ll the Faires a stage. Q: After stepping from the stage into the dusty faire street, where are you? A: Still on stage -- preserving the faire illusion. Acting at faire is part rote and recitation; but the majority is interactive and improvisational. Your stage is the street and the script is a freeform interaction between you and the visitors to your village (no matter how improbably they are dressed). A few wits and a little preparation and you're ready to have successful interactions.

All interactions have three parts -- an initiation, the conversation, and the exit. Give yourself confidence by memorizing some general purpose outs which will let you exit whenever you like. When working with customers (particularly in the polite midwest as the Mongers discovered at Bristol), you'll need the out to let the customer escape! Memorize a stall or two to give yourself time to think. When you're confident you can make your escape, devise some initiation bits and hit the street.

Improv classes can build confidence, but you already know everything you need to have a conversation. Be polite, stay in character, and listen to the other person. You'll say hello, talk about something, and then say goodbye.