by Shawn Simpson
Staff Reporter
ssimps21@jccc.edu
Fall is nearly upon us, and the annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival is ready to open its gates to a world 500 years in the past. Student Chari Pierce will delight patrons of the festival as a Shakespeare-themed fairy.
“I am a musician fairy within the theme of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. My character is Clover, the Drumming Fairy,” Pierce said. “This is my first year as an entertainer for the [Renaissance Festival], but I have attended as a patron before.”
Pierce is a first-year theater student at the college and is looking forward to pursuing more productions here on campus. She is very interested in special effects, makeup and theater design.
“I’ve always been interested in theater … on Halloween last year, I went as a zombie and did my own makeup and I loved that. That’s when I decided I wanted to be a special effects makeup artist. That’s what has pushed me to get into theater design.”
When asked about what she was most excited about for “Clover” and the whole cast of entertainers at the Renaissance Festival, Pierce responded, “We are there to entertain you, inform you or make you feel good about yourself. We are there for you. We just want to make you feel a part of something special.”
The festival runs from Sept. 5 to Oct. 18 in Bonner Springs. Tickets can be purchased in advance by visiting www.kcrenfest.com or at the gate. Parking for the event is free.