>I am interested in hearing points of view/experiences with various forms
>of living history interpretation, [snip]

>How about first-person interpretation?
>
>I have been doing a fair bit of reading in this area but would like some
>human input in this research.
>
>Thanks.

KH and others,
I have been doing living history for 17 years, both professionally and
recreationally, and I lecture on the subject.  I was once asked to advise a
group who was organizing a LH program encorporating first person.  I told
them to avoid doing too much first-person, and here's why.  It's ok for
specific scenarios and vignettes, but two things must be done first:

1.  Let the audience know, and allow them to understand that is what you're
doing, and warn them that the characters being portrayed do not know
anything after their period.

2. Have someone out of character off to the side explaining what's going on
and fielding questions about the scenario.  This avoids much embarrassment,
for both visitor and participant.  No question is out of place, but even
historically inappropriate questions can be fielded with understanding and
tact.

One third point is this.  First person when done well is very effective.
It takes much practice and effort to do it right.  One mistake many living
history reenactors make is they don't know when to turn it off.  You can
lose an audience very quickly if you continue to do first person without
proper explanations of what you're doing.  An audience which is not
following you can get lost and frustrated.  Remember, most of them are NOT
historians of your period, and don't have the foggiest notion of what
you're about.  They WILL walk off shaking their heads in frustration.  Many
people do indeed get turned off by first-person, not through their lack of
interest, but because it's not done properly.

I remember once at Williamsburg when I was observing an interpreter with a
small group of visitors, perhaps a family, who obviously weren't following
or understanding.  They were asking about things which they didn't know
were out of the interpreter's poeriod.  The interpreter kept saying "what
do you mean," and "I don't understand."  Well, it should have been obvious
to her that her message was not getting through.  She should have broken
character right there and explained what was going on.  Breaking character
is allowed by most living history programs when it is necessary.  No living
history programmers or lead interpreters I've spoken to disagree with that
concept.  Believe me, I know a ton of them.  I spoke to the Williamsburg
interpreter after everyone else was gone.  Being a professional living
history interpreter myself, and museum curator she felt comfortable talking
to me out of character.  She was grateful for my advice and she improved
her presentation.

The trick with doing effective first-person is two-fold:

1. learn to "read" your audience.  Look for signs of confusion or disinterest
2. know when to turn it off.

First person takes lots of practice to do right.  It helps to have a
character in mind and to know the period your character lives in.  One of
my characters is a free black stock farmer in the 1844 Texas Republic.  For
that character to be effective, I would have to know about certain events
like an upcoming national election of 1844, (even though Texas wasn't yet
part of the US, Texans watched that election very closely, because It was
well known that it would impact on the Republic)  Also, increasing tensions
with Mexico has people talking, empending statehood is an issue, especially
if Polk is elected, etc. Local events, like someone's new baby, the arrival
of the circuit judge, or a neighbor's recent sale of several hogs can also
add to the color of a presentation.  Good presentations can be built around
local and national events.  The public would be able to follow the
presentation if it was presentented within a certain historical context
that they can relate to.  Outline it first, so that they know the
historical framework

If they ask a question that doesn't fit within the historical framework,
just say "remember, this only 1845, and we don't have those, but we use
this [show some similar object more appropriate for the period]" or
something like that to reinforce the time and place without breaking
character too much.  It's ok to explain in a different voice or as an aside
(hand cupped beside the mouth, as if telling a secret), when the audience
has lost you, then go back into character again.  The main thing is not to
lose the audience's attention and understanding.

One good place to observe first-person is Conner Prairie, Fishers, IN,
north-east of Indianapolis.  They interpret the 1830s.  Little over a year
ago I was there on official business and went through the village as a
tourist, camera and all.  One of the interpreters came up to me and began
his talk.  He asked me where I was from and I said Cuahuila y Tejas (The
official name for the Mexican province of Texas).   I jumped right into
character with him, and we had an 1830s period conversation.  Pretty soon
everyone on the interpretive staff knew that there was a "ringer" in the
place.  We all had a good time doing first-person.  Later they found out
that I was a professional history curator and interpreter, and they all got
a big laugh out of it.  Conner Prairie is a great place to watch and
observe first-person impressions done well.

Another thing to think about when planning to do a living history program
is to keep busy.  Plan on doing several things during the day, not the same
old thing.  Example:  At my museum we have Ranch Day, a living history day
(coming up on Sept. 27, btw).  I was at one of the early buildings, an
1840s period cabin (my favorite spot).  My plan was to do several things
that day, and whatever I was doing when a crowd showed up, that's what I
talked about, like flint'n' steel fire making, cabin chinking, cooking, gun
cleaning, splitting wood, stretching and scraping a deer hide, or whatever
else I wanted to do that was appropriate for the character and period *and
place*.  I was able to talk about my single room home and it's comforts,
etc. as well.  That way I didn't get bored with doing one thing, and I
didn't sound like a broken record (remember those??) by repeating the same
schpeele.  It worked, and I got lots of things done, too.

There's another concept that living history programs employ.  That's the
concept of the "demonstration pace."  That means that whatever you're
doing, do it slowly and clearly enough that the visitor can watch and
follow.  Let them see the steps involved, and explain each step.  *Teach*
what you're doing (remember your educational mission).  Don't rush
anything.  You might have all day, so make sure you save something for
later.

Well, that's all I can think of now.  These methods work for me.  Stay
tuned.  If I think of more, I'll speak up again.

Cheers,
HBC

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Henry B. Crawford        Curator of History
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