About The Guild of St. George
The Guild of St. George, the premier Elizabethan re-enactment group in
the country, specializes in presenting the people and events of the court
of Queen Elizabeth I of England. This romantic and important era witnessed
the first English colonies in America, the establishment of English sea
power, and the flowering of English poetry, drama, and music. The events
of this period are a common heritage between the American and English
people and fundamentally shaped the development and culture of the United
States. Today, when the events, ideas and passions of these times seem
increasingly distant, the Guild of St. George brings these people and
their age vividly to life through a number of ongoing projects.
The Guild was originally founded in California in 1974 as part of the original Renaissance Pleasure Faire. It was created in order to train and organize the people who portrayed the nobility surrounding Queen Elizabeth I. This remains the specialty of the group, with each Guild member portraying a specific historic figure from the Elizabethan royal court. After many years of exclusive involvement with the Renaissance Pleasure Faires in California, the organization is now a non-profit, public-benefit educational corporation whose hundreds of dedicated volunteers throughout the state of California educate the public through the exciting medium of living history.
The people who participate in Guild events are of all ages and from many walks of life, including a large number of teachers, some professional actors, and people from the computer and other technical fields. All Guild members are volunteers and each participant provides his or her own costume and props, which must meet the exacting standards of the Guild. The volunteers who participate in the guild's events take classes and workshops to learn about both history and acting techniques, and participate in intensive rehearsals during the weeks leading up to the event. All this is done so that we can present a memorable and compelling show that will both entertain and educate those who visit this small piece of Elizabethan England.