Steven E. Fassl
From Renaissance Faire Wiki
Steven E. Fassl has been a Street performer at the Bristol Renaissance Faire since 1993.
He's probably most famous for his longtime Street character Odorferious Thunderbottom.
[edit] Performance History
[edit] Loxen Bagel/Barrowdale (1993-94)
During Steve's first two years, he played the part of a peasant named Loxen Bagel. Upper management, however, felt this was too contrived of a name, therefore, they would not put it in the official program. Steve appears under the name of Loxen “Barrowdale”, a name he borrowed from one of his employees at the time, who was of English decent. While this was his official faire name, Steve never referred to it, choosing to use Loxen Bagel during his first two years.
After changing his character in 1995 to Odorferious Thunderbottom, Steve decided to keep Loxen alive by referring to him as his identical half-twin brother; same father different mothers. “Dad was busy that day.”
In 1996 and 1997, the half-twin came to life when Steve’s real brother, Julius Fassl, performed as Loxen with OTB for several weekends during those two seasons. A new Bristol family was invented.
[edit] Odorferious Thunderbottom (1995-present)
Odorferious Thunderbottom (aka OTB), “Keeper of the Privies and Unofficial Head of the PrivyCouncil”, arrived in Bristol during the summer of 1995. Played by third year cast member Steven E. Fassl, the idea for Odorferious was inspired by Steve’s then troupe director David Schmidt, who, during one of the troupe’s early rehearsals, began to name several actual occupations of the English during the 16th Century. David said, “privy cleaner”. Steve thought, “renaissance toilet humor”. A new Bristol character was born.
The first name of Steve’s character came about the following day while Steve was sitting on the "blank", taking a "blank". The first name of the character now determined, Steve deferred to his wife, Carol, for the last name. Having lived with Steve for over twenty years, “Thunderbottom”, seemed like an obvious choice. A new Bristol Character was named.
Odorferious has always worked with an array of props. This came from a suggestion by Ron Scot Fry during one of Steve’s early BAPA classes. Ron said, “The more crap you have hanging off of you, the better”. Steve, unusually given to excesses, took him at his word. He went to garage sales, flee markets, thrift stores, etc., looking for anything that might be used to make people laugh. One day while visiting a craft show with his wife, he happened upon a child’s potty seat made of wood, that appeared to be a miniature throne. Steve purchased that potty seat, and it began to grow in his demented little brain, until it was big enough for a “larger than life sized” adult, which Steve was. Add wheels, and a couple of arms to pull it around, and BINGO! A new Bristol prop was created.
Some years back, after the creation of the Bristol Discussion Board, by Dean Calin, former lead Badde Guy, and Attorney General to the Queen, Sir Edward Coke (Jim Owczarski), desperately afraid of not spelling “Odorferious Thunderbottom” correctly, referred to Steve as “OTB” and offered the additional salutation: "Word to my Poop-peep". Steve picked up on this idea. A new Bristol nickname was coined.
For the last eleven seasons, OTB and ThunderThrone, have kept Bristol streets clean, the toilets dirty, and patrons laughing. His day begins outside the front gates with a 20 minute “pre-show”, which includes a kissing contest between unsuspecting patrons selected at random from the crowd, impatiently waiting for the gates to open. From there he migrates through the streets, until he finds ThunderThrone, Bristol’s first portable privy. Odorferious spends the majority of his day sitting in his privy, talking endlessly about nothing, to all passing patrons, whether they listen or not. Periodically, OTB will exit the privy to encounter a shy patron whom he feels compelled to introduce to everyone within shouting distance. Last year he made several bean bags out of brown burlap and beans, and began to toss them into the hole on his privy. Two words suddenly entered his brian; "turd toss". A new Bristol game was invented.
Over the past several years, OTB has taken his privy on the road, visiting such faires as, “Stronghold Olde English Faire”, “The Janesville Renaissance Farie”, and “Camelot Medieval Faire”. He performs in the street, in the privy, and on stage. At many faires he also sells, “ThunderPickles”; the pickle that makes your belly quake forth with great joy. He is available to perform, sell pickles, and/or sit and talk endless about nothing at various events, both public and private.
