When creating your historical persona,
the three most important things to keep in
mind are: |
-
Create a character that you can
believe in and that you can keep up
all day
-
It is
wise to avoid negative or
frightening characters, and vital to
choose a realistic person to play.
Extreme fantasy characters or D&D
characters are pretty implausible.
-
Make
sure the character you are
developing exists in the time
period. It’s hard to be a convincing
18th century pirate if the setting
is during the 1533 court of Henry
the VIII.
|
To help you define the character you
will be creating, print out and use the
following questionnaire.HINT: You
don’t have to cram the answers onto this
sheet. Use a separate sheet of paper.
This is not a trivial "make work
assignment”. A written analysis forces
you to think deeply about your
character, so give it a shot! |
|
NOTE: When the questions below refer to
“you”, they are actually referring to
the character you are developing! |
|
-
What is your name, age and
occupation?
-
What special stills do you have?
-
Where
do you live? Rural? Urban? Hotel?
Palace? Describe your dwelling in
minute detail (down to the square nails in
the floorboards)
-
Who are your parents and how
does your background affect your
life today?
-
What is your religious
background?
-
What are your present beliefs?
-
What are your attitudes to the
change that are coming about in the
time period’s religious life?
-
What is your attitude toward
revelry and merrymaking
-
What is your altitude to people
of classes other than your own?
-
What is the single most
important thing, the most
significant event and deepest most
significant secret affecting your
life so far?
|
Describe yourself in detail, in terms
of:
-
Movement
-
Mannerisms
-
Gestures
-
Dress
-
Speech
-
Habits
-
Health
-
State of mind
-
Strengths
-
Weaknesses
-
Quirks
-
Secrets
-
Pleasures
-
Terrors
-
Likes and Dislikes
-
All of the things that make your
character either unique or ordinary
|
What gestures con you use or images can
you employ to separate your character
from your “in sooth" or "real" self? |
|
Remember! |
As you go through this process, remember
to refer to your character analysis
frequently and update it as necessary!
It is the essence of the person you are
becoming. To be a successful performer,
you must know your character as
yourself! |
