Frivolous 15th! The Photo Shoot

Some of our ladies of Swords and Roses were able to participate in a photo shoot.  Below is just a sample of the shoot.  More photos will be featured on our website, 2016 calendar, and cards that will be sent to those of you that supported our fundraiser for our sound system.

This was the 15th photo taken that night

15 Fun Facts About First Mate...Angelique LeFleur

In honor of our 15th Anniversary, we thought we would do something frivolous on the 15th of the month.

courtesy of John Ashby

Here are some surprise facts about our First, First Mate Angelique...

1) She is really left-handed.

2) Her first acting job was playing Scandinavian Santa for St. Charles Christmas Traditions Las Posadas.

3)She has been to and performed at the only two Woonsockets in the United States...

  Woonsocket, SD

and 

Woonsocket, RI

4)Her stage debut was in 4th grade when she played the Moon Monster in Jack and the Magic Garbage Can.

5)She strongly dislikes green beans.

6)She has met 4 of the 12 doctors from Dr. Who

Sarah Sutton (Nyssa), Angelique and Colin Baker (Doctor #6)

7)Her high school drama club was known as The Pirate Players.

8)She has performed in a salt mine 650 feet below the earth's surface

Joan of Arc and Angelique 650 feet below the earth

9)She has performed in shows as cold as 0F and as hot as 110F

10)She has met the first actress to ever play the character Laurie in Oklahoma

Joan Roberts and Angelique

11)She has wanted to play with swords ever since she saw Eowyn in the cartoon version of The Lord of the Rings.

12)She met her future husband at a Doctor Who Convention.

13)Her husband proposed at the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Faire after a joust.

Shamus MacGyver Graham proposes to Angelique

14)She has ridden a camel, an elephant and a zip line in her pirate outfit.

 15)She can sword fight both left and right handed.

Maricella Consuela de la Cruz-One Fiesty First Mate

September 19th is International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day!

It is only fitting that we honor one of our ladies on this day, who is celebrating 5 years of fighting against the Captains of Swords and Roses.

Photos courtesy of RAW Artists

Five years ago after a successful summer of swashbuckling, Swords and Roses was still in need of lady pirate.  BLEEECHHH!!! "I'm a Lady." proclaimed Maricella Consuella de la Cruz and the rest is history.

Maggie (Murphy) Wininger has brought a lot of flash and fiestiness to the company.  In 2012, Maggie's ability to absorb choreography and her desire to improve as a fighter convinced Maria Romine, the owner of the company, to take a chance and start grooming Maggie to become a fight choreographer.  You can see Maggie debuting her new title as Fight Director here...  

Maggie's Debut as Fight Director 

Maggie has co-choreographed (because you really do need a partner to do choreography) our current fights for In Search of Buried Treasure, The Science of Swashbuckling, Paws Off Me Treasure, Mateys!, A Ship of Dreams, A Pirate Adventure and Trouble in Tortuga (our Three Pirate Show).  She is also responsible facilitating the "cat fight' and "main brawl" in Swords and Roses Entertainment's Wild West Show.  

Outside of piracy these past five years, Maggie has carved herself a niche in the St. Louis Shakespeare arena, performing as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, as Celia in As You Like It, and as Hamlet in Hamlet.  Maggie also recently played Lucrece in The Liar directed by another First Mate Bridgitte (Suki Peters).  Since becoming our Fiesty First Mate, Maggie has gotten married and been claimed by two cats.

First Mate Maricella crosses blades with Captain Bashby

photo courtesy of RAW Artists

Maggie took a break between shows to answer a few questions about her experience as the only Spanish pirate aboard our ship.

What prompted you to audition for Swords and Roses?

I auditioned for Swords and Roses after meeting Maria at a mutual friend's graduation party and being struck by her intelligence. I requested to audition because I enjoy physical acting. There's a gratifying feeling after a show knowing I've used strength and agility. It's a great way to use energy and make it a good day's work. 

 

What made you choose a Spanish character?

I chose a Spanish character because I majored in Spanish in college and, in the 1500's, the Spanish were known for their armada and as being a huge nautical power (before Philip II lost it in the 1580's). Knowing that other Swords and Roses characters at the time had nationalities of French, English and Scottish, I thought a Spanish pirate would add some good spice to the mix.(Maria's comment "I advised Maggie when she told me that she wanted to play a Spanish character.  Nobody likes the Spanish in the time period we tend to play.  We perform at Renaissance Faires and Pirate Fests the Spanish characters are disliked MORE than the French character that I play.  I went ahead and let Maggie play her Spanish character.  Maricella won the faires and the crowds over.  She is fondly referred to at faires and festivals as The Spaniard")

What are the challenges you have faced as a performer for Swords and Roses?

Some challenges include performing in a torrential downpour with maybe a lone single audience member, or yelling over some neighboring musicians with amps.  We still gave them a show!

 

What is your favorite memory of a Swords and Roses show?

 My favorite memory of a show was the anniversary show with 6 fighters, a costume malfunction, and a rubber chicken. Besides, that, it's any show I've been able to get a nice long belch or a Titanic reference.  There was a conference in Lake of the Ozarks where a participant was very much getting into the game. She was "Fancy Nancy."  There are many good times; it's hard to choose.

 

What do you like best about Swords and Roses?

Oh jeez, what do I like best about Swords and Roses?! There's the cooperative teamwork, the innovation, the humor, but most of all, I'd have to say it's the people.  I've met some awesome people doing Swords and Roses.

 

Thank you, Maggie, for your hard work and dedication.  Keep fighting the good fight!

 

 

 

  

 

A Pirate Adventure

First Mate Angelique squares off with Captain Gabriella Bashby

Swords and Roses has been growing in the type of shows we offer our audiences and our clients.  A Pirate Adventure took off last year and is proving to have some wind in its sails.  This musical comedy has everything to offer that our audiences have come to expect.  Singing, swashbuckling, audience participation and two endings that the audience gets to vote which ending they will see.

Synopsis: The ladies have arrived on shore leave for some much needed Rrrr & Rrrr.  While the First Mate is off spending her share of the treasure the Captain enjoys exchanging tales with other pirate captains such as Blackbird, Calico Jack Rackham, Anne Bonney and Mary Read.  When the First Mate stumbles onto the soiree she declares mutiny.  That's right mutiny, musical numbers and mistaken identity make up A Pirate Adventure.

To book A Pirate Adventure for your next event or fundraiser, contact swordsandroses@sbcglobal.net

Happy Tartan Day! (also known as Scottish Heritage Day)

In honor of Tartan Day (April 6 in the United States) have a Mini-Highland Games.  Some areas actually have Highland Games to attend, which are fun and fascinating.  They have the Hammer Toss in which they throw stone hammers that are heavier than the ones that Angelique and Captain Gabriella Bashby are modeling here.

They also have a caber toss, which is really spectacular to watch as you seen athletes flip what look like telephone poles into the air!

The origins of the caber toss are thought to have come from ancient days in Scotland when Highlanders would need an instant bridge to cross during times of war.  Imagine thinking you were safe from your opponent because you have a chasm between the two of you and then a brawny Scotsman drops a tree with his own bare hands and their army keeps moving forward.

Games were invented with the caber to keep the Scotsman fit and ready for battle.  The standard caber that is used in the Highland Games is 19 1/2 feet tall and weighs 175 lbs.  The object of the game is to toss the caber so that it flips in the air.  A perfect score is when the "top" end is nearest the thrower and the "bottom" end is pointed exactly away from the thrower at the 12 o'clock position.  Scores are calculated based on the flip of the caber and the landing position in relation to the tosser.

In honor of Tartan Days, we had a Mini-Caber Toss with our friends Aaron and Abbie.  We used Tinker Toys and a piece of yarn.

The materials we used

The Tinker Toy assembled Caber

The Arena is prepared

Aaron prepares to toss "The Caber"

Not to be outdone by her brother, Abbie prepares to toss "The Caber"

In honor of her perfect score, Abbie does a dance

 

 

 

Happy Tartan Day!!!

Twelve Days of Shore Leave

After taking much abuse from our Captains this year

                                           The First Mates are enjoying a bit of Shore Leave...

Just in case you find yourselves gathering with your shipmates here is a song for you to sing around the fire.

12 Days of Shore Leave

by Angelique LeFleur

 

On the...day of shore leave my true love gave to me...

12 mugs a foaming
11 swords a swiping
10 pirates prancing
9 brooms a sweeping
8 laddies filking*
7 charts for skimming
6 sails a swaying
5 GOLD DOUBLOONS
4 pirate geeks
3 rubber chickens
2 leather gloves
and 1 pirate ship to sail the sea.

*filking is what Weird Al does when he makes a parody of a song using the music and re-writing the words.

You Did This To Me! or How I Became First Mate

I thought I would start this blog off with a little background history on how I became First Mate.

My sister (Belle LeFleur) and I started Swords and Roses and let our audience assist in our development as characters and as a show.  The first decision made was...were we going to be a show about chivalry and etiquette proof that we were ladies of fine breeding?  OR were we going to be a show about adventure and piracy?  It is honestly the only time in Swords and Roses' history that I ever beat Belle in our audience vote (without cheating).   YOU the audience chose that we would become pirates!!! This decision was to my delight and Belle's chagrin.  Then came the vote that would manage my destiny...who was to become Captain?

Alas, I can not find the name or the actual script of the show but I remember it was a test over who could prove that they would be the better Captain.  Belle's cuteness won her the title of Captain again and again at the Greater St. Louis Renaissance Festival (our home faire and where Belle and Angelique claim to be from of the little town of Petite Lyon).  All other shows hereafter would have the Captain that longed for order and etiquette and the First Mate, who believes in fairies (except Maricella Consuela de la Cruz, who only believes in fairies after a few rounds of rum and several weeks of shore leave).

So there you have it...YOU did this to me and I am so glad that you did!