Can you imagine sitting at the court of King Arthur or fighting alongside Robin Hood and his merry men? How about fighting The Three Musketeers or playing croquet with Queen Elizabeth? Jennifer Matkowsky, a Medical Assistant at Astera Cancer Care, has done all of this. Since 2008, Jennifer has performed at the Wrightstown Village Renaissance Faire in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. “I enjoy bringing the stories I grew up with to life for a new generation,” she said.
Jennifer is a proud member of Period Productions, LLC. In her first performance, she played an absent-minded pirate in the New Jersey Renaissance Kingdom. Jennifer has had the privilege of working both onstage and backstage for the show. "I have acted, been a fighter, sung with the wenches, assistant stage-managed, and gathered props and costumes,” she explained. “I was always running around the faire grounds going to my next show, moving set pieces, or gathering actors.” Period Productions worked alongside the Village Library of Wrightstown to produce one of its largest annual undertakings, a Renaissance Festival. Between a variety of remembered sensations: the multi-layered costumes, the feeling of a sword in her hand, interacting with the audience, and the echoing of the crowd, it’s not difficult to see why Jennifer is enamored with the historical era.
“We would spend every Saturday all summer long rehearsing for the Faire. We try to practice in as much of our costumes and armor as possible,” she said. “This is because when you choreograph a fight, especially as a lady, you will move differently in a skirt versus pants. Safety is also important to us. The weapons are not sharp, but you can still get hurt if you are not concentrating." Her first major fight was against a knight with a broom. Besides her sword, she has also used a loaf of bread and a serving tray.
The Renaissance Faire has brought literature to life with over 70 costumed performers, five entertainment stages, period-themed games, an armored joust, and a 16’ tall trebuchet that launches several times every day to thousands of people each year in September. “It’s a great feeling to hear the crowd get into the storyline,” she said. “The great thing about live theater is that the actors and audience can get lost into the storyline together.”
Jennifer is continuously learning from other people. “I’ve had some great sword fighting and acting coaches, and everyone is always happy to give advice and help each other out,” she said. “When you first start, you are almost like an apprentice in the medieval time. You learn from the masters or more experienced performers, and when they step down, the apprentices Jennifer Matkowsky, MA take over and train the next generation of fighters."
When Jennifer isn’t providing Medieval, Renaissance, and pirate-themed entertainment, she’s helping her patients in the East Brunswick office. “I try to get their mind off what they’re going through,” she said. “I'll do anything to make them smile. I have found that if you open yourself up to your patients, you can get back so much in return. So many of these patients have. become my friends.”
Jennifer joined the Astera family 16 years ago, working as a receptionist while finishing her Medical Assistant program. “Several years ago, I was given the opportunity to work on the clinical side in the lab,” she said. “I loved learning how the lab runs on a daily basis.” She was also able to get to know the patients on a more personal level.
Because of the pandemic, the library has chosen not to continue the Renaissance Faire. “It was heartbreaking to hear the news because I imagined my daughter running around the field with me when she was older,” Jennifer said. “We still practice as a group a couple of times during the year, so we do not get rusty. Period Productions have done educational talk for schools, libraries, and even dinner theater, so now we just have to wait until things calm down and people start gathering again.”During Jennifer’s first faire season, a friend told her that she would have her family, friends, work-family, and then gain a faire family. “My faire family, as well as my work family, have been there for me in good times and in bad,” she said. “I am so lucky to have a hobby and a job that I love.” So now she has the best of both worlds.