Questions and Answers
Q: What is "Thieves Guilde"?
A: Thieves Guilde is a volunteer acting group that was formed for the purpose of performing choreographed fights for a variety of audiences. Our productions include realistic stage combat, period characters, and tons of excitement.
Q: Why is it called the Thieves Guilde?
A: The Thieves Guilde, as it is now known, came to be from the hard work of many individuals. For more information about our history, please look at What We Do.
Q: Where does the Thieves Guilde perform?
A: The Thieves Guilde is most known for work at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, Florida. However, we have performed at other festivals including:
Q: Why is it called "Hoggetowne"?
A: It is in honor of the history of Gainesville. Before it officially became a city in 1853, it was called Hogtown. This is where the Railroad stopped, a great place to bring pork to slaughter. Hogtown Creek, which meanders through Gainesville, still bears the name. It is spelled 'Hoggetowne' in honor of the superfluous nature of Olde English, as is used by faires and Hollywood today.
Q: How do I join the Thieves Guilde?
A: We are always looking for talented, committed, and fun people to join our troupe. For information on joining, please look here.
Q: Do I have to live in Gainesville to participate?
A: Gainesville residency is not required, but it really helps. For the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, rehearsals are usually held every weekend, both Saturdays and Sundays, from auditions in the fall until the show in February. Even so, members of the troupe have and do live as far away as Chiefland, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa.
Q: Do the actors get paid?
A: The Thieves Guilde is a not-for-profit organization, and as such involvement is purely volunteer. The 'compensation' for our actors and members is the experience and training they receive, in addition to the friends made.
Q: What is a typical production like for the Thieves Guilde?
A: While we perform a variety of productions, we are most often involved in the Living Chessboard, a life-sized chess game played on field that has been painted to resemble a chessboard. The actors stand in as chess pieces and when a piece is moved to take another, the two 'fight' to determine who gets the square.
Q: What does the Thieves Guilde do aside from the living chessboard at faires?
A: We help provide characters and atmosphere of the Middle Ages throughout the faire. We are "in character" for the entire day and interact with faire patrons, helping to bring the Middle Ages to life for faire goers.
Q: Do you really fight?
A: All fights the Thieves Guilde performs are 100% choreographed. Hundreds of hours go into training and rehearsal to safely achieve realistic and entertaining fights.
Q: What type of training do you offer?
A: The Thieves Guilde draws on the experience and shared knowledge of members who have years of fight experience, martial arts and fencing backgrounds, as well as SAFD Training. SAFD is the Society of American Fight Directors, the organization that choreographs most movie swordfights. As part of involvement with the Thieves Guilde, actors are given a chance to learn to fight with a variety of weapons. For more information on the training offered, please visit our section on Training & Safety.
Q: Do you fight with real weapons?
A: The weapons we use (including swords, staves, maces, axes, and more) are all real. None of our steel weapons are edged, for the safety of the actors and to prolong the life of the swords.
Q: Do people ever get hurt?
A: Injuries do occur, but we do our best to prevent them through many hours of rehearsal. Our Safety Team works very hard to ensure that all actors follow the standards developed.
Q: Are you involved with the SCA (The Society for Creative Anachronism)?
A: The Thieves Guilde is an independent acting/theater organization. While some members of the Thieves Guilde have been and still are members of other groups, such as The Society for Creative Anachronism, AmptGuard, and Solar, the troupe itself is not officially affiliated.
Q: How can I find out more information?
A: Our website provides information regarding auditions, training, and much more. If you find that you still have questions, our contact page can help direct you to someone who can answer your question.
Q: Is there a mailing list that I can join?
A: Yes! You can join our mailing list here!
A: Thieves Guilde is a volunteer acting group that was formed for the purpose of performing choreographed fights for a variety of audiences. Our productions include realistic stage combat, period characters, and tons of excitement.
Q: Why is it called the Thieves Guilde?
A: The Thieves Guilde, as it is now known, came to be from the hard work of many individuals. For more information about our history, please look at What We Do.
Q: Where does the Thieves Guilde perform?
A: The Thieves Guilde is most known for work at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, Florida. However, we have performed at other festivals including:
- Various Pirate Reenactments
- Weddings, school demos, etc.
- Charity Events
- Florida Renaissance Festival North (now closed)
- Southern Shakespeare Festival (now closed)
- Orlando Renaissance Festival (now closed)
Q: Why is it called "Hoggetowne"?
A: It is in honor of the history of Gainesville. Before it officially became a city in 1853, it was called Hogtown. This is where the Railroad stopped, a great place to bring pork to slaughter. Hogtown Creek, which meanders through Gainesville, still bears the name. It is spelled 'Hoggetowne' in honor of the superfluous nature of Olde English, as is used by faires and Hollywood today.
Q: How do I join the Thieves Guilde?
A: We are always looking for talented, committed, and fun people to join our troupe. For information on joining, please look here.
Q: Do I have to live in Gainesville to participate?
A: Gainesville residency is not required, but it really helps. For the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire, rehearsals are usually held every weekend, both Saturdays and Sundays, from auditions in the fall until the show in February. Even so, members of the troupe have and do live as far away as Chiefland, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa.
Q: Do the actors get paid?
A: The Thieves Guilde is a not-for-profit organization, and as such involvement is purely volunteer. The 'compensation' for our actors and members is the experience and training they receive, in addition to the friends made.
Q: What is a typical production like for the Thieves Guilde?
A: While we perform a variety of productions, we are most often involved in the Living Chessboard, a life-sized chess game played on field that has been painted to resemble a chessboard. The actors stand in as chess pieces and when a piece is moved to take another, the two 'fight' to determine who gets the square.
Q: What does the Thieves Guilde do aside from the living chessboard at faires?
A: We help provide characters and atmosphere of the Middle Ages throughout the faire. We are "in character" for the entire day and interact with faire patrons, helping to bring the Middle Ages to life for faire goers.
Q: Do you really fight?
A: All fights the Thieves Guilde performs are 100% choreographed. Hundreds of hours go into training and rehearsal to safely achieve realistic and entertaining fights.
Q: What type of training do you offer?
A: The Thieves Guilde draws on the experience and shared knowledge of members who have years of fight experience, martial arts and fencing backgrounds, as well as SAFD Training. SAFD is the Society of American Fight Directors, the organization that choreographs most movie swordfights. As part of involvement with the Thieves Guilde, actors are given a chance to learn to fight with a variety of weapons. For more information on the training offered, please visit our section on Training & Safety.
Q: Do you fight with real weapons?
A: The weapons we use (including swords, staves, maces, axes, and more) are all real. None of our steel weapons are edged, for the safety of the actors and to prolong the life of the swords.
Q: Do people ever get hurt?
A: Injuries do occur, but we do our best to prevent them through many hours of rehearsal. Our Safety Team works very hard to ensure that all actors follow the standards developed.
Q: Are you involved with the SCA (The Society for Creative Anachronism)?
A: The Thieves Guilde is an independent acting/theater organization. While some members of the Thieves Guilde have been and still are members of other groups, such as The Society for Creative Anachronism, AmptGuard, and Solar, the troupe itself is not officially affiliated.
Q: How can I find out more information?
A: Our website provides information regarding auditions, training, and much more. If you find that you still have questions, our contact page can help direct you to someone who can answer your question.
Q: Is there a mailing list that I can join?
A: Yes! You can join our mailing list here!
- There are also mailing lists that get created from time to time to handle the mailings of the different shows and their casts.
