When you think of geeks, you often think of people dressing up as their favorite movie, book or game characters. Conventions and fan gatherings around the world are filled with Jedis, Storm Troopers, Vulcans, Klingons, Elves, Knights, Warriors, Wizards, Fairies and countless other imaginative creatures. Getting dressed up to pretend to be someone else is no longer just for kids at Halloween and grown-up geeks at conventions. For decades, small groups have been getting together to act out their fantasy lives in what is referred to as Live Action Role Play.
At the mention of Live Action Role Play, or LARP, the first thing that comes to mind for many people is probably Dungeons & Dragons or perhaps the book, or film based on the book, Mazes and Monsters. There are LARPs of many types, ranging from Vampires (Masquerade) to The Lord of the Rings (Foam Battles), but D&D is probably the most recognizable and notorious because of Mazes and Monsters. More people have seen the movie than have read the book simply because Tom Hanks starred in it. For many people, it was a first look at the world of LARPing, and because of it Role Players frequently are viewed as strange, deranged or even dangerous. In Mazes and Monsters, based on a true story, a group of teens decide to take their D&D game beyond the board and into live reenactment. Unfortunately, one of the members is mentally unstable and the line between reality and fantasy blurs together for him, leading everyone on a desperate mission to save his life.
Not all LARPers have horror stories but I have had several acquaintances recount their own experiences with someone flipping out. The worst I have heard is of a LARPer who became disoriented while playing in caves. In her college days, my friend would have monthly games with friends, and at one game another player brought a friend. The new player became panicked and enraged and started running through the cave swinging his axe around at everyone and everything and, in the end, according to my friend, ended up getting himself killed when he fell down a steep embankment in the dark. While incidents like this happen, they are very rare and most LARPers only play with people they already know well to prevent such incidents.
Another aspect of role playing closely associated with LARP is Historical Reenactments. Everyone has heard of Renaissance Faires and Dinner Theatres where you can wander through the Middle Ages complete with mandolin strumming bards and knights battling for a maiden’s honor. There are many Robin Hood themed fairs or King Arthur themed fairs where weekend warriors gather from around the country to test their mettle or just get away from the complications of real life with like-minded and -hearted companions. While my location prevented me from joining the largest group, the Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA, it didn’t stop me from learning how to knit chain mail from a dear friend who has been a blacksmith at Ren Faires for many years. His day job is installing industrial refrigeration equipment, but on weekends he sells handmade armor and weapons. Another Ren friend is a seamstress, specializing in corsets but also knowing how to tan leather the “old-fashioned way” without chemicals. This summer, she is supposed to teach me how to do it.
Other Historical Reenactments center around important American events and landmarks. At Colonial Williamsburg, people live year-round in character, a living history museum dedicated to the beginnings of our nation. At Scottish Games festivals around the country, local clans gather in full regalia and show their colors, marching to traditional bagpipe music and waving their clan tartans while competing in traditional Scottish games and battles. Feast of the Hunters’ Moon is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place at Fort Ouiqtenon in the mid-1700s. All around our country, and probably in your own neighborhood, someone is dressing up and stepping into another world, fantasy or fact-based. Be it your love of history and dedication to preserving it or the childhood fantasy that you never outgrew, there are countless adventures waiting to be had. Maybe you’ll never be one to cook over an open campfire and sleep in a muslin tent or hammer your own tools over your very own forge, but even taking a visit to one of these countless communities and festivals is an awe-inspiring experience that I encourage everyone to have.