My most common Faire persona is Dottore, an early 18th-century butler turned pirate turned merchant. I can do a passable English accent, and I trot that out when I play him. The costume consists mostly of items appropriated from our own inventory.

The name is taken from a common Commedia Dell ‘Arte character – which I also played. I appeared as Dottore in the Graceland College production of A Company of Wayward Saints by George Herman way back in 1986. It was one of my last real roles in a real play, and one of my favorites.

As a high-school and college actor, I specialized in playing the old men. I had a ken for it. Once you are out of educational theater, the roles of old men go to actual old men. I went backstage and became the guy controlling the lights rather than the one squinting into them.

Nearly forty years later, I am selling garb at Renaissance Festivals. Or rather, I am playing your friend  Dottore who sells you garb and artifacts.

Commedia Dell ‘Arte is a late medieval school of improvised theater popular in Italy.  Ill Dottore, from whom I borrowed the name, is presented as a know-it-all doctor or other learned professional who actually does not know much at all. The character in Saints begins that way, but grows over the course of the play, along with the rest of the troupe.

My Faire character really shares only the name. He does not dress all in black. He tries not to blather.

My Dottore began as a Butler though not a good one. He was originally just a house-servant. When the noble couple booked passage for America the Butler he reported to, and most of the remaining competent staff, refused to go. It was suspected that the true purpose of the voyage was to elude their many angry creditors. Dottore – having no better prospects – joined them – and was thus promoted to Butler.

Somewhere in the Atlantic, their ship was overtaken by pirates, and the three were captured.

Someone paid ransom for the Nobles – likely their creditors. None would pay for poor Dottore.

However, in the considerable delay as these transactions were negotiated, Dottore, out of boredom, organized the stowage he had been imprisoned with. The pirates soon discovered the fastest way to find anything in the hold was to ask Dottore.

So rather than being thrown overboard, or sold as a slave, he was offered the post of quartermaster (as the previous one had become inconveniently dead) and thereby became a pirate.

In this role, Dottore often joined the first mate and later captain Gracie Shotz ashore to try and liquidate their loot. There, they both noticed that the parties buying their ill-gotten wares were wealthier and healthier than any of the pirates they bought from.

Dottore and Gracie, having become a couple by this point, also became merchants. And that is how he came to be here, in this tent, willing to help you find what you want.