Grub down with the king

By Travina Coleman
Phoenix Staff Writer

November 15, 2007 05:33 pm

— A holiday feast fit for a king dares the willing patron to rub elbows with nobility — but you have to bring your own fork.
The Castle of Muskogee is hosting its Boare’s Heade Feaste at 7 p.m. Saturday, to kick off the celebration of the holiday season.
“Captain Jack Sparrow is expected to be here, along with some nobles, knights and, of course, a king and queen,” said Jeff Hiller, owner of The Castle.
More than 50 people will travel from Texas, Arkansas and Missouri to help set the stage for a Renaissance-style dinner buffet.
“We’ve been doing this for about seven years now,” Hiller said. “Northeastern State University used to do the feast, but we do it on a grander scale.”
Jeremy Caviness, 30, plays the character, Will Somers, a historical figure who was in court at the time of Catherine of Aragon and remained until the reign of Elizabeth I. He survived 10 monarchs and all of Henry VIII’s wives.
“He is completely with rank and completely without it,” Caviness said of his character.
Caviness said the difference between the other venues and The Castle is their ability to be completely interactive with their guests.
“You become nobility when you are here,” Caviness said. “No one other than nobles can be in the presence of the king.”
While a dress code is not required at the Boare’s Head Feaste, many people like to dress the part, Hiller said.
“People begin working on their costumes and buying their tickets a year in advance,” Hiller said.
Richard Howell, 31, computer programmer by day, plays the character, Sir Munzio, a fictional Italian knight.
“I get to play the comic relief bad guy to Sir Roland,” he said.
Howell said he always was involved with theater and has been a part of The Castle since its inception.
“We spend a great deal of time developing characters,” he said. “We want people to walk away with a personal experience and a good memory.”
The feast is sold out. Hiller expects around 200 people to be feasting on turkey and all the trimmings.
“Some thought this would be good time to call and reserve spots,” Hiller said. “But we are already full.”
Hiller suggests purchasing the $29.95 ticket per person for the next feast, now.
“We have worked really hard to make it authentic,” Hiller said. “We give a good show.”
He said people want to be involved with the many different things The Castle puts on yearly, including The Haunted Castle, Renaissance Faire and the masked ball held the first week of the fair.
There also will be an orientation for those interested in participating in future events at The Castle at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
Caviness also is involved with a non-profit organization to address the decline of arts in schools.
“There has never been a great society without art,” he said. “If there has been, we don’t know about it. There is no proof.”


Reach Travina Coleman at 684-2901 or tcoleman @muskogeephoenix.com.

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