I hope this is the place for this.
I'm considering an audition for a local faire and part of it involves salary requirements. is there a "standard" salary for ren magi?-no hat passing.
obviously, I don't want under price myself since it requires 4-5 hours of work and I certainly don't expect to get rich. any suggestions are welcomed.
btw it will be for the 05 season.
dug

Greetings and Salutations phread,

Go to 'the sidewalk shuffle," this is no place for a rennie!

I'd bounce a message to Harry Murphy or Bill Palmer, they are a couple of renaissance faire performers with plenty of experience under their belts.

A lot of your salary negotiation is going to depend on your experience, both as a magi and renaissance performer, the size of the faire, who you are negotiating with, and how badly they think they need you.

If you're going to be a simple street character performing as a wandering street act, don't expect much in the way of recompense, however, you can expect some decent money if you are a main stage act.

Have fun playing in the streets!

Joe in KC

Live a great adventure, make magic happen!

Thanks for the 411

I know serving wenches get a salary. That is all I know. Wait, I like cheese. That I also know. Fairies rule!

Many Faires work on a busking arangement. Avoid that if at all possible. You are a professional and should be paid. One thing you might do is find out who worked there last year and contact them. be up front about working there and get the 411 from them about conditions and, if you are polite about it, pay scales.

But, make sure that you give them something in return, whether it's a spin on a trick, a lead for a gig or whatever as most people don't like to give away something for nothing (except on the Café, where everybody seems pretty willing to share openly - which I think is GREAT!).

Don't forget to ask about perks, too, like breaks, food discounts and, if you have to stay in the area, whether they have any deals with the local motels. If you are commuting, make sure you find out about performer parking and the like.

Also, if you are going to be salaried, ask about how they want you to handle tips. Will you be allowed to "pass the hat," or is this discouraged for those who get a regular paycheck? If you are getting a paycheck, will they be taking out taxes, as this can have a serious impact on your take-home pay, but can also help come next April 15th.

Hope this helps!

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

Yeah, there was a renaissance festival Magician and he was pretty good, and very popular. I know he traveled around, but I don't know about any motel deals.