that 
were done during our time period.


>>In general, I think that we have lost touch with the orginal intent of 
the SCA---that being to recreate, to re-live our Period. This means much 
more than simply putting on the pretty costumes and beating each other 
with rattan sticks.<<

I think putting on pretty costumes and beating each other with sticks 
*was* the intent of the original SCA!!  :-D  All the more authentic 
stuff has evolved over time from the 'original intent.'

>>we need to employ proper titles of address, more Period behaviors, and 
more Period speach patterns.<<

At events dedicated to playing in persona, I heartily agree.  At *every 
single* event I do not at all agree. Everyone's 'magic' is different.  
The SCA has a lot of room for different brands of 'magic.'

>>Most importantly, however, is that we need to teach the Dream to our 
novices, teach them properly the titles, the behavior, the language.<< 

The Dream is a more ambiguous term than The Magic.  My dream of the SCA 
is not your dream of the SCA.  There is no "The Dream".  There are tens 
of thousands of individual dreams.

>>with them, we can recultivate the Dream of a Medieval Living History 
Society.<<

The SCA is not and never was a Medieval Living History Society.  It's 
much closer to being that than when it started; and I wouldn't cry if it 
got quite a bit closer.  But all such movement from elves and bunny fur 
and 'stick jockery' toward more research, authenticity and roundedness 
has come from many of us deciding we liked that, not a few of us 
deciding everyone should go there.
 
Perhaps by holding "in persona" events that are a lot of fun, that would 
be a start of bringing your version of a dream to fruition.

 - Anarra Karlsdottir

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