American Heritage Living History Productions

1^st Annual

Spring/Summer 2013

FIRST PERSON INTERPRETATION SYMPOSIUM

This hands on symposium is designed to get you performance ready!

Gelston Castle Estate

Mohawk, NY

MISSION STATEMENT:

To foster, encourage, nurture, cultivate and facilitate history education via the First Person Historical Interpretation style.

Adapted from Wikipedia:

Historical Character Interpretation

Historical character interpretation is a branch of first-person interpretation. It is increasingly becoming the way all first-person interpretation is performed because it adds an incredibly high degree of authenticity to a given performance or interpretation. 

This movement corresponds with the increase in focus on the educational benefit of a museum to the visitor as opposed to the previously held belief that the visitor is a secondary concern to the objects. While this has been a strong movement since about 1980, the concern for accuracy and consequent focus on portraying real people is a marker that can be interpreted as a new stage.

One of the main ways that museum theatre differs from museum interpretation is in the degree of disbelief involved in the performance; representing a historical figure requires less suspension of disbelief because the audience knows that the character being represented did exist. It is easier for an audience to believe that the performer is accurately representing a figure that they themselves can verify existed.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

Purchase Required text:

 Past into Present: Effective Techniques for First Person Historical Interpretation by Stacy F.  Roth

PLEASE COME TO THE SYMPOSIUM PREPARED TO DEVELOP EITHER:

1. An existing historical figure you want to further develop
   1. Bring all clothing, accoutrements and props necessary to perform your character(s).
2. An historical figure you want to create
   1. Highly recommended that you come prepared with research already done so you may begin developing a performance portfolio.  Highly recommended that you use Past into Present to guide you.
3. Both

Wednesday  DAY 1:

• PM Arrival
• Cocktails-Reception
  • Meet the speakers/panel members/your coaches
    • Speakers give a Chautauqua style performance of their personas

 Thursday  DAY 2:

• Morning session:  8 am
  • Keynote Speaker: Stacy Roth: Author of Past into Present (proposed)
  • Lectures
  • Classes/ Workshops
    • Break out groups for practice
• Professional Development
  • Performance practice and critique by panel of experts
• Lunch
  • 12-1 pm
• Afternoon
  • Lectures
  • Classes/ Workshops
    • Break out groups for practice
  • Professional Development
    • Performance practice and critique by panel of experts
• Dinner
  • 6-7 pm
• Evening: Performance practice in front of peers and panelists
  • 7-9 pm

Friday  DAY 3:

• Morning session: 8 am
  • Lectures
  • Classes/ Workshops
    • Break out groups for practice
• Professional Development
  • Performance practice and critique by panel of experts
• Lunch
  • 12-1 pm
• AFTERNOON:  PROFESSIONAL AUDITION PRACTICE
  • Filming of a professional audition or performance video. Taped onsite. Max 2-3 minutes in length.
  • Professional  Review of your performance audition by our panel of experts.
  • Includes a 15 minute personal consultation/critique from one of our professional presenters/coaches.
• Evening
  • Prepare for tomorrow’s performance (optional). 
  • Registration form will give you the choice of whether to elect to perform publicly.

 Saturday  DAY 4:

• PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
  • Public will be invited to attend this advertised event on the property.
  • This is your chance to perform your impressions in front of a live audience!
  • PROPOSED:
    • Booths/tents/bowers set up alongside the entrance road for each historical figure
    • Public arrives knowing  the performers due to previous advertising:
      • They are provided a program listing that includes  your
        • Name
        • Persona
        • Bio
        • Contact information
• Public pays $1.00 per minute to have a private audience with you!

• DATES: TBD
• COST: TBD