| Dave Baker |
| by Jerry Eakin |
 |
| Jerry Eakin:
What's your name? |
 |
| Dave Baker: David Lain Baker,
or at least that's what is registered at SAG |
| JE: Favorite
color? |
| DB: blue...no
black...AHHHHHHH!!! |
| JE: Complete the following
statement: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern _______ |
| DB: Have great
costumes |
| JE: How many years
have you been performing at Renaissance Faires? |
| DB: on and off for about
15 years. |
| JE: What in Gods name
made you think working faire was a good idea? (Laugh) |
| DB: They said I could
get in free and there were chicks and beer. |
| JE: How long have you
been performing professionally? |
| DB: My first gig was
a modeling job for Union Bay Jeans in 1980, Its been down hill since
then. |
| JE: I know that you
create props, what type of props and who have you made them for? |
| DB: What I specialize
in are swords, I've done a bunch of rock videos (including the "We will Rock
You" video from "A Knight's Tale") |
| JE: Besides acting
and prop making, are there any other roles you play "behind the
scenes"? |
| DB: Actualy I make my
living as a construction coordinator for a set company in LA |
| JE:
Is there any one moment (At faire) that sticks out in your mind as a favorite
and can share? |
| DB: Getting sh*t faced
drunk with Tim Curry at Southern. You can still catch him there if you
know what to look for. |
| JE: What is your favorite
Faire song? |
| DB: I don't really remember,
but I know there where pirates involved. |
| JE: Have you ever been
approached after a performance (Faire or not) and have people expect you
to be in a character? |
| DB: Back in the mid
80s when I was acting a lot, a young girl came running up to me in a record
store and said "aren't you? aren't you? aren't you?" so I said "yes" and
signed her album. |
| JE: In the time I have
known you, I have never seen you upset about anything. You're one of those people that
I entirely believe emits positively. I can never stay in a
bad mood when you're around. And you and I know I'm not the cheeriest guy on
the block (laugh) |
| DB: Don't get me wrong
I have plenty of tense days at work, but you have to remember, when we saw
each other I was usually getting paid to hangout and have a
good time. How could I complain. |
| JE: So the first time
I saw you perform it was as one half of the Duelists at Tulare. What was
your first show with the Duelists? |
| DB: I think it was 5
years ago at Vegas |
 |
JE: Any fond memory
from that period you can share? |
| DB: The best thing was
the audience. I always felt I had a lot of support from the people
I was supposed to be entertaining. Looking back I probably got
more out of it than them. |
| JE:
I have noticed that in the course of the two years I watched you perform
a sword routine that you seemed to practice very little for the performances.
Maybe a run through at the beginning of a faire weekend but not too much
after that unless there was something new added. Had the show for you become
some what second nature? |
| DB: Over my run
with the show the fights changed very little and honestly towards the
end I just wasn't concerned enough to change them. |
| JE: I remember at Willits
1999 the prop flint lock pistol you had lost it's screw and the barrel flew
off at the "dramatic" moment causing probably the biggest laugh of the show.
Did things like that happen often? Where a prop will break at a bad moment? |
| DB: In live theater
things like that happen all the time. I think that is one of the things
that make it so exciting to do. And when thing go wrong and you laugh
at yourself the audience becomes a part of the show, they know that anything
can happen. |
| JE: Is there any chance
at all of seeing you perform at faire again? |
| DB: I'm not
sure. The work I am doing now keeps me pretty busy, between a fairly regular
schedule a the set shop and the prop work on the side....well it
doesn't leave much time. That's not to say it is out of the question. I
have written a couple of show for faire for friends that are thinking about trying
to get something going but I would only be working as a director
and choreographer. |
| JE: What projects are
you currently doing? Anything performance related? |
| DB: Just finished a
video for the Chemical Brothers a 30' x 40' womb. go figure. |
| JE: What advice would
you give to someone who's thinking about getting into theatrical
combat? |
| DB:
study every aspect on combat you can, with as many different people as you
can. No one knows it all and it may take some time to find your niche
or style. |
 |
| JE: Again I have to
say that you have the coolest head of anyone I have ever met. I can only
imagine how stressful some of the things you have worked on could be. What
advice can you offer people who are for instance trying get in movies or
stunt work to keep things in focus and not stress as much? |
| DB: stuff gets stressful
for everyone but hay I spent 2 weeks in a 40 foot womb, life is good
and there are really very few BIG deals. Let the people around you be who
they are and as long as they are not hurting you thing are good, if they
are hurting you let them know. If you can't work it out take
a walk. Your not going to chain them or make them a better person
by force. Remember "This too shall pass." |
| JE: Is there anything
you have yet to do performance wise that you would like too? |
| DB: Yah, Get my own
film made. |
| JE: Any words of wisdom
you'd like to share with our readers? |
| DB: If you play with
swords eventually you will get stuck. |
| JE: Do you have
a web page? |
| DB:
yes but I am too computer
stupid to update it, I'm working on a new one: Hollywood Combat Center |