Photos by Warren Brant:

Celebrating my Mother’s 91st birthday today, I thought of my Father who died at only 69-years old. He was a writer just like my Mother, except she could spell. Through the years he made his living in various ways, but his passion was traveling, photographing his travels, and writing about his travels afterwards. His first self-published book was a travel log of the Upper Mississippi. His next book on the Lower Mississippi he printed twice, the second time my Mother proofread it. I loved traveling with him down the Mississippi, from its source in Minnesota to New Orleans. In Hannibal, Missouri, my Father took pictures of me dressed as Tom Sawyer for his book.

I loved running around Mark Twain’s hometown, imagining myself as Huck Finn with a corncob pipe, or Tom Sawyer with a bamboo fishing pole, while my Father took my picture. We rented a boat to take us out to the famous Jackson’s Island, where Huck and Tom played pirates. I insisted that he leave me alone on the island for a full hour, so I could run free without adult supervision, just like in the story. As soon as my Father left with the boat, I instantly realized two things. First, the island was infested with a multitude of bloodthirsty mosquitoes in biblical proportions, and second there was no way off, and no place to hide. If Eternal Heaven can be experienced in a transcendent moment, I experienced Eternal Hell in that hour on Jackson’s Island.

In 1969 I grew my hair long like a hippie. My Father loudly mourned the loss of me as his ideal model for his book. I guess Huck Finn didn’t have long hair in his imagination.

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Photo by Rosie Cole:

For the past few years the mining operation eating away on the edge of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival feels to me like the final dark scene  out of the film version of  The Never Ending Story.  Our magic kingdom appears to be vanishing into the Nothing.   I’m pictured here on a quest for the Luck Dragon.

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My friend and stage-mate Will Bradshaw is mentoring with master magician Jeff McBride, who said an interesting quote, “There are two kinds of audiences, drinking and thinking ones. The thinking audiences are there to learn something new or to remember. Drinking audiences are there to forget.”

I think the third path to reach both audiences is through the heart.

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Photo by Brian Alexander:

This photo is of The Flying Karamazov Brothers performing on Witchwood Stage in the late 1970s. I remember they would gather their crowd by standing abreast with the first brother simply standing with his arms crossed, the second brother juggling one ball while miming a three-ball pattern, and the third brother playing a pimply revelry on a broken bicycle horn, with his lips against the threaded end where a rubber bulb was once attached. The scene was so surreal from a distance that every patron within visual sight would instantly gather at Witchwood and watch some of the finest variety entertainment on one of the most intimate stages anywhere on the circuit.

Since that time there has been a giant rocking horse placed to obscure the panoramic view of our stage, but I never minded because I felt it added to the family friendly nature of the area. Often after the show I have a father come-up to me and tell me that when he was a child his father would bring him to see our show, and now he brings his own children; or a grandfather will approach to tell me that he used bring his children and now brings his grandchildren. Studies have shown that the best way to inspire the young to love and appreciate the arts is by creating this kind of bridge between generations.

Unfortunately, today families have to thread the needle between two former craft booths framing our stage that have been transformed into a Hookah Den, and a Beer Pub, which also hosts the Pub Crawl multiple times a day.  Having said that I believe that Witchwood Stage is still one of the best stages on the Renaissance circuit, where you can create real magic for the audience. Rosie and I are going to miss our home nestled in the woods when the Festival moves.

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Photo by Lloyd Brant:

To be continued…

The Arts A’Fair program at the MN State Fair is now in its third-year. This photo is from the very first year in 2013, when I was honored to direct TigerLion Arts in their production of The Fire Brigade.

Not since I was the director of the Disney Entertainment Arts Festival in Florida have I been involved in a program with the unique mission of melding high quality art with pure Americana outdoor entertainment.  I tip my hat to the MN State Fair Foundation for continuing to support the arts amongst the cacophony of midway rides and hot dog vendors.

This is the last day of the season that I will be participating in this extraordinary program.  Look for my one-man medicine show on the KSTP Heritage Plaza at the new West End Market at the MN State Fair.

Show Times: 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, and 6:00pm.

I hope to see you there.

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Photo by Marc Norberg:

This picture is from Rosie and I performed on the old children’s theater stage at the MN State Fair. It was located indoors on the second floor of the Education Building, and was a magical space to perform.

Unfortunately it was closed the year after this photo was taken. At our last show of the final season Marc Norberg surprised us by showing up with a duffel bag full of camera equipment. He quickly set-up an impromptu photo shoot that captured this moment in time.

Now this theater is the break-room for the Arts A’Fair program. It’s haunting for me to return to this space with the abandoned stage at the far end of the room. I believe that a theater absorbs the energy of a live audience into its bones. When I stand-alone in this empty space I imagine hearing the laughter and applause from past performances still echoing in my ears.

I look forward to making new magic and memories at the MN State Fair. I will be performing my Medicine Show today and tomorrow on the KSTP Heritage Plaza at the new West End Market.

Show Times: 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, and 6:00pm.

I hope to see you there.

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Photo by Jeff Kraker:

I’m honored to be a a part of Arts A’Fair as part of the Minnesota State Fair again this year.  I’ll be performing my Medicine Show starting today and running through Friday, Sept. 4.  Look for me on the KSTP Heritage Plaza at the West End Market Square.

Showtimes are 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm, and 6:00pm.

I hope to see you there.

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Photo by Marc Norberg:

This picture was the last shot Marc captured in this early photo shoot. Our daughter Liza is around 18-months old here, and after a long day she wanted to be with her mother. Of course Marc found it as the perfect opportunity to capture this family photo. Liza is going to be turning 28-years old this Christmas Eve.

Moments like these are fleeting…

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Photos by Marc Norberg:

These two pictures are from a photo session with Marc just after he moved into his downtown Minneapolis studio.  I feel they capture a moment in time.  Rosie and I are each coming into our own as performers, but we learned that when we joined together on stage the whole always became greater than the sum of each part.

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