Mind the Gap

or how I spent a year doing what I love, while doing something completely different.

In 2015, I experienced the dreaded "B" word of reenacting: burnout. As any reenactor knows, it's easy to dedicate a lot of time, effort & research into this hobby. But after nearly 9 years of focusing on the 18th century & the coffeehouse, things began to change. My demonstration had grown to the point of needing staff. The equipment required renting larger, and larger vehicles. The time required to travel to events & set everything up started to interfere with my modern life. In short, reenacting became less of a fun hobby and more of an unpaid job. Soon enough, I simply stopped having fun.

And I crave that fun! But what is an obsessed arm-chair historian to do when they still love their hobby, but hate their hobby at the same time?

Simple: branch out. History is a huge subject, reenacting not limited to one or two "important" time period or type of impression. Reenacting is an all encompassing variety of niche skills to explore. And in 2015, explore I did.

1st century

I started early in the year with an amazing immersion event in Lafe, Arkansas; Clash of Iron. I have done exactly one Roman event in my tenure of reenacting, but nothing that involved eating, sleeping & breathing the Iron Age. I had also never been to Arkansas. When I heard about the site I simply had to attend. This wasn't just your average line-up of white tents. The event is held on a privately owned, reconstructed Roman fort. There is even a mote! We cooked Roman recipes, practiced Roman martial skills, had a mini-Olympic competition & even ran into some Celts. It was as close to live in the 1st Century as possible without being struck by one of Zeus' lightening bolts.

16th Century

In 2015 I was elected the leader of The Banner of St. Michael, a living history group dedicated to the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1560-1660. I have been a member of the group for several years already but this new position means even more dedication to research, learning & sharing with the public. We spend equal time participating in living history events around the country and delivering school presentations. It's only been a few months, but I am already excited with the new energy of the group and some of the great things we have planned for the 2016 season.

Civil War

Remember when I said I would never do 2 very specific time periods? Well 2015 saw me eat those words. It started simply enough. My home town was celebrating their 150th anniversary. It also happened to be the 150th anniversary of President Lincoln's assassination. I quickly made an outfit, borrowed a few basic pieces from my already over flowing reenacting closet and was off & running. What was originally only going to be those 2 once in a life-time events, turned into 4 by the end of the year. As it happens, reenacting the civil war is pretty much like all other reenacting. Especially when the 3 other people in your camp group are friends from other eras!

World War I

If reenacting the Civil War is just like all other reenacting, then WWI at Midway Village is like WWII deja vous. So many of the same people from WWII, in the same location, many of us even representing the same nationalities. It is less like doing another time period than I imagined. A weekend spent with already established friends, while still doing something new, was just the cure my burnout needed. While I am still convinced that the 1910's is one of the 3 ugliest time periods for women's clothing (the other's being 1830's & 1970's), I did enjoy spending time in the kitchen or tromping around in the recreated trenches with the men.

World War II

I wrapped up the year with WWII, which isn't a new era of reenacting for me. In fact, it was the first era that really started my interest in historic clothing & history. Way back in 1997! But like I said, reenacting involves many facets beyond just dressing up or lecturing bored school kids. In 2015 I was thrilled to join the amazing cast & crew of the TV movie Verrater for my first film acting experience. And what an amazing experience it was. I can't say enough about how truly dedicated to getting the details of 1940's Germany historically accurate the production team was. Many of my fellow reenactors have participated in filming projects before, but for someone who has only ever been on stage or behind the camera there was surprisingly little learning curve. I credit the years of living history, having to maintain a character & accent while following the random topics of natural conversation & having to repeat the same lecture to endless rounds of school groups, for the ease that I felt on set. I look forward to more interesting "out-side the box" experiences like this in the future.

Looking forward to the 2016 reenacting schedule as well as my 10th anniversary on this blog & in the hobby, I can confidently say that a Gap Year was exactly what I needed to revive my love for reenacting. Here is to seeing many of you in EVERY ERA!

Whenever a thing is done for the first time, it releases a little demon.

Or things to consider before your first, first-person event.

I have written a lot in the past few years about how to effectively do first person interpretation, finding your comfort zone and ways to be convincingly historical without forgetting who you are in the modern world. However, during all this time, I have had the advantage of speaking from the perspective of someone who had been portraying the same persona for several years. It was an unfair advantage really.

Well aren't you in for a treat. Last year I decided to take my first person interpretation to every event that I attend, not just the tried & true 18^th century coffeehouse ones. Again this year, I've decided that first person should be a goal no matter what time period I am reenacting. I am effectively starting from scratch in every new time period I visit, just like many of you are. Luckily you have all my mistakes to learn from!

The Very Basics

The first things to consider when preparing for a first person event are the very basics. By basic, I mean the absolute, barest essentials. Everything else can come later, these are the details of the event itself that will make any and all further research easier. Reenacting isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. Assuming you will be reenacting this era & persona for several years means you have plenty of time to develop the endless little details. But if you walk into an event & don't even know the year you are supposed to be portraying or your own persona's name, well, lets just say you'll look awfully silly when a member of the public asks!

Table Clock with Calendar,
Daniel Delander. 1720. The Met

When is it?

Seriously, this should be the first thing that you think about when preparing for any event and not just one in first person. The year effects everything. It will make figuring out clothing styles or eating habits easier, it effects what other important historical events were happening and even what religious beliefs you might have had. The change in year could mean the change in king, or if your country is even a country!

If the event you are attending doesn't have a dedicated year then it is up to you to choose one. This isn't nearly as hard or frightening as it sounds. One of the best things you can do in this situation is stick with an even numbered year. Not only is a round number be easier to remember but adding an “s” when doing internet searches will lead you to information covering an entire 10 year span.

Where are we?

Again, this is so basic we often forget to learn it before going to an event. Just like in real estate, location, location, location matters when doing first person reenacting. Location can change many of the basic details, details that might not matter for your first few events, but could eventually if you stick with this era & persona.

Map of Candia, Bernhard von Breydenbach. 1486, Hebrew University Jerusalem. 

Why is location so important? The truth is, the public doesn't care where your persona is from. What they want to know is “where is this event supposed to be taking place?” This is especially important for those of us who are reenacting far from where the events we are duplicating originally occurred. If we are pretending that this corn field in central Indiana is France, we need to know this & let the public know it too. While some of the subtle things, like flags or the name of the event might clue them in, it is always better to be extra clear. Get used to saying “In this year in this location” as a precursor to sharing any time sensitive information. Constantly repeating the location & year ingrains the information in both the public's mind and your own.

Self Portrait with Brush & Pallet, Edward Steichen.
1902, Art Institute of Chicago.

Who are you?

This isn't the deep philosophical question that some people take it to be. All of that can happen later, and over the course of years if needed. The public & other reenactors really just want to know your name (real, fake, which ever you are using for the weekend) and what your general position is among all the other people they are seeing. They might have an idea that you are someone important because you are wearing a bunch of fancy clothes & a crown, but don't expect them to guess. Keep it simple. Distill your position at the event down to a job title, a military position or even a family connection. Let the pubic & other reenactors know who you are so that they can organize the people they are seeing in their heads & better understand what is happening around them but don't worry about getting bogged down in personal background all at once.

What is happening?

Now wouldn't you look rather silly walking into a an event commemorating a famous battle & not even knowing the name of the battle or who is fighting whom? If there is a special reason behind the event, for Pete's sake, know what it is! If the reason for the event is completely fictitious at least know what is being made up.

Again, this sort of information might be fairly obvious but don't count on the public picking up on it. Do a little Wikipedia research before hand at least to gain the basics. Depending on your memory for facts, it doesn't hurt to have a mini “cheat sheet” with vital names & dates hidden in your pocket. It is also always OK to simply say you don't know an answer if the public continues to ask questions beyond your very basic knowledge. Smile, admit that they have stumped you & direct them to someone more experienced who might know more.

Taadah!

That is it. Everything that you really need to know before stepping into your first, first-person event, regardless of the era, your persona or whether you have ever attempted first person interpretation before. It might feel odd to only need such basic information, but each of these questions asks a vital piece of information which forms a solid first person foundation. Why make first person interpretation difficult or complicated when you can jump in with these easy answers & start having fun right away!

Life is a foreign language: all men mispronounce it

or Easy foreign language for first person interpreters.

The contrast : a French prisoner in England ; an English prisoner in France. 
1758. Lewis Walpole Library Digital Collection

As anyone who has been reading this blog, or visiting with me at events over the past several years knows, I am a huge proponent of first person interpretation. During the course of my time presenting & interacting not only with the public but with other reenactors in this manner I have run across several popular excuses that folks like to use for why they don’t join me in the fun of first person interpretation.

Today I’d like to debunk one of those excuses and hopefully offer some alternatives for those struggling with first person interpretation or who are interested in getting started.

Using Foreign Language!

First off, it’s great that I need to talk about this subject. Why? Because it means that we aren’t just portraying the average American or Englishman, but that people are interested in portraying the wide variety of nationalities that populate the historic world. This in itself is a fantastic thing! But portraying someone of a non-English speaking nationality is not without its difficulties. The biggest of these, especially for anyone doing first person, is how to deal with a foreign language.

So what options do you have if your heart is set on portraying a non-English speaking person, but you don't speak a lick of the language? That really depends on how determined you are, both in your first person & your dedication to language learning. Are you planning on making this persona your primary focus or is it just a whim to try at the rare event? Are you obsessed like I am, or more of a first person dabbler? Either way, using foreign language properly adds to both first person portrayals & to events as a whole.

The “Sprinkle” Technique of Foreign Language First Person

How can you quickly give the impression of being a non-English speaker in first person, without spending years learning another language? Key words & phrases of course! A friend coined this the “sprinkle technique” because we are using a few key words, sprinkled in with mostly English. It's just enough of the target language to remind the public that you are portraying a foreign speaker but not so much that anyone who doesn't speak the language is confused. It's like in Star Trek shows, where we know the characters speak different languages, but we suspend our disbelief just long enough & accept everyone speaking English besides a few choice terms in their native language (Qapla anyone?).

What are key words & phrases? They are those simple words usually found at the beginning of language books & audio tapes. They are the first for a few obvious reasons; they are easy to learn & they are the words you need to know now when talking to a native speaker. They are the things you say to the lady behind the counter at the coffeehouse in Paris, to the guy getting off the train in Prague or the kids running down the hall in Munich. Those words that everyone from toddlers to seniors know & use.

Now think about how the public at a historic event will react to those same, simple, but essential words when presented in the right context. A member of the public walks into the kitchen at a 16th century event & is greeted by the woman chopping garlic with a cheerful “hola”, or overhears 2 interpreters chatting in English yet when they part one yells “bis spater” & the other “tschuss”. Does that member of the public know exactly what was said? Maybe, maybe not. What they do know is that those first person interpreters, while they might have been speaking in English for the majority of the time, are not portraying English speakers.

Key Words to Learn & When to Use Them

General greetings & goodbyes. If you are going to learn absolutely nothing else, at least learn how to say hello & good bye in your persona's native language. Obviously these words are best used when the public enters or exits a room, or when another first person interpreter joins you. Beyond having an obvious use, the fact that hello & goodbye are used at the beginning & end of interactions is also important. By starting with a single word in your persona's language, you are telling the public a vital piece of information: you are portraying a non-English speaker. Imagine that, one word & they know something about you! Doesn't matter if that is the only dang word you know in your target language & it took 6 months to learn to say it properly! The same goes for saying goodbye. By closing in your persona's language you are giving them a solid reminder of who they were interacting with, a reminder that will stick with them long after the door closes.

France Freedom Britain Slavery. James Gillray. 1789. National Portrait Gallery.

Yes, no, I don't know. In addition to greeting others in your persona's language, being able to easily answer simple questions should be high on the list of words to learn. The simplicity of “yes, no, I don't know” is two fold. First, each has it's own pantomime. No matter what language the public or interpreters speak, everyone understands a vigorous head shake, a big smile & a nod or a shrug of the shoulders. Add in the rudimentary “ya” and you've conveyed not only that you are a non-English speaker, but that you agree with what has been said.

Why is “I don't know” included in this list? Because as living historians there are always going to be times when we simply don't know the answer. Saying it while maintaining the language makes it easier to stay in first person rather than slipping. Plus it's useful for those rare times you happen to run into an actual native speaker & need a quick out if they start speaking a mile a minute in a language you only know 5 words in. Believe me, it will happen & you will be thankful for that little out and a good laugh with the person who really thought you understood them.

Trade Terminology. So you've got the bare essentials down but would still like to add more to your first person foreign language vocabulary without going over board. There are a lot of words out there to choose from, where do you start? With things that your persona would actually have reason to say of course! Will a gunsmith ever need to explain turnip stew to the public, probably not, but a cook might. Knowing what that recipes would have been called in your persona's native language, using it when the public asks what is in the pot & then explaining to them (in English) that it is a turnip stew while showing them the roots demonstrates that your persona is a non-English speaker, but doesn't neglect the public's desire to learn & have their questions answered.

The inability to share information with the public while in first person, especially when that first person is a non-English speaker, is a common concern that is eliminated with the sprinkle technique. We often have to explain unfamiliar English words to the public when discussing historic objects, those terms being in a foreign language is no different. In a way the trade specific terminology itself becomes the springboard to educating the public rather than limiting their experience. Plus, given a “funny” name, even turnip stew can be entertaining.

How to Learn Key Words & Phrases (for Free!)

Thanks to the internet you can learn just about every language your heart could desire, for free. All you have to do is know where to look. Since we are only interested in a very simple words & phrases, most of the learning programs that focus on reading, writing & complex grammar are useless. Instead focusing on auditory based programs can make learning the necessary pronunciation fast and easy. Following are my favorite places for learning a variety of languages. In addition, free audio CDs from your local library can be a fantastic, free way to learn a language. Plus they are especially helpful for long car rides, say to far away events where you intend to use said language.

The Contrast. Thomas Rowlandson (printer). 1792. Lewis Walpole Library Online

Omniglot.  A huge, wandering, language loving website that has a section for “Useful Foreign Phrases”. Provides plenty of auditory files in enough languages that even the most obscure reenactor can find one to suit their needs. Great for learning just a few phrases but not much help in how to combine them into a full sentence or more.

Duolingo. My personal favorite for language learning. Very game-like with speech recognition on the phone app, lots of audio, visual & builds gradually over multiple lessons. The main drawback is that you have to actually learn the entire language, not just a few key phrases, so this might not be the best choice if minimalism is your goal.

As you can see, while the idea can be frightening at first, by using the sprinkle technique it is possible to portray a non-english speaking historical persona without also sacrificing your ability to educate the public. Hopefully I will get a chance to see some of you trying out this technique at a historic event in the near future. Until then adios, auf wiedersehen, do widzenia or how ever you choose to say it!

"No One Can Be Caught In Places He Does Not Visit"

 Or what to expect when visiting an 18th century coffee house or its 21st century recreation.

Mad Dog in a Coffeehouse, Thomas Rowlandson, 1809.

One cold day in December 1663, Samuel Pepys did what many men before him, and even more after him, would do; he went to the coffeehouse. He was greeted upon entering the central room of the Coffeehouse by a rotund yet energetic coffee man with an exclamation of “What news sir?” and the offer of a steaming dish of coffee, which Pepys took happily, adding just a bit of sugar to sweeten the bitter brew. From here he wound his way through the crowd to a heavy worn table which filled the center of the otherwise open room. Scattered across the wooden surface were various newspapers, a well-worn copy of the French play “Heraclius, Emperor of the East. A tragedy”, three flickering candles despite the daylight hour and, mixed among it all, dishes of coffee in every state of consumption. Surrounding the table Pepys found an assortment of men with whom he would share “very good discourse” some that he was well acquainted with, having shared conversations in the past, others that he had not yet met, a fact that did not limit their discussions in any way.

Among the coffeehouse patrons Pepys found the flamboyantly dressed “Secretary of the Virtuosi of Gresham College” with whom he would enjoy a “very fine discourse” concerning a newly invented instrument to be tried at the college the following day. Next his attention was drawn to a less academic but no less enthusiastic “discourse with an Iron Merchant” where Pepys discovered the difficulties experienced in that trade between the Swedes and English. A thin boy, no more than 12 years old scurried among the crowd, ensuring that the men's dishes of coffee remained well supplied. At the cost of only one penny a dish, the men were unlikely to complain about this constant attention, preferring instead to continually sip at the hot liquor without interrupting their adamant discussions.

The Discomfited Duellists, 1784.

From across the crowded room Pepys saw his good friend, taking his dish of coffee he left the iron merchant and crossed to “[sit] by Mr. Harrington, and some East country merchants” whom he found “talking of the country about Quinsborough” and “the manner of putting their nets into the water” during winter. Soon his attention was distracted by the vociferous argument at another table, as the patrons dispute the suggestion that “all the opinion now is that the Dutch will avoid fighting with us at home. . . ” Finally, Pepys found his acquaintance Mr. Harris, who he “was to meet” at the coffeehouse for business. The two eventually leave the coffeehouse but most certainly returned another time for the latest news, freshest advices and camaraderie of other gentlemen such as had been enjoyed that day.

Widow Black's Coffeehouse, 2012.

I can not promise that if you happen "to stroll into a little coffee-house", perhaps on the edge of a green field, the checkered floors & a lot hanging roof, that you will find such entertaining friends as Mr. Pepy's did, or the excitement that Mr. Rowlandson drew. However, I can promise a constant supply of the finest true English coffee, the freshest advices from around the colonies & indeed, across the seas. But most of all, I can promise an experience as true to that of the original English coffeehouses, an experience that no other reenactor or historian has attempted to duplicate purely for the enjoyment of their fellow reenactors. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Widow Black's Coffeehouse "this year", whether that is 1650, 1760 or 1812.

For more information on visiting the Widow Black's coffeehouse, the Widow's lecture schedule or to bring the coffeehouse to your event; Please Visit the Widow Black Coffeehouse on Facebook.

~~~
Works Cited

Chole White, Camaraderie of the Cup: The 18th century English coffeehouse & the development of an enlightened public sphere (2011). 

Thomas Rowlandson, Mad Dog in a Coffeehouse, 1809 (Museum of Fine Arts Boston).

Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, and Henry B. Wheatley, The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Transcribed by the Rev. Mynors Bright from the Shorthand Manuscript in the Pepysian Library at Magdalene College Cambridge Vol. 1 (New York: Heritage Press, 1942), 8 March, 1663/4.

Joseph Addison & Richard Steele, The Spectator, Volume 5 (Philadelphia: Robert Desilver, 1819).

Proficiency in Whist Implies Capacity for Success...

By popular demand, weekly Whist games will be returning for the winter season!

Starting with 2 opportunities to play in person at the coffeehouse, Mississinewa 1812 & Trail of History. These are you're last chance to show off all the practice you've had at events over the summer or to simply fake out your reenacting friends who think you've been practicing. Even if you haven't gotten the chance to learn this easy & period correct game, never fear. The Widow is always willing to teach newcomers and since Whist involves no gambling, your purse is safe.

Period correct beverages & treats will be available, but feel free to bring your own items to add to the atmosphere. Remember, the coffeehouse is a First Person Environment and visitors are encouraged to participate.

 

Whist with the Widow Returns

Friday October 12, 2012

7 o'clock

at the C. Black Coffeehouse, during Mississinewa 1812

Whist with the Widow Continues

Friday October 19, 2012

7 o'clock

at the C. Black Coffeehouse, during Trail of History

Look for further details and the Facebook event page for the online games, starting in late October and continuing Every Friday night, all winter long.

There can't be good living where there is not good drinking.

As any experienced reenactor will tell you, once the gates close and the public returns home, the true fun begins. More often than not this evening entertainment includes drinking, at times prodigious amounts, of alcohol. What are those of us who wish to remind in first person to do when the bottle begins to be passed? Surely we don't want to pass up the option of free booze and the rare opportunity to sample the home brewed concoctions of our fellow camp mates, lest of all we come across as a stick in the mud and not be invited back for the next event. Instead of sacrificing authenticity or giving up on the dream of 24-7 first person, why not incorporate those late night alcohol fueled shenanigans into our first person experience?

Of course, to truly pull off drunken first person, we must know the proper terminology to describe not only what we drink, but who we are with & how we feel afterward. So I give to you, my historically inebriated readers,

The Regency Era Drunkards Lexicon
or Terms to Turn the Tea-Teetotalers Toes.

Things to drink when you're in the Regency Era:

Adam's Ale : water, plain & simple.

All nations: the drainings of several bottles all into one pot.

balderdash: adulterated wine of any kind.

Bumbo: brandy, water & sugar,

calibogus: rum and spruce beer mixed

Cobblers punch: The frightening combination of treacle, vinegar, gin & water mixed. Yes, together.

conny wabble: eggs & brandy beaten together.

Crank: A classic gin & tonic water, without the tonic.

Flip: small beer, brandy & sugar combined & heated with a red hot poker.

Sir Cloudsley: flip with lemon added named after Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell.

grog: rum and water.

hog wash: a thick, bad beer. Like flat Pabst Blue Ribbon.

rot gut: small beer

scandal broth: tea-drinking

slip-slops: tea, water-gruel and anything taken medicinally.

tall boy: The same as it is today, a two quart pot or bottle.

twist: half tea, half coffee

What to say when you're drinking in the Regency Era:

We gave the bottle a black eye: drank it almost up

I'm chapt: thirsty, very very thirsty.

dead men: empty bottles

tipsey: almost drunk

toss pot: a drunkard

wet one's whistle: to drink

chirping merry: exhilarated with liquor

toast: a health said over drinks

How much to drink in the Regency Era:

a bumper: a full glass

like a beast: only when thirsty

a dram: a small measure of spiritous liquors

Bung your eye or fire a slug: drink a dram

Just a nip of ale: a half pint of beer

a cup of the creature: a cup of good liquor

a swig: a hearty draught of liquor

What NOT to do when you've had too much to drink in the Regency Era:

cast up ones accounts, cascade, to shoot the cat, flash the hash : vomit

churl: drink malt liquor immediately following wine

admiral of the barrow seas: vomit into the lap of the person sitting opposite due to drunkenness.

Become boosey, flustered, foxed or groggified : to get drunk

capsize: drink till you fall out of your chair

become cropsick: sickness in the stomach arising from drunkeness

guzzle: to drink greedily

List complied from Captain Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 1811.

To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.

Self-Portrait by Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin, 1771.

“I'd love to participate but I don't have a character.”

I've heard this a lot since beginning First Person Interpretations Day at the C. Black Coffeehouse back in 2010 and feel the need to address what I think is a common misconception. There is this idea that you have to have a “character” in order to do first person reenacting. This is simply not true.

There is nothing in first person reenacting that requires us to take on anything fake, from the accents to the personal backgrounds and everything in between. The simplest and most honest persona is the one that you already have: yourself. There is no reason that whomever you are in your modern life, can't also be who you are when doing first person, only with a little historical twist.

So, in order to help others prepare for the upcoming reenacting season and the ongoing first person interactions offered at the coffeehouse, here is a simple guide to turning your modern self, into your historic self.

The Basics

Name: Use your real name. That way you don't have to remember to respond to a new name while at events! It is also easier for your fellow reenacting friends, especially if they are also doing first person and having a hard enough time remembering to call everyone “Sir” or “Mr.”!

Age: Subtract your actual age from the year you are portraying to get the year you were born. Stick with your real birth date, it's easy to remember & face it, no one is going to ask you when your birthday is while in character anyway. However, knowing the year that you were born historically, does help with the types of experiences you might have had. More importantly, it helps you to remember just how much of the era you've lived through! I am sometimes surprised to discover just how much of the late 18th century my Regency self would have experienced, or maybe I'm just older than I realize.

Occupation: What skill or trade do you already have? Do you typically demonstrate, sell items or do certain tasks around camp? What do you do in the modern world & how does that translate historically? When in doubt, be someone generic. A street seller, a sailor or a solider, a servant, anyone that is one of a large group is easier to portray. This is doubled if that generic person is also of the lower classes. Remember, there might only be one General Washington, but there are hundreds of Private So-N-Sos.

City or Country: This is probably one of the things that scares people away from first person reenacting the most, having to decided where to be from. I will let you in on a little secret, unless you are in a very organized event, with a focused time & location, no one really cares where you choose to be from!

Want to hear another secret? Only the super hard-core folks will notice any little flaws in the match between your personas location, clothes, accent etc. If anyone comes up to you while you are doing first person and starts nagging that (some picky little detail) wouldn't have been used by a (whom ever you are portraying) in (where ever you are from) in (what ever year it is), you have my permission to tell them to get stuffed, especially if they are not making the effort to do first person!

When ever I am asked where I am from, or more often where the coffeehouse is located, I always tell them we are “3 miles from town”. What town? Well “the” town of course, don't they know what town is just 3 miles away? Being vague, yet specific, is a great way to be flexible as event locations are always changing while our personas do not.

Self-Portrait by Marie Louise Elisabeth Vigee le Brun, 1800.

Class Level: Most of us are lower class, even those of us portraying business owners or tradesmen. Just like in life, start at the bottom and worry about working your way up over time. This goes along with your choice of occupation as well. It's easier to portray one of the masses. Don't be afraid to be a generic, lower class nobody! Want yet another secret? Portraying the lower class is also cheaper; less accessories, simpler clothes and no fancy duds to try and keep clean while in camp. This means more time to really enjoy not only the events, but the first person interaction as well.

Spouse & Children: If you have them, great. I'd suggest using them, especially if they are doing first person with you. If they don't reenact, or you don't have one, there are lots of reasons a spouse could simply be “someplace else”. The war, sailing, at work, in “the” town etc. The same goes for children. Indentures are another great way to get rid of your children, whether you actually have them or not. I frequently mention my own daughters “indenture” to various (and constantly changing) individuals, when in reality she is just at home.

As morbid as it sounds, death is another good way to explain someone not being there. One point of caution however, especially for widows, be prepared to explain how your husband died, the public always seems interested in that detail when you least expect it. As with everything, stick with simple, understandable modes of death, a fever, injury or that ever so helpful “war”. They are easy to remember should anyone ask, easy for the public to understand yet vague enough that no one will be unintentionally hurt by hearing the story.

Other important things to know about yourself: Can you read or do you just look at the pretty pictures? Do you play an instrument or sing out of key? Have a gambling habit? Like coffee but think tea is for wimps? Go to church regularly? Do you love gardening but the names of every single general in the war bores you to death? Think about your modern day personality and interests and how that translates into your historic persona.

Many people new to first person reenacting think that they have to know “everything about everything” when creating a persona, every battle, every politician, every tool etc. The truth is, if it's not something that you'd care to know about in the modern world, why would your historic self want to know it in their time? I can relate the recipe for a double chocolate mocha brownies by heart, but heck if I know the name of my senator; my historic self is no different!

I hope these simple tips will help many of you develop first person personas and encourage more participation in the first person interactions being offered at the C. Black coffeehouse. Remember, be yourself. The easiest way to create a historic persona, is to use as much of your real life as possible. Don't fall into the trap of assuming your first person persona has to be entirely different from who you are naturally. This just makes doing first person more difficult and creates unneeded stress, keeping you away from the fun of actually doing first person.

After all, who do you know better than yourself?

Self-Portrait by Benjamin West, 1758 or 1759.

Historically Speaking

Historically Speaking; 5 tips to getting started.

The most intimidating part of first person interpretation is speech. However, speaking in a historic manner does not need to be a overwhelming, uncomfortable task. There are a few small things that can be done to our regular speech patterns that will make us sound more historical to the public & will add an element of depth to our first person reenacting. Speaking historically isn't about adopting unnatural speech patterns or phrases, but about making those small alterations that are both convincing & easy! Remember that funny, false accents aren't needed to sound period correct. In fact, false accents are best left to stage actors who only have to say a few pre-planned lines, while we reenactors need to be able to speak freely while sounding historically correct.



1. Give everyone a title.

Adding Mr. or Mistress to the beginning of everyone's name is the quickest, easiest way to sound more period correct. Social lines were more formal in the Regency era and the use of proper titles helped to enforce that social division. If you don't know someone's last name, try adding a title to their first name. If you don't know their name at all, or if they are a member of the public, substitute other formal titles like Sir, Ma'am or even Friend. This applies to children as well as other adults. While it seems odd to call a young child “Young Master” it is very period appropriate, and the public children love it! The one exception to this is for those portraying servants. It is period appropriate for servants to be addressed only by their first names, by those they are serving. However, when in doubt, use a proper title. It's always safer to be more formal rather than less.

2. Formalize your greetings.

Try saying “good morning”, or greeting someone with “good day” rather than your usual “hi”. Not only is this a more period way of greeting, but it helps you keep track of what time of day it is. Formal greetings are also a good way to introduce an ethnic persona, without confusing those around you with a foreign language which they may not understand. Try greeting others with “bonjour” if you are portraying a Frenchman, or “guten tag” if your persona is German.

3. Eliminate modern slang.

No way, dude! Yes way! The first step to eliminating modern slang is to be aware of the words you use. Listen to yourself in daily life, record a phone conversation & listen for frequently used words. Once you've identified the modern words it's only a matter of hearing them in your head before you speak & changing them out for a period term. For example, I am terrible about saying “cool” when someone is showing me something. I have worked to replace that reflexive “cool” with “extraordinary”, a much more Regency word. For a while though “cool” would still come out, and I would correct myself out loud. I'm sure many thought I was a little nuts, always saying “cool...err...extraordinary”, but in the long run it has paid off. Now I hear the modern word in my head by my lips say the period one!

4. Eliminate contractions.

Speaking without contractions automatically makes you sound more formal even if it is a little uncomfortable at first. Like eliminating modern slang, eliminating contractions takes time & awareness of your own speech. It is just one a small change that leads to a big difference in the effectiveness of your first person speech and is well worth the added effort.

5. Learn a few key period phrases.

There are many Regency era term & phrases that we still use in our modern speech. It's not difficult to add these terms to our conversations since they already feel natural, yet they are also historically correct. Following are just a few terms of my favorite period terms, still in use today, to get you started.

1. babble: confused, unintelligible talk
2. To put the cart before the horse: to mention the last part of the story first.
3. To snivel: to cry
4. elbow room: sufficient space to act in.
5. go teach your granny to suck eggs: said to anyone as would instruct in a manner he knows better than themselves.
6. hell-cat: a termagant, a vixen, a furious scolding woman
7. rumpus: a riot, quarrel or confusion
8. to leak: to make water; to piss
9. down in the dumps: low spirited, melancholy.
10. windfall: a legacy or any accidental accession of property

***
Works Cited:

Grosse, Francis. 1788. A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. London: S. Hooper. Google Books Edition.

Rowlandson, Thomas. Veronica, a Breakfast Conversation, etching & engraving , 1786. (Lewis Walpole Library, New Haven, Connecticut). http://images.library.yale.edu/walpoleweb/oneitem.asp?imageId=lwlpr05999

An Echo of the Past in the Future

The Widow Black Requests Your Presence for the inaugural

First Person Interpretation Day
Saturday August 7th, 2010 at the C. Black Coffeehouse
during the Pike River Rendezvous

All interaction within the coffeehouse will take place in character during the year 1813. All eras and personas are welcome to attend & encouraged to participate. Games, newspapers, music & refreshments will be provided for your enjoyment.

This is a unique opportunity for everyone interested in living history to experience first person interpretation with the support of like minded reenactors.

I know that this is a new experience for most of us. Hopefully, we will each be able to support each other in this first person experience and the interactions will become natural over the course of the day. Everyone will have varying degrees of comfort with first person so don't feel that you are alone if it takes you a while to get comfortable. The important thing to remember is not to ruin those around you and to have FUN!

I look forward to seeing many of you there!