The
Renaissance in the Computer Age
Have
you ever wondered what it would be like to dress like a prince or princess and
feast with friends while watching entertainment fit for a king, surrounded by
Renaissance art and heraldry? Music wafts through the hall on the strings of a
mandolin or the keys of a harpsichord. Guests are announced to the room with a
fanfare. The smell of roasted meats and vegetables tickle your nose. With the
help of the Santa Angela Renaissance Guild (SARG) and other members of the San
Angelo Community, you can experience all of this at the Feast of Santa Angela.
Printed with permission from Ken Grimm
According to Richard
Best, the Santa Angela Renaissance Guild was founded in 2009 by Dr. and Mrs.
Richard Best, Laurie Garnes, and Hugh Ryan. Rashda Khan, writer and member of
SARG, says that the “purpose of SARG is to educate the public about Renaissance culture – through costuming, dance, and
more in a fun, entertaining way.” Members practice dances twice per week and
these practices are free and open to the public – costumes not required! Many
members make their own costumes and a few even practice rapier fighting on
occasion. Don’t be surprised, then, to see musketeers clashing blades in a
local park! The group also provides lectures on Renaissance life and hosts
educational booths at local festivals.
Printed with
permission by Laurie Garnes
Why
does the group honor Santa Angela, you ask? Santa Angela Merici founded
the Ursuline Company during the Renaissance in Italy. “She was one of the first to grasp the changing
role of women in a society that was transformed by the Renaissance” (Santa
Angela Renaissance Guild, n.d.). Her organization was focused on the education
women. San Angelo, Texas gets its name from Santa Angela in a tribute to the
founder’s wife, Carolina Angela Dewitt, who passed away before the founder
moved to the area (Santa Angela Renaissance Guild, n.d.). Mrs. Dewitt’s patron
saint was Santa Angela and her sister was a member of the Ursuline Order, which
has become a fully ordained order out of the small company founded by Angela
Merici. Angela and the members of her company were “so successful in their
service that Angela was asked to bring her innovative approach to education to
other cities, and impressed many people, including the pope” (Catholic Online,
n.d.). SARG uses Angela’s name as a tribute to someone who believed in
educating those forgotten by the system, an ideal that the City of San Angeloaspires to.
Printed with permission by Richard Best
Members
of the group come from all walks of life. There is a retired professor, writer,
civil servant, retired teacher, farmer, and caseworker, just to name a few. Ken
Kuntz, a local business owner, said that he joined the group because of “skirt chasing”!
It’s true that there are more women than men in the group. During partner
dances, Charla Fehr stated that she sometimes takes the role of the man in the
dance, to fill the void.
The
group became involved in the Feast of Santa Angela shortly after the group’s
inception. Dr. Best stated that he and his wife began the process of finding
out what the city was doing to honor its connection to this prestigious lady
and found that only a small awards presentation was being held each year by Dr.
Ralph Chase, a prominent member of the San Angelo community. There had been one
attempt in previous years to provide more, but it did not go beyond the initial
attempt from lack of interest by the community. This presented a challenge for
the couple, as they felt very strongly about the need for something more than a
token acknowledgment. They began by including other members of SARG for ideas.
Printed with
permission by Ken Grimm
Eventually, in speaking
to members of the community, the group discovered a need for scholarships for
the San Angelo Broadway Academy. This academy is an extracurricular opportunity
for children up to 18 years of age to learn and get experience in the theatrical
arts. The director, Angela Hill, has studied in New York City and chose to
return home to pass her knowledge and expertise on to a new generation of young
thespians. She joined the Feast committee it was agreed that the children would
perform a play during the meal. This tradition has continued each year for the
last four years and is already in the planning stages once again for 2014. Each
year, a new play is performed, often written specifically for this event. Ms.
Hill stated that the children in her group are taught to perform as
professionals and truly enjoy the unique venue of the Feast of Santa Angela. To
date, the Feast has raised over $10,000 in scholarship money to help talented
children attend the academy.
Printed with permission by Ken Grimm
The Feast of Santa
Angela has been a community effort from the start. This is part of the
tradition of honoring Santa Angela, and has also helped to make the Feast
thrive. Every year has been a sell-out! Members of the community who have
helped make the Feast happen have included the director of Fort Concho, local
news professionals, Angelo State University professors, independent musicians,
business owners, and many more. Dr. Best stated that without the support of the
community, the Feast of Santa Angela would never have survived.
You, too, can be a part
of this great event on January 25, 2014. The doors open at 6:00 PM and tickets
are $30 for adults, $20 for children 12 and under. It is strongly recommended
that you buy your tickets early, as they will not be sold at the door. Costumes
are welcome, but not required. The Renaissance was a civilized era, so
silverware will be provided.
Printed with permission from Ken Grimm
References
Catholic
Online. (n.d.) St. Angela Merici.
Retrieved from http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=21
Santa
Angela Renaissance Guild. (n.d.). Why did
we choose Santa Angela? Retrieved from http://www.sarenguild.org/index.htm
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