Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Lyndhurst, N.J. has been transporting families back to Medieval Times (1066-1485) in England since 1990, and it is an amazing, wholesome form of family entertainment.
You and your family enter the castle at 149 Polito Ave. in Lyndhurst and you are given your crown, your tickets, your colored banner for the knight you will cheer, and if you would like, you can take a picture with the queen’s counselor. Once inside, you are escorted to your table, and a servant will start serving your four-course meal (which includes delicious soup in a bowl with a handle, because they didn’t have utensils in medieval times). As you enjoy this scrumptious meal fit for royalty, you are introduced to the six knights who represent different colors and are competing to become the queen’s protector. They compete on horseback, throw lances at targets, joust and sword fight on the ground. As your knights compete, you cheer them on at the top of your lungs and you wave your flag like someone possessed. It is so much fun you won’t believe how astonishing it feels. I cheered, yelled and screamed for my blue knight until I also lost my voice. I had so much fun! You are instantly a die-hard fan. There is just a feeling that comes over you and it stays with you throughout the show. I haven’t had this much fun at dinner theater ever!
Medieval Times is also a superb horse show. The horses are gorgeous and are beautifully trained and dressed in the adornments of the times. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is a complete family get-a-way experience. But what is really making it different after 28 years is that now for the first time, instead of the knight competing to protect a king, they are competing to protect a queen. Yes, a lady rules the court now, a single queen, Queen Isabella, whose father had been the late king.
After getting my scream on, my yell on and my fun on, I had the magnificent opportunity to interview the actress portraying Medieval Times first queen, Queen Isabella.
AmNews: How does it feel to be Medieval Times’ first queen, and what is your real name?
Jessica Schear: My name is Jessica Schear and it feels like an amazing new responsibility, it feels empowering, and it gives me a whole new confidence that I’ve never had before…. the queen is the lead of the show. She is all powerful, she is saluted to by the knights, and I feel like it is time for this responsibility to come about.
AmNews: How would you describe Queen Isabella?
Schear: I think that she is a very fair ruler. She’s kind, and she deeply cares about the people in her realm. She definitely tries to look after the well-being of her knights, and really cares about them. She was bred by her father to be a good queen—however, she’s not a pushover. When her authority is challenged, she’s not afraid to stand up for herself and remind every single person that she is the queen.
AmNews: What type of message is the show sending out with the knight that disrespects Queen Isabella?
Schear: She sends the message that she will never be overthrown, by any man in the realm, by any knight.
AmNews: What about that era in time stands out the most for you as a woman?
Schear: I got my inspiration from Queen Elizabeth I because she was a ruler and she never married. She was called “The Virgin Queen,” and she faced so many challenges. She always rose to the challenge, and so in performing in this show, that really stood out to me and helped me out.
AmNews: This show is done several times a day. What challenges do you face to make your performance fresh at each show?
Schear: I think that the writing is very good, and my fellow actors are very talented. Sometimes they can look at you in a certain way and have a different inflection in their voice, and that makes you say your lines differently, and that helps keep the show fresh.
AmNews: How did you come to be cast as Queen Isabella?
Schear: About six and a half years ago, I auditioned for the role of Princess Catalina, and I did that show for a while. And then, we changed the show over to sovereign and were told that we weren’t guaranteed the queen role. The queen role was so demanding and involved horseback riding and a large amount of dialogue. Thankfully, we all rose to the challenge and all passed the test.
AmNews: Where did you get your professional acting training?
Schear: It began in college, but most of it was workshops at Stella Adler Conservatory, and then also at HB Studios, Uta Hagen Studios. I also did other various, smaller workshops.
AmNews: How did your family feel about your decision?
Schear: They were supportive, to a point. They wanted me to go to college and get an actual degree in something, as opposed to get my MFA. Now they’re totally supportive because they know that this is it.
AmNews: This is a wholesome family dinner show. How does it feel to hear the roar and yells of the crowd in the arena?
Schear: I always enjoy the applause, but sometimes it gets a little much when certain guests get out of control and try to ruin the experience. But I definitely think it’s fun when the whole family gets into it and cheers. For example, I’ve seen fathers of children standing up and cheering like they’re little kids, and that’s a wonderful thing to witness, and I know that they’ll be return guests.
For more information, visit www.medievaltimes.com.