| Bill Watters | |
| by Jerry Eakin | |
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| Jerry Eakin : What's your name? |  |
| Bill Watters : Bill Watters | |
| JE : What's your characters name? | |
| BW : Don Giovanni Francesco Marco d' Abestanzi,
Conte d' Pienza, Cavglieri delle Ordina della Santo Stephano, St. John, e' St. Martin. |
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| JE : Favorite color? | |
| BW : ooh...depends on the mood, crimson, I think. | |
| JE : Complete the following statement: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern _______ | |
| BW : are dead. | |
| JE : How many years have you been performing / working Faire? | |
| BW : 1st visit, 19 years ago... 1st working 14 years ago... | |
| JE : Did you ever think that in 2002 you'd still be doing this? | |
| BW : Oh god no, especially with I was 14... But no regrets, I'd still have gone to faire if I could do it all again... | |
| JE : What drew you to renaissance faire? | |
| BW : Originally, English Class field trip, it sounded like fun, and since I was a prolific D&D gamer (and Star Frontiers and Traveller...ah back when the dice still came with the crayons to color in the numbers) | |
| JE : Other then guild master, what other positions do you take at faire? I know we have seen you walked around with radios. | |
| BW : It varies depending on the event, I'm on faire boards of SLO, Valhalla, Folsom, San Diego, Pittsburg, Butte, and Discovery Park (I believe) currently, and it generally revolves around event stage managing, guild coordination, and battle pageant coordination. Some events that I don't go to, I act as consultant on working up their themes and logistics for their performers... it all just boils down to making life easier for the groups and the faire boards alike by giving them a consistent face to work with to help bring out the best show possible under the circumstances. that's the theory, anyway. | |
| JE : Is there any one moment that sticks out in your mind as a favorite (that you can share) | |
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BW : Eh, the times spent running security for progress at Black point faire. The days of HMSS, and the old guard. In general thinking back fondly on the friendships made back when first starting at the California faires and having watched those others grow in their own directions. Being able to help out the new generation of faire folk... and understanding now the jokes that the old timers said around us when we first started... |
| JE : What is your favorite Faire song? | |
| BW : Babylon is Fallen by the Poxxy Boggards | |
| JE : What is your favorite Faire Gig? | |
| BW : Battle Pageants, definitely.. But then after that, courts of Love/Lust or Contests of Wit gigs... | |
| JE : Tell us about your guild | |
| BW : Ooh, lordy... big question... mostly that I'm damned proud of the people in it. A guild's just a bunch of props other than it's members, and they're the heart and character of any guild/troupe/gang/or cult. We play an Italian entourage to the local court (Mary or Elizabeth depending on the faire) and portray three main aspects: the ambassadors to court (generally nobles), the merchants and professional types (middle class, vintners, bankers, sea captains, etc), and the military (keeping the rest of us out of trouble). People play in one or more of those areas and all together we're working to bring Italy (and some last hopes of culture) into England and Scotland... | |
| JE : When people see you out side of faire, do they every expect you to be in character? | |
| BW : Not generally, but a lot only know my name as Gianni, which doesn't bug me, as long as they don't go SCA on me and think I'm an italian noble .. | |
| JE : If you could give any advice to someone thinking about joining a guild, what would it be? | |
| BW : Pick one that seems to speak to you, and give it a try. But if it doesn't feel like a good fit, don't stress about it.. Let them know, and find a new one that'll fit your personality and tastes better. In most cases the GM's are more than happy to help you find a place that'll make you happy. It is a hobby after all, and you need to find a home that you're comfortable with both when playing and working. | |
| JE : What other hobbies for you have outside of faire? | |
| BW : Far too much TV, movies, etc... used to be a die-hard comic collector, but got out of it when multiple covers became all the rage... Also continuing to hang out with various sword groups to try to keep on learn'n... | |
| JE : Is there anything you have yet to do at faire that you would like to? song? | |
| BW : Produce my own event. Keep your eyes open in 2003 :-) | |
| JE : Any words of wisdom you'd like to share with our readers? | |
| BW : Don't stress.. Everything comes in time to those who work hard and play nice with others. It's just faire, after all... there is more to the world after all ... | |
| JE : What are your goals for this up coming faire season? | |
| BW : Make it through another season in one piece and without all my hair turning grey in the process. | |
| JE : Have you ever played or been asked to play a roll at faire that you were too embarrassed to perform? | |
| BW : At faire, but not during the day... Julie Germane asked me to MC the Night Show at Black Point in '95 or '96, but they just wanted me in boxers, boots, and sash, and I couldn't bring myself to do it... | |
| JE : What do you consider your greatest achievement in the faire world? | |
| BW : I'm proud of some of the events I've helped produce and put on. But by far I'm most proud of Santa Maria's, and having been able to help keep guiding it and growing it to where it is today - and I'm very much looking forward to seeing how far we can take it over the next few years. | |
| JE : If you were banned from doing Santa Maria for one season, no Italian at all, What would you most like to go to faire as, and what would you least like to go to faire as? |  |
| BW : I'd stick with working on the faire boards and producing more events - i'd have enough time to go to some more out of state events that are trying to get started and jump on board. | |
| JE : So tell us about your photo collection. I understand you have a good size history of faire in photographs? | |
| BW : I love photos, I'm a dyed in the wool nostalgic at heart, and photos are a great way to keep the memories fresh. I've got probably about three or four thousand photos going back into the 80s of faire, dickens faires, gaskell balls, etc... now if i could just keep them all sorted... but anymore the digital cameras and the websites that have photo collections like yours, the reyes, etc just make it all the better ... but if you want 1st year pics of folks, lemmie know, i probably have them laying around out there somewhere... my prize tho still has to be Theodore (Teddy) from st. Andrews as a Monger walking in a St. Cuthberts parade - no i didn't take that one, but it's great to remind that everyone started sometime. | |
| JE : What is the funniest moment you've had at faire? | |
| BW : The final performance of the History of the Gods in '95... The mystery guest Hera was all of the women of St. Bridgets and they stormed the stage... for the rest of the story.. ask me in person some time... | |
| JE : If you could throw history to the wind and do one non period thing at faire what would it be? | |
| BW : Walk into court, repossess England and Scotland for non-payment of debts and sell it off piecemeal at auction to the rest of the foreigners... | |