Playing an orc may be just what you need

The medieval characters battling trolls and undead skeletons on a recent weekend at a local campground packed away their weapons and armor on Sunday to begin a new workweek in professions including law, medicine and manufacturing.

Between eight and 10 times each year these gainfully employed adults and the occasional teenager or child participate in Live Action Role Playing at Camp Merrie Woode owned by the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan. They travel to Plainwell from as far away as Colorado or North Carolina to assume their fantasy personas alongside LARPers from Michigan, Indiana, or Ohio.

An online notice sent in advance of the event clues in participants to the plotline for their weekend gathering, says Seth Warfield, an industrial sales manager from Allendale who leads the area's LARP chapter. For example, this most recent teaser featured lines such as: "The wind picks up and night darkens the sky. There is a popping sound and a feeling of pressure as if something was being stretched to breaking. You realize the layer that lies between the living world and the world of spirits is so thin it can be seen through, a sliver of its normal thickness."

It all sets the tone for the upcoming action.

"We go over the particulars for the weekend," Warfield says. "We have people who are referees and players themselves and we have newbie marshalls because we get lot of brand new players. Once we say 'game on' you can do whatever you want in character the whole time. We work with people so they can do their story."

Because the most recent gathering took place close to Halloween, a Festival of the Dead and a pumpkin carving contest were part of the activities.

"We don’t write a story. People get to be part of the story and determine the direction of the story," Warfield says.

Players select a character and typically stay in that role for any LARPer gathering they attend. Warfield plays a Drake, a medieval dragon.

"If you’re playing a robber you’re going to be one of the bad guys. We also have orcs and trolls and you could be playing a hobbit, a goblin, or a human with undead skeletons attacking your town, and your job is to protect others," Warfield says.

"Everybody wants to be the hero of their own story. In real life, you can’t always be the hero."

While those who have never tried LARP may tend to regard it with a shrug, mental health experts and physicians say roleplaying for adults is beneficial to their work and non-work lives.

"Our society tends to dismiss play for adults," says Margarita Tartakovsky, a social worker and frequent contributor to Psych Central, an online publication. "Play is perceived as unproductive, petty or even a guilty pleasure. The notion is that once we reach adulthood, it’s time to get serious. And between personal and professional responsibilities, there’s no time to play."

Competitive play is the only kind of acceptable play for adults, says Bowen F. White, a medical doctor and author of "Why Normal Isn’t Healthy."

"We don’t lose the need for novelty and pleasure as we grow up," says Scott G. Eberle, Ph.D, vice president for play studies at The Strong and editor of the American Journal of Play.

These experts maintain that play has added benefits such as facilitating deep connections between strangers and cultivating healing.

Warfield says everybody wants to be part of a group that give them a sense of belonging. He said LARP activities bring together the nerds, the jocks and everyone else in a fun and nonjudgmental space.

"It’s a really good way to get people interacting in a way they don’t normally do," he says. "They’re not worried about how people look at them. It’s not judgmental and it gives people the opportunity to have social interaction in a way they wouldn’t normally have. It also gets them outdoors and builds their confidence."

The activities roll out in a strictly enforced alcohol and drug-free environment. Warfield says he has seen LARPers with drug and alcohol addictions turn their lives around through their participation.

"You never know when that light can shine. We had this one kid who just showed up and joined us for about two years. He was a little lost when he first got here," and left with a better outlook on life, Warfield says.

Though such breakthroughs support Warfield's beliefs, those don't enter into the weekend. "I’m a religious guy, but talking about it with this group is a big ‘no, no’ because I don’t want to offend anyone."

Although the target audience for the LARP group is age 14 to 21, the local group has players who are much younger and much older. The oldest participant is 68. Those in the 14 and under category must be accompanied by a parent.

"We are a nonprofit and we charge the same amount as we did in 1992: $50 per person for the weekend, which includes food," Warfield says.  "This is a super good deal and all of that money goes back to the camp and maintaining the weapons."

The weapons are made out of materials like PVC pipe and foam insulation. A "hit" occurs when one player touches another with one of these weapons.

There are 53 active LARP chapters throughout the United States and additional chapters in other countries. A national database in Atlanta  makes it easy for people to play in different locations.

During Warfield’s first LARP event  in 1992 he met people from Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Canada. The following weekend he drove 15 hours to join an event in Atlanta.

"My wife finds it funny because no matter where we go I know people there," Warfield says. "I saw someone I knew during our honeymoon in Mexico."

He first learned about the LARP movement from a poster hanging on the wall of a game store. His initial reaction was that it looked "really, really nerdy and dumb" but worth a try."It’s a really cool outlet and it’s a way to get people interacting with other people," Warfield says.  "I enjoy entertaining other people. I get a big kick out of it."

Jane C. Parikh is a freelance reporter and writer with more than 20 years of experience and also is the owner of In So Many Words based in Battle Creek. 

Photos by Susan Andress.