From a post in the Facebook group King Richards Faire/ BRF Past and Present.
Oyez, Ahoy and Hello again to Chicago’s King Richard’s Faire Fans! Here is the program for 1982. This was marketed as the ten-year anniversary season. Some items of note:
- The “Seven-Part Serial Drama” scenario was titled, “Crisis in the Realm.” It was written by Katherine J. Amato-von Hemert and Russ Tutterow. John Mills continued as the artistic director of the show
- This years antagonist was The Evil Sorceress Pandora played by Susan E. Mullen
- King Richard was portrayed this year by Phillip Bowman, replacing Vaughn Filwett who played the king in 1981
- Barbara “Bodge” Burinski continued her role as Queen Katherine
- Christopher Adam Wunsch made his first appearance at King Richard’s Faire. He continued as an ensemble regular
- Mary Beth McMahon made her first appearance at King Richard’s Faire. She continued as an ensemble regular
- Philip Earl Johnson (of “MooNiE the Magnif’Cent” fame) and Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine fame) played Chancellor’s Yeomen
- Knights of the Silver Sword was the joust troupe this season
- Danny Lord makes his first appearance at KRF as a juggler
- Returning performers this year Lord Chumleigh (Michael Mielnik) and Clifford Spenger (with Mary Spenger)
- In this year’s program street characters, musicians and variety acts were crammed into a large paragraph as “TOWNSFOLK,” including a number of notable performers: Madrigals by Command (possibly directed by Brian Leo), Puppet Place (possibly with Chris Sherbak and Ray Nelson), Diane Ippel and Jim Lillquist, Sungarden, Jim Ellis, and others
- There was a second, almost randomly selected group called “PEASANTS, SCOUNDRELS, AND VARIOUS UNDERGROUND FIGURES,” that included Conrad Warren as King of the Beggars, Tim Goforth as Lutilah the Leper and others
- Jose Granados and Douglas Kondziolka perform as an act as Don Juan & Miguel
- Jerry Spurlock makes his first appearance at KRF
- Frank Harnish returns as William Shakespeare
- The Ring of Steel is prominently featured in the scenario with members that include David Krajec, David HB Drake, Brian J. Conrad and Ed Buck
- Ron Scot Fry appears with Keith Boehm as Pym and Pugnacious
- John Goodrich directed the Moonsop Minions
- Lee Ramey (as Dean Ramey) directed the Thomas Cort Players
- The Puppet Place had its own, large stage in the southwest corner of the site
- There was a Mud Pit where the Foot Jousting Arena was in 1981. Curiously, the Sturdy Beggars nor Rush Pearson are listed in the program, but there is a “Beggars Mud Show” listed at 5:30
This year’s Special Weekends were dovetailed into this year’s scenario and were:
- His Majesty’s Cross Country Horse Races
“The Race for the Princess’ Hand”
July 3, 4, 5 - International Festival of Dance
“Pandora’s Evil Return”
July 10 & 11 - Renaissance Music Festival
“Songs of Suspense”
July 17 & 18 - Folk and Fairytale Festival
“The Contender’s Tale”
July 24 & 25 - The Royal Festival of Magic
“The Magic Staff”
July 31 & August 1 - The King’s Tournament Games
“The Tournament Crises”
August 7 & 8 - The Harvest Carnival
“The Harvest Dilemma”
August 14 & 15