Airdate: Ren Faire

Only in America….

A bizarre three-part HBO documentary series Ren Faire -about an even more bizarre Renaissance Festival in Texas- will screen on Binge / Docos in June.

For half a century, 86-year-old George Coulam, known to his employees as King George, has reigned with an iron fist over the Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest such “faire” in the world. He has power, as the elected mayor of the town he incorporated. He has glory, as the undisputed employer and self-proclaimed ruler of thousands. He has vast wealth, as the majority shareholder of the festival. Now, he is ready to give it all up and spend the last years of his life in the quest for a romantic companion. But before he retires, George will finally choose which of his longtime employees will take his crown.

Blending documentary verité with fantasy, Ren Faire — a three-part docu-fantasia — invites you behind the curtain of the famed Texas festival to reveal a tense and comical succession drama. Featuring individuals self-styled as Shakespearean characters, the series details an epic power struggle between an actor, a former elephant trainer, and a kettle-corn kingpin, all vying to claim George’s throne. As King George’s idiosyncrasies mount, the series’ tension over who will be chosen ascends to increasingly operatic heights, against a backdrop where the employees imagine themselves in a real-life “Game of Thrones.”

Featured participants include King George Coulam; general manager and erstwhile actor Jeff Baldwin, a loyal 43-year veteran of the festival; acting entertainment director Brandi Baldwin, who is married to Jeff; kettle-corn and entrepreneur vendor Louie Migliaccio; former elephant trainer and current vendor coordinator Darla Smith; assistant general manager Lauren Croft; the artists, vendors, jesters, wizards, jousters, and talking dragons of the Texas Renaissance Festival.

Ren Faire, a production of Elara Pictures; in association with To Be Formed and Widow’s Peak. Directed by Lance Oppenheim; co-created by Oppenheim & David Gauvey Herbert; executive produced by Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Dani Bernfeld, Lance Oppenheim, and David Gauvey Herbert. Co-executive produced by Abigail Rowe, Christian Vazquez & Max Allman. For HBO: executive producers, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Sara Rodriguez.

Premieres Monday 3 June on Bing / Monday 17 June at 8.30pm on Docos

Language

Episode 1: “Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got The Will?”
Monday,3 June
Welcome to the Texas Renaissance Festival, the largest in the world. King George Coulam, its 86-year-old founder, has ruled over his subjects with an iron fist for decades. With his mental acuity in question and his retirement imminent, the future of the festival remains uncertain. General manager Jeff Baldwin believes he is next in line to succeed, until kettle-corn kingpin Louie Migliaccio hatches a plan to buy the festival outright.

Episode 2: “Make Big Choices”
Monday 10 June
King George goes on an unsuccessful date. Jeff struggles to thwart Louie’s bid for the crown. Darla Smith, a former elephant trainer, enters the fray with an agenda of her own.

Episode 3: “We’re Done!”
Monday 10 June
Jeff gains the upper hand over Louie. Darla’s promotion to co-General Manager leads to disastrous consequences, for both Jeff and herself. George finally lands on the only successor he can trust.