Sunday, December 7, 2008

Confirmed Participants! Cool people! Join us!

These are a handful of the people playing a key role in our parade...

1. Caye Mitchell, a member of the New Orleans Posse, will be playing Joan of Arc as soldier on horseback, joined by her husband Fred Mitchell, who will be Joan's knight in shining armor on horseback (I haven't decided yet if he's "playing" Dunois, a.k.a. the Bastard of Orleans, or Guy de Laval, both respectful comrades to her and ideal knights)...

http://www.neworleansposse.com/pictures.html

2. Australia James, a NOCCA drama student, will play Joan as prisoner, walking with us and performing a monologue from George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan at the end of the parade.

www.myspace.com/strai

3. SaintsforSinners.com founder Rob Clemenz has confirmed that SaintsforSinners.com will indeed be throwing limited edition gift boxed commemorative imported Italian Saint Joan of Arc medallions and necklaces, all hand-painted in New Orleans. The Saint Joan medallions will not be be giant, gaudy or bawdy but they will be Treasures from 12th Night and the Feast of Saint Joan of Arc, our dear patroness of Orleans and all things courageous.


4. Deb McDonald, manager of Garden District Bookshop, has been invaluable as our resident Joan of Arc scholar...including finding a Joan of Arc march that we will be using as our main music.

http://www.gardendistrictbookshop.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

5. Local cellist Helen Gillet will play for us! I'm so thrilled because she plays period music and I've been trying to get her to say "yes" for months...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKqRMv_-QTQ
6. Frank Stansbury, editor of La Fete News, will be our photographer that evening.
http://www.lafetenews.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/news/20081123202706/

7. Julie Wallace, artist and art teacher extraordinaire, will create large-scale puppets of Joan's voices (St. Catherine, St. Margaret, and St. Michael) as well as flickering flames for us to carry...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1516114553&ref=nf

8. Susan Gisleson, one of the founders of Press Street, writer, artist, costume designer, and much more! was one of the first people to encourage me about this parade because she LOVES Twelfth Night and feels, like me, there oughta be more "to do" about it! She will be creating Joan's famous banner (that Joan commissioned an artist to make, and that she carried into all battles and processions!) as well as the St. Joan of Arc Krewe banner.

http://press-street.blogspot.com/

9. Rev. Fr. James M. West, Pastor, St. Joan of Arc Reformed Catholic Church, says he would be "honored to be a part of your celebration of our patron saint." Details on his role TBD...I'm asking him to say a prayer for us before we begin and a few words about Joan.

http://www.stjoanrcc.com/ and http://www.reformedcatholicchurch.org/