Remembering Dave Sobkowiak

The world has lost a great man, Dave Sobkowiak.

Dave is best known for playing Lanky Hemptwister at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in Mount Hope, PA. Dave has performed at the Faire since…forever. It’s as if Dave came with the property and the Faire just built up around him. He is the longest running, most iconic, character in the Faire’s history; and, the Faire will never be the same without him.

He is the lowly rope maker, the simple and lovable soul who touched everyone he came in contact with. Dave never played the role of king or lord, but he was the most noble member of the cast over a period of several decades. Dave was friendly, caring, and hospitable towards all. He welcomed everyone he worked with, helped anyone in need, and was friend and mentor to many.

I’ll always remember our great fight scene at the Final Joust. For that one remarkable season, I was choreographed to beat Lanky in the last battle of the day. Why we fought, nobody knows; but, it was always fun to see Lanky in action. I had never seen Dave as a fighter before then, but he did well and took a dive graciously. And as he was laid out cold, Rip would run up and begin burying him in the sand (the burial was improvised by Rip in one early performance, and it became a mainstay of our epic duel).

Dave was a true renaissance man: Actor, comedian, musician, and craftsman. He designed his own stringed instruments and constructed his own props. Every tool Dave wielded in his acting arsenal was as unique as himself. My favorite Lanky prop was a wooden baby Dave designed for walk-around bits in his street performance. He would carry his baby, swaddled in a blanket, until some unsuspecting patron was in range to “see his child”. Uncovering the baby’s face, it was comedically artificial in appearance with an unmoving, wooden, gaze. While the patron would laugh at Lanky’s antics, the baby would suddenly spit up water to delightfully shock the audience (thanks to a built-in bladder that shot water out the baby’s mouth when squeezed).

In Genesis 3 we’re told the world is corrupted with sin, and mankind is cursed to toil and sweat all the days of our lives. Dave had a gift to spread joy, compassion, and laughter to a world of suffering and pain. He had the power to lighten our moods and make our toil a little less wearisome. Dave’s company will be deeply missed.

The greatest of clowns
Who brought us love and laughter
Until his rope’s end

Now and for coming seasons,
Gravel roads appear vacant