Friend a Day – Erin Kasper

Erin and I have been around the Renaissance Festival for a long time and as a performer, I can’t tell you how valuable I think she is to the cast.

Over the years, she has been one of those people who sees a need and steps in to fill it.  She doesn’t do it because she wants attention.  She does it because she thinks that it is important.

When we needed an Entertainment director, she did it because someone needed to.  When the Children’s realm was without leadership, she stepped in to take it over.  When nobody was making sure the years of service awards were happening, she stepped up and did that.

Most of what she does is not audience facing work.  That makes it all the more valuable because she makes it easier for the entertainers to entertain.

She’s also one of the best one on one street performers I know.

About ten years ago, there was a cold, rainy day at the festival.  There were hardly any audience members and I remember looking at Erin and saying that there was probably one audience member for every entertainer.  The two of us decided to adopt a couple for the day and proceeded to walk them around the festival for about three hours.

It was one of those entertainment moments nobody sees or talks about but for those two people, it was extraordinary.  Erin gives people those extraordinary experiences all the time.

Erin is one of those people who works really hard and then plays just as hard.  I’ve had great times with her juggling torches around a bonfire at Omegacon, playing black light mini-golf at CONvergence, and laughing at dinner after long, hot weekends.

Being around Erin reminds me that some things are important and they won’t get done if you complain that nobody is doing them.  Sometimes you just have to do it yourself.

Erin is a great person.  I’m so glad that she’s a friend.