About Us
About the podcast
Over our years as reenactors and living history buffs, we have had some of our most enjoyable moments talking with and speaking to other reenactors. Since 2005, we have been attending and speaking at Reenactorfest in Chicago about topics we feel are of value to the living history community. In the summer of 2009 we hit upon the idea of reaching out to a wider audience, not because we wanted to talk more but rather because we wanted to spark the thoughts and conversations that we feel will help our community grow. After all, as Stephen says, “We’re all wearing funny clothes and learning archaic skills.” Why don’t we all put aside our differences and work together to strengthen reenacting as a hobby and living history for everyone?
About Stephen
Stephen as Freiherr Gustav von Freisburg
Once, long ago, a boy-child was born in a distant and foreign land…actually, it was about 40 years ago in Hawaii, but since I now live in New Hampshire that’s still fairly foreign.
I’m Stephen, and I’m a reenactor (are there 12 steps involved?). My dabbling in reenactment began in the Boy Scouts as part of my troop’s Indian Dance Team. We would don native costumes and perform dances based (though I’ll admit I know not how accurately) on those of the Native Americans. The thrill of being someone else, of dressing in funny clothes in front of others and transporting them, or at least trying, to another place and time was something I never gave up. I found a place at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire when I was 18 and my adventures in living history kept growing from there.
Over the past 22 years, I have been a seneschal of a shire in the Society for Creative Anachronism, a tailor with the Danver’s Alarm List Company, a merchant of swords and clothing focusing on the 15th and 16th centuries, an instructor of armoured combat, a blacksmith, a director for various Renaissance faires, a stage combat fight choreographer, and educator for reenactors, actors, and the public at large. I’ve portrayed more personas than I can think of ranging from beggar to king and everywhere in between. In 1998 I founded Autumn Tree Productions, LLC, a company specializing in historical education and entertainment. So, sometimes I get paid to reenact, sometimes I don’t, but either way I always enjoy the experience.
With the help of Alena and others from Autumn Tree Productions, we began working with – and presenting directly to – reenactors at Reenactorfest in Chicago. Our experiences there have helped to fuel our passion for reenacting, but it has also sparked a desire to see our community grow and improve. It is my fondest hope that this podcast helps us in this endeavor and that others join us in our efforts!
About Alena
Alena portraying Sarah Pennington
Hi I’m Alena. I’ve been reenacting as long as I can remember. In grade school, instead of writing normal book reports, I would get up in front of my class, dressed as a character from the book, and talk all about the book from the perspective of someone in the story. In middle and high school my history projects were routinely reenactments: in 8th grade I was the Irish Immigrant, in 10th I was Marie Antoinette. In 11th a friend and I held a 1920s fashion photo shoot. In college my focus remained on historical theater and Museum Studies, in 1998 and for several years after I worked as a costumed roleplayer at Strawbery Banke Museum. In 2001 I worked as education Coordinator at Historic Northampton, culminating in several new exhibits and a program for kids about life in the year 1875.
In 2002 I ran away to join the circus. No not really, though a circus might have been more respectable. I ran away to join the Renaissance Faire. I started as a Stage Manager at the Vermont Renaissance Festival, worked my way onto the staff at the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, and spent a few winters at the Florida Renaissance Festival as well as numerous small shows throughout New England. On the way I met Stephen and joined his crew as part of Autumn Tree Productions. I brought educational programs to the ATP offerings, as well as a large supply of costumes, props, and desktop publishing skills. Since joining Autumn Tree Productions we’ve added educational offerings in American History as well as Medieval and Renaissance Europe. We have taught numerous renaissance faire casts the skills to interact with the public in a historical setting. We have also taught workshops to groups of reenactors about interacting with the public. Most recently we have started a new reenactment group: the Guild of Saint Morritz bringing to life a mercenary unit of the Holy Roman Empire in the year 1529.
You can read Alena’s views on reenacting and history at her blog: ImLivingHistory
