Being an entertainer is hard work. "You need talent, perseverance and drive," says Carolyn Spedden, theatre '83. A successful actor, writer
and producer, Spedden is perhaps best known as artistic director for the Maryland Renaissance Festival.
"The Renaissance Festival recreates a 16th century English village during the time of Henry VIII," says Spedden. "We present an interactive experience with
history, entertainment, crafts, food--it's a full day and a quality show that presents the romantic side of going back to another time period, without the smells."
Now in its 24th year, the Renaissance Festival draws over 225,000 people during its 19-day run from August to October in Crownsville, MD. It's a year-round
job for Spedden who hires all the performers, from variety acts such as jugglers, sword swallowers and magicians, to soloists and musical groups, to interactive
characters and actors. "We have a new storyline each season," says Spedden, who writes all the stage shows. She started in the Renaissance Festival as an actor
18 years ago, right after graduation.
"I'm very happy with the training I got at UMBC. The teachers and product are amazing," she says. Spedden performed in the first season of Shakespeare
on Wheels, a theatre project started by then department chair Bill Brown that toured the mid-Atlantic region. "We put a whole show on a flatbed truck," says Spedden.
As a writer and director, Spedden has her own comedic theatre group called Shakespeare SKUM, which has performed in New York City and at Center Stage
in Baltimore. She leads the Young Actors Ensemble, a training program for high school actors, and she works on various projects for Maryland Public
Television as a freelance writer and assistant producer. She heads Well Met Productions, a live theatre company she formed 12 years ago.
Spedden also speaks to UMBC students about a career in the arts. "I tell them there is a difference between being a star and an actor. You can be an
actor without going to New York or Los Angeles."
"Every time I see a show at UMBC, I am astonished by the quality," says Spedden. "As UMBC sets its sights
on being a major research university, I hope the theatre department continues to thrive and be supported."
Spedden lives in Baltimore with her husband, Mike Field, and their toddler, William. They are
expecting another child in February.
Denise Elizabeth Lee is a consulting writer and web-master with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and is earning a master's degree in
library science at the University of Maryland, College Park.
