I was working at the Knight's Bridge Theatre in Pasadena at the time (ed: 1994). We were doing a farce based on the Dracula story and I had been asked to assistant direct the piece. We had just finished casting on Saturday and I stopped in at the Mimi's Cafe in Whittier to grab something for dinner. I probably looked like a Ren Faire reject in my black jeans, burgandy poet shirt and ear cuff because one waiter took my order and Rick Sullivan specifically took over to deliver it. He brought my salad and asked what I was doing. "Reading a script that I am supposed to be directing." Do I "do Faire?" The Renaissance Faire? I have attended but I don't perform there. What do you do? I'm a costumer. His eyes got really big. Was I interested in a Job? Maybe, depends on what it is. Well, Blackshire's is having a meeting tomorrow. Here's a quarter and the phone number for you to find out how to get there. Why don't you come to the meeting and see what it is we do.
I phoned the number and got directions to the meeting before even touching my salad. Rick told me that the group was looking to have a set of mandillions done to replace the old ones. Didn't sound too hard, depending on what the group wanted. I would at least go and see.
I showed up at the house for the meeting. Everyone was nice, very friendly. The meeting got started and new potential members were introduced. Jerry Wood asked me to name the three most embarassing moments in my life, then stopped himself and said, "oh, wait a minute, you were invited by Rick...that's good enough." Alarm bells went off.
I did make a new set of 20 mandillions for the group and played with the Company of Foote for that year. It gave me a chance to see behind the scenes of what the Faire was all about. I still have many friends from that first year who are very special though I moved over to the Court the year after. I have always enjoyed joining the group at some of the smaller Faires and for the Twelveth Night Party each year.