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Santa Maria Pirate Weekend, May 2012 - Columbus, OH
Chapter 5th: Of Saturday afternoon following the battle. Including the post-battle rush; A bit more on the displays on the ship, particularly featuring the surgeon's assistants and people making music; More on the gibbet and Santa Maria director Linda's role; A profile of a once and future pirate that your author never met; M.A. d'Dogge's birthday surprise; and The future generation of pirate reenactors
Following the battle, we docked the Green Black Sheep and returned to our ship and shore duties. The battle had drawn a pretty decent-sized crowd, who were milling about, hungering for pirate knowledge as you can see below. I was going to have to wade through people to make my way back to the surgeon's table in steerage.
 Photo: Mission The post-battle crowd on shore |
 Photo: Mission The post battle crowd on the ship |
While making my way, others were setting up. We had such a large audience that we were kept pretty busy explaining our period displays to the knowledge ravenous crowds for quite a while. Below you see more on the activities. Nathanael was getting the Persephone (Per-zeph-own) ready for the evening; Michelle was back at the games table entertaining some of our young audience and Silas was working on his sailor's bag, answering questions posed by the curious.
 Photo: Jim Shipley Nathanael and his boat |
 Photo: Mission Michelle mugging for the camera at games |
 Photo: Mission Silas explaining his sewing tasks to a group |
Of course, there were other activities going on, about which we'll be generous and call "living history." Anna Maria was preparing cheese and bread for everyone, but, as you can see below left, Connie Thatcher's ever popular cookies were getting much of the attention. There's nothing to make one quite so peckish as a good, brisk battle. After eating, you can't top your meal off any better than with a good ol' fashioned nap on the dock as Billie Beach attests.
 Photo: Mission A popular post-battle activity: Chris, Thomas and Ivan Henry eating Connie Thatcher's cookies |
 Photo: DB Couper Billie Beach out cold |
Photo: Mission
Andrew explaining surgical techniques to a group of boys
Returning to my spot, I discovered that I had been replaced. This is now a pretty common occurrence at events. Apparently it is fun for my fellow pirates to try to fill in for me so they can see how much of what I've said they can remember. Among those who filled in were Andrew, long-time-surgeon-standing-in-guy George aka. Ken and Kate Bagley. Ryan Thatcher also tried to do it, but his retention was not so good and he had a tendency to run off-script and start making up wild stories involving giant flies chewing bubble-gum. (I'll bet you think I'm kidding you.)
Pirates recalling what they had seen the surgeon do and copying it actually has historical precedence. As I had learned while putting together my website article on amputation, carpenter John Fenn used cauterized his ship's captain by heating his axe red hot and pressing it to his amputated leg. Someone left an ax by my table Saturday morning, so I started using it as a prop to tell that story.
During the afternoon a man and his wife showed up with a video camera and kept asking about various items on the table. Their appetite for info seemed insatiable, so I just kept going with it. I asked him what he was going to do with the video and he said he would save it like he usually did. His wife told me that he had a whole hard drive full of videos he had taken. I asked him if he could get me a copy of it and he took my card and promised to email me to get my address. He did so. I hope to soon be posting that for your edification and my embarrassment. (I find there is nothing worse than watching and listening to myself. I'll bet most of you know exactly what I'm talking about. "Do I really sound like that? Why wasn't I strangled at birth?")
 Photo: DB Couper Mission's assistants: Silas Thatcher, Mark Gist and George/ Ken. Run, do not walk away from this table. |
 Photo: Mission Grace and Ryan 'helping' through embellishment |
 Photo: Mission Mission's videographer Randy McIntosh with the surgeon |
Photo: Michael Colosimo
Off Keel's Cindy Meyers and Matt Hughes
Photo: DB Couper
Sarah and Dan dance to the music
A new activity began in earnest after the battle: music. Matt Hughes and Cindy Meyers - who make up the band Off Keel - had showed up Friday night and played and sang most of Saturday in the park.
During the afternoon, they were joined by some of the local Columbus pirate musicians, including Mark Gist and his fiddle (below center) and Sarah and her flute (below right). It was wonderful to have musicians around the event. Musicians were an essential part of a sailor's life, and pirates thought enough of music that they were known to press other ship's musicians into service if they had none.
According to Off Keel's Facebook page, they formed because "Pittsburgh needed some better pirates, so we rose to the occasion." Their music was good enough to dance to, as can be seen in the photo of Sarah and Captain Thomas Stanley Lowe/Dan Frey above right.
 Photo: Jim Shipley Matt Hughes singing hard for his supper |
 Photo: Dolphin Dani Mark Gist plays his fiddle |
 Photo: Mission Matt Hughes accompanies Sarah |
Speaking of Captain Thomas Stanley Lowe, let's speak of Captain Thomas Stanley Lowe aka Dan Frey. He just kind
Photo: DB Couper
Captain Thomas Lowe,
at your
service
Photo: Mission
Captain Lowe and Shannon Gallatin compare
fancy duds
of showed up on Saturday and must have had a good time because he returned on Sunday. Now you may notice a resemblance between Dan's garb and Captain Jack Sparrow's Dad, Edward Teague. (Not to get off point here, but how did they come to have different last names if Teague is Sparrow's dad? Hmm...) So you maybe thinking that his outfit is based on Captain Teague. Don't be naive! (Like I was.) Captain Lowe is a character unto himself according to Dan, who started assembling the outfit about six years ago. (Although he sure looks a heckuva lot like Teague.)
He found out about the Pirate Weekend when he was doing a photo shoot a few weeks before the event. He told me he is a professional hair and make-up designer with his own company, which probably explains why he was doing a photo shoot near the ship. He felt compelled to attend because, as he put it, "those pompus Englishmen needed to be taken down a peg or two." Plus he said, "I love to work/ interact with the kids (no matter what age they are)." A sentiment we all share, no doubt.
Photo: Dolphin Dani
Mr. d'Dogge, Metier of Justice
Photo: Dolphin Dani
Daniel giving away his goods
An activity that was really going well during the afternoon were the gibbet and stocks. They were so popular that M.A. d'Dogge and Billie were actually complaining later on that they never got a break. The public apparently had a need to be punished for their transgressions or something resulting in a run on the torture devices.
The way I saw the gibbet worked is that M.A. d'Dogge and Billie would load the victim in the gibbet cage (as seen below left). They would then haul them up using the rope and pulley system and leave 'em there for a bit. I suppose the time of suspension depended on the depth of depravity of the person being punished. Some, like Daniel Robertson at right, feared they would be up there so long they started bartering possessions to reduce the sentence.
Then there were the stocks. They worked by removing the top board so the punishee could stick their hand and hands in the rounded slots. Then MD and Billie would slide the top board in place and lock it with those two pegs you see sticking out at the top in the photo below center. Sounds horribly confining, doesn't it? Yet the public ate it up. Even Grace, young though she is, was concerned at enthusiastic mobs of adults desiring to be put into the gibbet and stocks. No doubt she wondered such bizarre behavior from what should be sensible adults (below right.)
 Photo: Dolphin Dani Loading the next customer |
 Photo: DB Couper "Hi mom!" or "Wish you were here!" or "What? Me Worry" or... |
 Photo: Dolphin Dani Grace, concerned |
Photo: Brooklyn Brokaw
Brooklyn Brokaw Balancing Ebulliently
Now those of you who are regular readers may have noticed that I occasionally profile people who were at an event but whom I did not actually meet. For some reason known only to my subconscious, I think it's funny. (And my subconscious won't tell me why. I've asked.) A lot of people think it's sort of dumb to do such profiles, so, naturally, I am going to continue. I should note that this profilee says I did meet her, but for some strange reason I don't remember meeting her. She explained that I told her about things that "made my belly flip and... ask questions to which I didn't want to hear the answers." That sounds suspiciously like me, so she's obviously right.
By now you're wondering when the heck I am going to start writing the profile. Stop wondering. Meet Brooklyn Jane Brokaw, who, as far as I can tell, is not related to Tom. She's an actress, who's been involved with theater since she was 4. Her first job was as a historical interpreter over at the COSI, which is that building you always see in the background of the battle pictures on the other side of the Scioto River. She traveled from there to the Middle East to Disney World to NYC and finally arrived at the Santa Maria. (No doubt she invested in a GPS shortly after that trip.) She has played a Disney Princess and ridden a Siberian Tiger, although probably not at the same time. (Unless the princess was Jasmine, I suppose.)
While Brooklyn is not a reenactor, she wants to get involved with us because she said she really enjoyed dressing up and educating people while working at COSI. So I guess you could call her a preenactor. As she explained: "I am more interested in historical accuracy in this instance because it fits with what everyone else is doing. It enforces consistency, which makes for a better experience." This sounds like us during the day at events. However, she also noted that "I am not opposed to silliness or fantasy, if the situation presents itself." This sounds like us at night. (Oh, how those situations present themselves at night, as regular readers will attest.) She told me she thought her improvisational skills might be useful in reenacting, a comment with which I wholeheartedly agree, given how much of what we do seems improvised. Possibly even random. (Except the bits for which we don our suits and hold multiple meetings. Just because the Muppets say something doesn't mean it's true.)
If all goes well, you should be reading about Brooklyn in next month's Put-in-Bay Surgeon's Journal. Cross your fingers and toes. (But don't try to walk with them that way or you'll be your ship's surgeon reaaaal soon.)
 Photo: Brooklyn Brokaw Brooklyn and Captain Lowe, right before she maced him. |
 Photo: Brooklyn Brokaw As Mary Poppins right before the horse jumped out of the carousal. |
 Photo: Brooklyn Brokaw As a bunny (center). Of her many, many pics, I'll bet no one is surprised I chose this one. |
Photo: Mission
Linda Ketcham going up in the gibbet
But let's put that brief bit of sunshine behind us and talk about the gibbet and stocks some more. You can never get enough of torture devices in a Surgeon's Journal, now can you?
As the afternoon wound down, Linda Ketcham closed up the ticket office and reported that the ship had made over $1800 that day, which was more than any entire previous pirate weekend! We were all very excited; so much so that M.A. d'Dogge locked Linda in the gibbet and hoisted her up. Actually, come to think of it, he did this to anyone who got too close to the gibbet, so it may not have been quite the celebratory gesture it seems to have been.
Linda seemed to like it. A lot. We all knew she was as loony as we were, but this took the cake. (Actually, M.A. d'Dogge took the cake, but not until the next activity started.) Linda must have liked it so much, that she decided, what the heck, let's give the old stocks a try while we're at it! Satisfaction, or your money back. Or something.
 Photo: Mark Gist Have you ever seen anyone so happy to be in a device meant to torture you? |
 Photo: Mission Linda in the stocks, not so cheerful |
Photo: DB Couper
Shannon locking M.A. d'Dogge away for the evening
Once Linda was released, we decided to close ship and put M.A. d'Dogge in the stocks. (What? His wife does this every night!) Michael Bagley also wanted to take the crew photo at this point because several people had to leave in the morning. (Curiously, several more people were arriving in the morning who would not be in the crew photos, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Usually with a number two pencil.) Besides, M.A. d'Dogge was in stocks, so it was a good time to take the photo.
I had also asked Michael if we could get a shot of all the people in period correct garb because I wanted to use it in my educational presentation I give at libraries and such. It is part of a joke I tell, which I will not retell here, mainly because I forget how it goes. (You know, it's that thing about punch lines again...)
Below are the two photos of the crew, for your amazement and amusement. I am not going to name everyone in them because it would take forever and, let's face it, you're not going to read it anyhow. At best you'll look for the faces of the people you know. (For reference, I am the one in the Patrick Hand Original™ Planter's hat.)
 Photo: DB Couper The group photo featuring everyone who was in it |
 Photo: Mission's Camera The Period Correct Garb Group Photo |
Since M.A. d'Dogge was still in stocks and it was his birthday (the celebration of his birthday always seems to span the entire spring Santa Maria Pirate Weekend for some reason), the crew naturally had to make the most of that. We haven't done a round of photos or a mouseover image in a while, so lets pack this next sequence with some old Surgeon's Journal favorite layout techniques.
Since M.A. d'Dogge was securely locked in the stocks the he himself built, Stephen Priddy got out the cat o' nine tails to be used to administer the birthday spankings. What's one more torture device amongst friends? (Whoever the hell decided birthday spankings was a great tradition should have sought some professional help. Really.) Michael Bagley did the honors, the results of which you can see in cheesy two picture animation by rolling your mouse pointer over the image below right. (Go ahead, do it. DB Couper put a lot of hard work into making this work.)
 Photo: DB Couper Stephen Priddy brings a cat to M.A. d'Dogge's birthday party |
 Photo: DB Couper Michael Bagley administers the cat (Mouse over him to see it.) |
Photo: Dolphin Dani
M.A. d'Dogge cheerfully accepting his fate
Naturally we all got a good laugh out of that, especially because M.D. d'Dogge couldn't do anything about it. He just kind of had to stoop there and put up with it, as you see at right.
Then it was time for the birthday cake. If I'm not mistaken, presenting the cake to M.A. d'Dogge while he was locked securely was Trish Gallatin's idea. She brought the cake over to him as you see below left. This may sound like a big honor, but she also had to light the candles in the brisk breeze coming down the Scioto. (So M.A. d'Dogge had to stand there for several minutes wondering why no one would let him out while the rest of us stood around anxiously.) For reasons only known to herself, Michelle/Diosa then brought out a cupcake and smooshed it in MD's beard, running away as if a guy in stocks could retaliate. Fortunately, he's a good sport, and gave her a nice big hug after he got out.
 Photo: DB Couper Trish and the birthday cake. |
 Photo: DB Couper Do not feed the animals; they are wild. |
 Photo: DB Couper Yet they're still friends. |
Photo: Jim Shipley
Grace with a BIG gun
OK, with all the business of the stocks and gibbet completed, it's time to lurch back from the misery of torture to a cheerful subject again. (The Surgeon's Journal. Your full-service, bipolar pirate prose epic!)
There were several young adults on the ship. Usually we get a smattering of them, but this year seemed to have yielded a bumper crop. The nice thing about this was that they actually had someone to hang out with other than the goofy adults (particularly their parents.)
Photo: Mission
Dolphin Dani at parade rest
The Thatcher kids like Grace, Ryan and Andrew are old hands and always seem to have a good time at reenactment events as I've chronicled in these Journals. Santa Maria newcomer Dolphin Dani (right) also seemed to be a reenacting vet and took things in stride - we'll talk more about her in a bit. AJ Coco was the elder of the group. So the reenacting newbie story here is Jacelyn, who came with her dad, Jim (seen below right).
Jim told me he had tried to get Jacelyn and the rest of family interested in his newfound passion. This was his first reenactment, but since his pirate story goes much farther back than this weekend, it will get it's own section. Jim explained that his daughter Jacelyn loved the POTC movies, but she showed no interest in dressing up at all
His family was staying with relatives in Columbus and he convinced Jaycelyn to came and watch the mock battle on Saturday. He said that when she saw the lengths people go to to do this and how much fun they have doing it, she was 'intrigued.' Then when she saw her peers getting involved and she was hooked. Before the Santa Maria event, her dad was the only one she had ever seen put such effort into dressing like a pirate. And let's face it: your dad can’t possibly be cool. Now, however, Jim says, "she won't stop talking about it, and is VERY excited to be a part of it again in September!" We're excited that she's excited. It kind of works that way.
 Photo: DB Couper Some of the young adults: Jaycelyn, AJ, Ryan (in back) and Andrew |
 Photo: DB Couper Jaycelyn and her dad Jim hanging out |