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Castles and courtiers: A Renaissance revival
By MICHELE MILLER NEW PORT RICHEY -- Three young ladies -- Destiny Johnson, 9, Marlee Miller, 8, and Giovanni Davis, 8 -- were dressed in peasant dresses, their hair pulled back in braids and crowned with a halo of flowers as they anxiously awaited their turn to dance before the king and queen and their guests. Jesters juggled while a couple of stealthy knights, a magician and more than a few ladies-in-waiting strolled the grounds before dinner. This blast from the past for Marlowe Elementary students, faculty and families was the culmination of three months spent immersed in lessons on the Renaissance era. The school cafeteria was transformed into a castle as lords and ladies of all ages attended the evening Yuletide Feast. It was a spirited time for many people that offered a little something for everyone. Before dinner, there was a jousting tournament featuring the good knight, Sir Matthew the Pure Heart, and the rather evil fellow, Sir William Dudley the Dastard. As the two knights rode their steeds charging at one another, the crowd lined up. Most were there to holler "hurrah" for Sir Matthew (a.k.a. Kevin Coble) and shake their finger at the underhanded Sir William (a.k.a. Dave Schade). As actors for "New Riders of the Golden Age," the two knights traveled all the way from Sarasota to entertain the noble crowd. Youngsters were invited to dress in their own Renaissance attire or make court jester hats at the festival. There were some fun games, where, for a small price, one could toss a bean bag and win a prize, or, just for the fun of it, throw a whipped cream pie in the face of Barbara Ramsauer and Marilyn McAfee. Ramsauer and McAfee, who run the after-school program, Pasco Learning and Activity Centers of Enrichment, at Marlowe, proved they were good sports in what was arguably the most popular game of the evening. "Come on, show us what you've got," said Ramsauer, taunting first-grader B.J. Moss, whose aim (lucky for her) was a little off. Later on, approximately 300 folks gathered for a Madrigal Dinner, toasted by Queen Terri Mutell, the school's principal, and her husband, King Edward Mutell. The event encompassed a school-wide learning theme on the Middle Ages, Mutell said. Putting on a Madrigal Dinner that students and faculty could participate in was the brainstorm of music teacher Jim Wanker. "It was a school buy-in," Mutell said. "But Mr. Wanker was the key. He was the leading force behind all of this." For the past few months, students in all classrooms have been learning about the history, art, dress and food of the times. Music was a prominent facet. Students auditioned to play parts of bell ringers, chorus members and country dancers for the Madrigal Dinner. Those who landed those coveted roles had to prove their commitment by showing up before school at 7:30 a.m. two or three mornings a week to practice. It was a long haul but well worth it. Learning the steps of "The Bridge of Athlone" and "The Ribbon Dance" was fun, but it was also hard work, said fourth-grader Larry Magier, who took a good turn as a country dancer. "Yesterday we rehearsed for like three hours," he said between dances. Mothers, grandmothers and aunts also pitched in their fair share, showing up on Saturday mornings to cut out patterns and sew costumes out of drapery material for the dancers, singers and ringers. "This is wonderful," said Kathy Ward, whose son Nathan was part of the royal court. "We think the world of Mr. Wanker -- he puts on such a wonderful show." Wonderful indeed for many, and particularly for the one man who sweated it out through most of the evening. "It's been very good," said Wanker. "Everything's come together -- the whole school pulled together." Mutell, who had the chance to be queen for a day, was just as pleased. "Everyone -- the faculty, the kids, the parents -- put a lot into this," she said. "We had no idea how it how this would turn out, but it surpassed all of what I imagined."
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