Coffee Talk with King Francois I

Bonjour! Welcome to Coffee Talk with King Francois I, episode sixteen. I am your host, Theodore Jander. In this installment, you will share in my conversation with Maria Romine from Swords and Roses, described as a family friendly, audience interactive, action adventure experience. Audiences rave, “This was a superb show and as one of the parents said ‘a real treasure.’” “I was so pleased with the...

Episode 15: Bonjour! Welcome to Coffee Talk with King Francois I, episode 15, More Festivals, Festivals, Festivals. In this episode, I will be highlighting more Renaissance Festivals here in the US with their names and upcoming April, May, and June dates. Before we do that, you will hear the response I received from a fellow performer and friend, Brent Jones, where he shares his coffee preferences...

Episode 14: Bonjour! Welcome to Coffee Talk with King Francois I, episode fourteen, A Latte Coffee. As the title of this episode suggests, we are going to delve into one of the important themes of this podcast, coffee. Now, I realize that this podcast’s main focus is on the discovery of the tales, trials, and talents of Renaissance Festival performers, merchants, staff, and diehard patrons, with a...

Episode 13: Bonjour! Welcome to Coffee Talk with King Francois I, episode thirteen. As Renaissance Festivals are now in full swing each weekend, I wanted to bring to all Ren Faire performers, merchants, staff, and patrons a little help for your going-to-sleep struggles. Or, if going to sleep is a piece of cake for you, I hope this episode will at least bring a bit of calm to your day. For your lis...

Episode 12: Bonjour! So, life has been interesting as of late. Hence the delay in releasing the next episode, which is and is not this one. Allow me to explain. Yes, this is episode twelve, but not the original one I had planned. That installment will be number thirteen, which is slated to be released on Friday, March 10. And because of the happenings of life, I will be releasing episodes every ot...

Episode 11: Bonjour! Welcome to Coffee Talk with King Francois Premiere, episode eleven. In this episode, I will be highlighting a number of Renaissance Festival Facebook groups. I do realize that not everyone is on Facebook. However, these groups do provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow Renaissance Festival folk from around the world all year long. You will also learn of a discov...

Episode 10: Bonjour! In this short episode, I will be highlighting the names and upcoming February and March dates for a number of Renaissance Festivals here in the US. Though passed, there were a few one and two weekend-only Ren Faires in January. That said, let it be known that at least one Renaissance Festival occurs each weekend of the year. Or, almost every weekend. The one exception would be...

Episode 9: Bonjour! After a few weeks off, I am excited to bring to all returning and new listeners, episode nine, which is the first episode of 2023. Having completed and released several episodes, I thought I would take the opportunity to share some more in-depth thoughts about why I am doing this podcast and why call it, Coffee Talk with King Francois Premiere. However, to make things fun and i...

Episode 8: Bonjour! Episode Eight brings you a special holiday Renaissance episode where we will discover the sounds of the Greenleaf Singers, an exciting St. Louis based vocal ensemble specializing in a cappella music of the Renaissance. The ensemble’s main performances each year are at the St. Louis Renaissance Festival, mid-September through early October, and the Eliot Chapel Renaissance Madri...

Episode 7: Bonjour! Episode Seven brings you my conversation with Karen Swartz and Justin Melendez, from Talenshi Studios, artisans who “create beautiful, useful objects to bring a little magic to everyday life!” Patrons rave about their products, “The craftsmanship is excellent! Beautiful, well-made item that arrived quickly and packaged well to keep it safe in shipping. Love the magnetic refill...

Episode 6: Bonjour! Episode Six brings you my conversation with Ben Bass and Bill Prior, from The Sturgeon Workshoppe, artisans specializing in the craft of leatherwork, chainmaille, and other handmade items. They have received glowing reviews like, “Amazing people. Amazing art. These folks are wonderful! They take custom orders and work wonders with leather, wood, and chainmaille! Absolutely gorg...

Episode 5: Bonjour! Episode Five brings you my conversation with the vibrant Salwa, known off the stage as Lois Marshall, who dances with Chuvani Bellydance and Sheherazade Drums, a St. Louis based belly dance troupe, and is the Artistic Director for Aalim Belly Dance. The story she shares is definitely one for the memory books. The chat with Lois comes from a Facebook Live series I recorded at th...

Episode 4: Bonjour! Episode Four brings you my conversation with David Edwards, Cast Director and Henry VIII at the St. Louis Renaissance Festival. David is a gifted actor and an all around wonderful human being. It was a delight finding out more about his involvement with Renaissance Festivals through our conversation, which comes from a Facebook Live series I recorded at the St. Louis Renaissanc...

Episode 3: Bonjour! Episode Three brings you my conversation with Marney Cullen, who manages Renboots at their St. Louis Renaissance Festival location. The chat with Marney comes from a Facebook Live series I recorded at the St. Louis Renaissance Festival. Enjoy! Where to find Renboots as well as RESCU Foundation, Inc.: Website - https://www.renboots.com Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Renboot...

Episode 2: Bonjour! Episode two brings you my conversation with Crazy Boy Coy, a comedic fire and circus artist. Audiences rave about his show with comments like, “Fantastic entertainment! His act was top notch and very professional. Coy completely blew it out of the water. He was fantastic!! His tricks were legit and everyone was impressed!” The chat with Crazy Boy Coy comes from a Facebook Live...

Episode 1: Bonjour! We kick things off in this first episode featuring my conversation with three members of the band, Totally Lost, Captain Smoke, aka Jayk Brown; Fisk the First Mate, aka, Brent Krueger, and Desmond the Stowaway, aka, Alex Mitchell. The chat with Totally Lost comes from a Facebook Live series I recorded at the St. Louis Renaissance Festival. Enjoy! Where to find Totally Lost: Fac...