ACTING AND THE THEATER

Minstrels and bards have always memorized crucial scenes from “the classics” (old plays) to perform in their travels alongside music and dramatic recitations of poems. These audience favorites are the dramatic confrontations between legendary heroes and dragons, rulers and usurp¬ers about to slay them, wise old men and young reckless fools, and those falling in love. Carters and merchants also have a long his¬tory of earning extra coin as they travel by doing mimicry of well-known figures (Vangerdahast, for instance, in the Dragon Reach). They also put on the equivalent of Punch-and-Judy shows, which in the Realms are done by putting footwear over both hands, then a shawl or other cloth over one’s head to serve as a backdrop, and using the upturned boots as the heads of comic characters. These shows are known as Oldboots or, when folk printing handbills in larger cities are being pre¬cious, Talking Toes shows. Traveling companies of players are summer¬time features of the Heartlands, the Moonshaes, Amn, Tethyr, Aglarond, and the Vilhon. Perform¬ers often play roles of the other gender (in both directions), usually for comedic purposes. In Faerun, some actors travel constantly with goods caravans. These performers often make extra coin selling, making, and modifying cloth¬ing for buyers at the various places where they appear. For example, an actor might perform in a small village, present a stunningly beautiful gown on a lady character, and then let it be known after the show that similar garments can be bought. Then, all the actor has to do is wait for the local ladies (or men looking for a gift) to demand them. Acting isn’t a disreputable profession except in places where traveling companies in the past have practiced thievery with heavy hands. Many temples have small morality plays that are never seen outside their sacred precincts (and are supposed to be kept secret from all who aren’t deeply and loyally devout). Audiences expect ac¬tors to ad-lib or add new jests and mockeries to certain comedy plays. Unusual Performance Styles In Calimshan and Chessenta, traditional theater features an on-stage chanting chorus and over¬sized caricature masks mounted on sticks that all actors use to cover their faces. The style probably migrated from Calimshan to Chessenta centuries back, since very different plays are performed in the two regions; only the masks and choruses are common to both. This theatrical style is known in Calimshan as malakram, and in Chessenta as masqueladra. It is from this Chessentan term that Cormyr and other lands around the Sea of Fallen Stars get the term “masquerades” for their masked balls and revels. In Neverwinter, many local plays are built around a central trio of harpists. These harpists literally sit center stage for most of a performance, but occasionally walk on or off in unison to mark passages of time, such as a season or some period of years. Throughout the play, they harp, com¬ment to the audience on the action of the play without being a part of it, and wear no costumes. In the Sword Coast lands from about Wa- terdeep south to Amn, many “crafty country bumpkin” plays are staged, built around a gruff, limping character called Old Duiwin (doo-win) and constantly updated with new jokes and snide political commentary. These traditions don’t seem to have formal names—they’re just “the good old plays” to locals, as opposed to strange new productions brought from afar. Many Sword Coast cities from the Tashalar north to Waterdeep continue to celebrate a tradi¬tion of tableaux in festivals and the revels of the wealthy. Tableaux is a play in which scene after scene of motionless actors is revealed, to the ac¬companiment of stirring music. The actors are usually provocatively clad women, often frozen in scenes that purport to depict important his¬torical events. These are often known as marvel masques, but sometimes as grandiques, fresstel, or allbeholdings. Recently in Sembia, a new tradition has gained popularity in the most exclusive clubs and in the private revels of the wealthiest: silent re¬enactments of murders or hunts, the latter often involving actors with their skins painted to mimic the appearance of the beasts being hunted. When these silent plays are performed in club settings, sometimes the portrayers of the painted beasts are _ „ c nf11 Paaes/Ed Greenwood, 1988 SECRETS OF THE SAGES: Package 1 Pago 5 otil Pages/E ELMINSTER'S ERRATA into every project in life, here and in Faerun, it seems, a few errors creep. Be it the work of dark forces, or the gods' way of teaching mortals humility, or mere ill luck...mistakes there are, always. Elminster, sharp-eyed old rogue that he is ("five hundred-odd winters will do that to ye," he told us rather testily), has noticed more than a few in the Forgotten Realms™ products we've published thus far. He has not hesitated to tell us so. in several cases we've felt moved to follow his ah, gentle suggestions to correct such errors — hence this announcement. Hopefully such entries will be few. Item the First: In the original boxed Campaign Set of the Realms (and in the first issue of this newsletter), the world map of "the North" of FaerGn shows a city south of The High Moor which it names "Sombar." The correct name of this place, as the 'close-up* maps in the boxed set correctly give it (and as Elminster acidly assures us the city's native inhabitants prefer it) is "Soubar." it stand thus corrected.










hired to drum up business. Some monster-playing performers are doppelgangers who are very well paid to appear as humans with webbed hands or feet, tails, illithid tentacles, or the like. They are under strict contract not to harm patrons— though of course no such restrictions apply to nonpatrons who happen to come within reach of such creatures outside the club. Traveling Troupes A medium-sized traveling troupe of performers is some sixty to eighty people, some of whom are bouncers and coin-takers and makeup folk, and a large troupe is more than eighty strong, topping out at around one hundred forty persons for prac¬tical reasons. Smaller troupes of both varieties are far more numerous, with most troupes in the mid-forties in total strength, and larger ones in the mid-sixties. Aside from the obvious acrobatic acts and acting performances, a troupe’s attractions can include wrestling (both genders, against those of same gender), monster-taming acts, jesters, jug¬glers, fortune tellers, and sellers of confections and “luck pieces” who tell amusing or scary tales. Most troupes also offer services: They check coins for value and authenticity, appraise items brought to them, provide names of and direc¬tions to experts on various matters (sometimes even furnishing letters of invitation or passwords), and examine contracts and agreements to explain them fully to the illiterate or bewildered. Troupes might also offer more shady assis¬tance, such as help with disguises and providing doubles, or sending out “set things to rights” teams to aid the poor, the weak, or those simply outnumbered or overmatched. In particular, they furnish this service to those facing a wealthier or more numerous foe who has advantages over them, such as their guildmaster or the head of the local Watch. Harpers and members of other secretive groups and cabals often join traveling acting troupes as a means of remaining “unseen among the many” while moving around the Realms. This way they can make covert contact with others in their group along the way. In such secretive meet¬ings, they pass on and receive payments, funds, and small items (such as keys, tools, rare magical ingredients, and contraband impart everyday advice as to who and what to watch out for (a Harper posing as a fortune teller would pass this information on as part of her spiel), and dispense medicines or poison antidotes or daggers. A troupe disbands every winter, either in a city or somewhere warm enough for inhabitants not to have to worry about freezing to death, fighting off wolves, or having no green growing things to eat. Waterdeep is as northerly a site as an acting troupe would voluntarily end up at a tour’s end; beyond its walls, and south as far as Amn, is the cold, snow-swept, ore-raided, monster-roamed North. But only the wealthiest performers can af¬ford to winter in friendly-to-artistes Silverymoon or Everlund, and the high cost of daily living makes most actors shun Waterdeep, too, with the exception of those who can “stay on the cheap” with family, or work at a winter job, usually craft¬ing of some kind. Traveling troupes are far more likely to winter in southern Tethyr, the Vilhon, and more south¬erly areas, near Innarlith, for example, or in the Border Kingdoms, or down in Luiren. Cormyr is “law and order” safe enough, but has a harsh win¬ter climate—and most traveling performers will by nature mistrust the surveillance the War Wiz¬ards are said to perform on everyone and every place in the Forest Kingdom. Acrobatic entertainers need warm weather, cheap food and accommodations, and relative safety so they can keep their muscles relaxed as they practice, readily recuperate from injuries suffered on the road, and live cheaply and eas¬ily. That need usually means dwelling on farms, villages, and hamlets in lush, warm, lightly (or fairly) ruled areas. The Famous Seven Actors, enthusiasts, and sages can argue end¬lessly over the best, the most influential, and even the most popular plays performed in the Heart¬lands, but throughout the 1300s DR and well into the 1400s DR, seven plays were most often performed. They were agreed upon by widely traveled Harpers before High Lady Alustriel of Silverymoon listed them in 1344 DR, and are de¬scribed here in the order of the years when each play was first performed: Bellagar the Black Dragon by Orstyn Scar- adarr of Scornubel, 1242 DR. A stirring  adventure in which simple village folk slay a fell wyrm who lairs in their midst, after armies and adventurers flee. King Helcantur the Doomed by Awnagur Hertrel of Athkatla, 1266 DR. The moral tale of how a hated, cruel tyrant is brought down by his suffer¬ing court. Rorold the Lusty by Anonymous, 1297 DR. A slapstick, pratfall comedy about the misadven¬tures of a gruff dwarf made irresistible to human women thanks to a mischievous elf mage’s spell. Five Fallen Thrones by Ammathra Longalar of Waterdeep, 1299 DR. An inspiring semi-comedy wherein the ghosts of the last kings of five van¬ished realms haunt young seekers of fortune, driving them to overthrow an evil lord. Aballar the Mighty by Nareth Quorl of Never- winter, 1306 DR. A comedy about a timid man consistently misunderstood as a hero, who is pushed into becoming one and rescuing a prin¬cess—who is then delighted to find that he is timid and easily ruled. Seven Swords Snarlclash by Imbaerla Nardragon of Saerloon, 1312 DR. The bloody “god’s justice” account of how seven overambitious adventurers seek the same treasure, the fabled hoard of Snarl- clash the dragon, and butcher each other to win it, until only the female slaves of two of them are left alive to claim the riches. Harl the Serpent by Anonymous, 1322 DR. A dark comedy about a stylish but despicable wom¬anizing villain who is finally brought down.