The Greenchildren of Bristol was a group of "children" that resided in and performed as a branch of Kids Kingdom at the Bristol Renaissance Faire created by Brenda Kelly in 1994. Although they looked just as normal as the rest of the cast, they were in the spirit of the later Fantastickals. The premise the group used for their first two years was that each of them had been taken by the faeries as a child. While living in the land of Faery, their bodies continued to grow but they remained children in their minds. One day, while chasing some fireflies, the group of "children" wandered out of Faery into the mortal land of Bristol, where they basked in the kindness of Judith the Storyteller (Judith Anthill, the Director of Kids Kingdom). All three years of its run, the group avidly practiced Irish step-dancing (which they learned on Friday nights from the lovely ladies of Thistlecot) and storytelling.
1994 Cast[]
Brenda Kelly (Director) as Brook Babbling
Amy Baerman Stockinger (Assistant Director) as Rose Briarwood
Beth Boskey as Maggie Thorne
Jenny Johnson as Selina Fawn
Jeannie Petosa Fetter as Holly Woodwork
Emily Burrel as Schyler
Elizabeth Lindel Dawson as Tahlia Thorne
Heather Mullaney as Lynwood Mullaney
1995 Cast[]
Amy Baerman Stockinger (Director) as Rose Briarwood
David Fallest (Assistant Director) as Birchwood Fall
Paul Rubel as Grayson Redgrave
Erin Fisher as Kira Greenstone (alternately the storyteller [and crossdresser] Robin Goodfellow)
Elizabeth Lindel Dawson as Tahlia Thorne
Heather Mullaney as Autumn Fall
Brad as Robin Treeclimber (he didn't stay the season)
Jenny Moon as Aspen Fall (she only attended some weekends)
Greenchild Song: 1995
(to the tune of "Wild Rover")
Oh, we're the Greenchildren of the Bristol Faire,
and we'd tell you a story if we thought you would care--
though if you do not we care not a whit,
so just sit yourselves down here and listen to it:
If you'll give us cookies and ice cream galore,
Then we'll leave you alone now... till we want some more.
Oh, Grayson likes puppies and Kira likes stones.
Autumn and Birchwood they love ice cream cones.
Robin likes frogs and Tallie hates bugs,
and if you're nice to Rose then she'll give you a hug
[Alternate to the last line: Aspen she barks ("Ruf!"); Rose likes to give hugs.)
If you'll give us cookies and ice cream galore,
Then we'll leave you alone now... till we want some more.
1996 Cast[]
In 1996 the group decided to actually be faeries and discreetly wore pointed ears. Unfortunately, the BRF director Ron Scott Fry ordered us to stop wearing them after only three weekends, saying that as the Bristol Renaissance Faire does not portray a fantasy, we could not pretend to be faeries. The group ditched the ears, but kept the names.
Amy Baerman Stockinger (Director) as Marina the Rain Faery
David Fallest (Assistant Director) as Jack the Winter Elf
Elizabeth Lindel Dawson as Sunnie the Dew Faery
Paul Rubel as Nettle the Wood Elf
Erin Fisher as Maggie the Flower Faery
Sarah Oda as Melodie the Music Faery
Jen Curran as Ariel the Dream Faery
Katie Schmeling as Brooke the Water Faery
Greenchild Song: 1996
A long time ago, from Faery hence we came,
We had gotten lost while playing a faery game.
We found ourselves in Bristol town and here is where we'll stay
because here we can eat and drink and play our games all day.
But best of all we can dance until our heart's content--
although some people think we are malevolent,
the faery gifts we have will only bring you cheer,
and you'll be sad when we are gone and wish that we were here, here, here
wish we were here, here, here
Jack's the Snow Elf, and he's on holiday.
Marina makes it rain, but not when we're at play.
Sunnie is the faery of the morning dew,
(Spoken by Sunnie:)"You'd better do just what I say or I'll come after you!"
Brooke's the water faery and she babbles way too much.
Ariel's the faery of dreams and sleep and such.
Nettle's the wood elf, and Maggie's the flower faery,
And Melodie plays the faery tunes that always keep us merry
bum bum tiddly merry bum bum.