The King's Players - Discussion/Planning Thread - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Mnemosyne · 02-15-2011, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Ah, well, I like the sound of this.

Couldn't that become an interesting plot complication?

I like where you're going with that.

As far as historical theater goes, I have no problem whatsoever with curious resemblances. Of course, the great era for travelling theater companies seems to be the medieval period, and I do think that the presence of theater in Gondor is either a recent development or a renaissance of sorts.

Since I'm imagining this as "popular entertainment" I do think that there are standard tropes in order to appeal to as massive an audience as possible. Think Shakespeare's bawdy humor, even in serious tragedies, or the modern-day need to insert a love interest in every action film... The most extreme example of this that I can think of is Bollywood. And I love the idea of the dragon, Nerwen.

Quote:

The other main factor would be their source(s) of information.

And for that, I'm taking this as my cue:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ioreth, "The Steward and the King

Why, cousin, one of them went with only his esquire into the Black Country and fought with the Dark Lord all by himself, and set fire to his Tower, if you can believe it.

That, plus twenty years. Of course, in that time I imagine some more official histories have come up (though Minas Anor does not yet have a copy of the Red Book)--otherwise no one would understand why the holiday is called "Ring-Day."

I do think that there would be both actors and actresses. We also might want to think about stock characters, and whether certain people would always play the same part--the clown, the ingenue, the tragedian, etc.

On patronage: I could see us functioning with or without a current patron. But whoever that is would have to not know, or not care about historical accuracy! That could also be taken care of by having the troupe originally having started out somewhere like Dale... after all, Elessar isn't the only King...

Thank you all for your interest and suggestions!

Bêthberry · 02-15-2011, 02:49 PM

I've just realised that there's someone else who role plays here who has had seamstress characters and quite possibly that might be her baliwik, if she chooses to join, so I withdraw Esmerelda the costume designer to work on someone else.

Is the game to be, say, a rehearsal for the show, with ensuing hilarity about how to correct historical inaccuracies? Or is it to be about how the players find out about the real history?

I'd love to see a Baldrick in the game (not a character I think I'd wite well).

Anguirel · 02-15-2011, 03:59 PM

Looks very good fun.

Who will play the canon characters?

Can I sign up as another flakey cameo? I would like to be an old, crotchety Gondorian noble in the King's retinue, who disapproves of frivolous theatrical pursuits and wants the players to be dispersed.

Ideally I'd like to have a gallant young son who's secretly really into theatre, if anyone wanted to play him...

I won't post all that often.

Formendacil · 02-15-2011, 04:02 PM

If I may continue the patronage discussion, I think that if we settle whether we're looking at a travelling troupe vs. a more sedentary company (ala. the Renaissance), we'll end up with a decision regarding the need for patronage.

I quite agree with Mnemo that an active dramatic tradition in Gondor is almost certainly a renaissance and recent development. It's hard to see it flourishing in the declining Gondor of Denethor, focused culturally on the omnipresent Mordor problem.

That said, just because it is a renaissance of drama in Gondor does not mean that drama in Gondor must follow the (capital R) Renaissance model--though, as mentioned in my last post, I like it. It seems equally plausible to me that travelling troupes would have been among the first developments after the War of the Ring. Perhaps some Hobbits, encouraged by the example of Messrs. Baggins, Gamgee, Took, and Brandybuck set out to Bree and started reënacting the Battle of Bywater after their purses ran out, and in the entrepreneurial spirit of the Restored Monarchy, this turned into a bi-racial travelling troupe making money in the Mannish lands of the South by mixture of having exotic Hobbits and stories that played off the popular sentiments of victory.

Or maybe (as Mnemo suggested), they have their origins in the Mannish cultures of Rhovannion (aka Dale), gone south to a more cosmopolitan setting where there's "steady" work and a larger affluent audience. Maybe it started in the cultured estates of Dol Amroth.

I think that even if we accept travelling troupes as the origins of 4th Age drama, that it's possible one or more of the travelling troupes could have settled more or less permanently in Minas Anor. As the main city of the Reunited Kingdoms--and a growing city, too--it would have been able to supply a regular audience, and would have had enough resident/visiting aristocracy to make patronage possible--and I would contend, based on the Renaissance model, that patronage would be needed to subsidize a sedentary company. What's more, I think that the climate of post-Ring war Gondor would have encouraged nobles to support the arts, and that there might even have been friendly competition in this respect.

Oh! And a random thought... perhaps the "dragon" is a not-always-functioning "toy" from the marvellous craftsmen of the Lonely Mtn/Dale, ala the toys at Bilbo's party?

02-15-2011, 02:49 PM	#2
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 6,003	I've just realised that there's someone else who role plays here who has had seamstress characters and quite possibly that might be her baliwik, if she chooses to join, so I withdraw Esmerelda the costume designer to work on someone else. Is the game to be, say, a rehearsal for the show, with ensuing hilarity about how to correct historical inaccuracies? Or is it to be about how the players find out about the real history? I'd love to see a Baldrick in the game (not a character I think I'd wite well). __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

02-15-2011, 03:59 PM	#3
Anguirel Byronic Brand Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The 1590s Posts: 2,778	Looks very good fun. Who will play the canon characters? Can I sign up as another flakey cameo? I would like to be an old, crotchety Gondorian noble in the King's retinue, who disapproves of frivolous theatrical pursuits and wants the players to be dispersed. Ideally I'd like to have a gallant young son who's secretly really into theatre, if anyone wanted to play him... I won't post all that often. __________________ Among the friendly dead, being bad at games did not seem to matter -Il Lupo Fenriso

02-15-2011, 04:02 PM	#4
Formendacil Dead Serious Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Perched on Thangorodrim's towers. Posts: 3,328	If I may continue the patronage discussion, I think that if we settle whether we're looking at a travelling troupe vs. a more sedentary company (ala. the Renaissance), we'll end up with a decision regarding the need for patronage. I quite agree with Mnemo that an active dramatic tradition in Gondor is almost certainly a renaissance and recent development. It's hard to see it flourishing in the declining Gondor of Denethor, focused culturally on the omnipresent Mordor problem. That said, just because it is a renaissance of drama in Gondor does not mean that drama in Gondor must follow the (capital R) Renaissance model--though, as mentioned in my last post, I like it. It seems equally plausible to me that travelling troupes would have been among the first developments after the War of the Ring. Perhaps some Hobbits, encouraged by the example of Messrs. Baggins, Gamgee, Took, and Brandybuck set out to Bree and started reënacting the Battle of Bywater after their purses ran out, and in the entrepreneurial spirit of the Restored Monarchy, this turned into a bi-racial travelling troupe making money in the Mannish lands of the South by mixture of having exotic Hobbits and stories that played off the popular sentiments of victory. Or maybe (as Mnemo suggested), they have their origins in the Mannish cultures of Rhovannion (aka Dale), gone south to a more cosmopolitan setting where there's "steady" work and a larger affluent audience. Maybe it started in the cultured estates of Dol Amroth. I think that even if we accept travelling troupes as the origins of 4th Age drama, that it's possible one or more of the travelling troupes could have settled more or less permanently in Minas Anor. As the main city of the Reunited Kingdoms--and a growing city, too--it would have been able to supply a regular audience, and would have had enough resident/visiting aristocracy to make patronage possible--and I would contend, based on the Renaissance model, that patronage would be needed to subsidize a sedentary company. What's more, I think that the climate of post-Ring war Gondor would have encouraged nobles to support the arts, and that there might even have been friendly competition in this respect. Oh! And a random thought... perhaps the "dragon" is a not-always-functioning "toy" from the marvellous craftsmen of the Lonely Mtn/Dale, ala the toys at Bilbo's party? __________________ I prefer history, true or feigned.