This week we were tasked with watching a feature film based on historical events and basically tearing it apart for its inaccuracies. I wish I had chosen something else, because mine ended up really annoying me. Like really annoying me.
I reviewed the movie/mini-series Bonnie & Clyde (2013.) I then wrote a 5 page paper on the problems with the movie. It barely scratched the surface. Let me take what the five pager paper said and tell it to you in one sentence: nothing about the movie is accurate. There. Done. Still annoyed.
Moving on. Let's discuss this week's reading shall we? Some of it was interesting, some was different, and some was just out and out boring. I won't point fingers, though. We'll just discuss them all.
There was a reference piece for definitions from the Alamo's website. I probably should have read this first, but it was on the bottom of my stack and I didn't see it until I was halfway done. Helpful, though. It now lives on the cork board in my office.
After this is a glossary of terms for the readings to help explain terms like red shirt and fourth wall (completely new concepts to me.)
First up: The Significance of Historical Performance. The author of this piece (a portion of a whole book, see citation) writes primarily in the first person, which I really enjoyed. It makes it much easier to relate to. Throughout, she also give little pieces of wisdom and anecdotes in blocks labeled "A Trail Story." This adds to the information she is giving in real life examples and experiences.
Altogether, her goal is to convey the importance of being a Historical Performer and the different types of performers out there. Interpreters, re-enactors, look-alikes, musical monologues, chautauquans (completely new term for me and something my nerd-self now aspires to be,) she covers them all in detail and in relation to one another. It was a very interesting and helpful read as it introduced to a field of history I knew very little about and didn't understand.
Following that was Some Thoughts on First Person Interpretation of Historical Persona. It starts off with a small introduction as a "how to" for people who want to become "time travelers." Of course, I was immediately enthralled with that sentence. The introduction was right, it is a how to and a helpful one, at that. Advice on accents, dress, research, representation, bio, and language (I fail here, because I don't think it matters how hard I try I cannot wipe either "sweet" or "dig it" from my vocabulary.) A touch on all different aspects of being a successful interpreter.
Thus we reach Living History. This article is an attempt to explain the purpose of historical simulation. The author gives specific examples and interesting photographs of various living history sites and rendezvous. The author argues that living history helps to place the past in context and in visual and physical manner that literally brings it to life. It is one thing to read and imagine, but another entirely to touch, taste, and feel. It becomes less fact and more reality in these locations, better engaging the public and the historian.
The Ultimate Character Development list. (We're getting to the end, I swear!) This is literally a step by step questionnaire to help the interpreter develop their character from personal belongings to personality. Domestic skills, trades, talents, culture, health, social skills, it asks questions of all of it. While it doesn't tell you the answer, it is a nice test of yourself to see if you're prepared or where you're lacking. Very useful. I'm the type of person that like to be over prepared as opposed to under prepared, so this list is absolutely perfect for my personality type. Though anyone who is considering any sort of living history should go through it.
Ultimately, the materials covered this week were to help us gain a better understanding of both living history and its role in the field of historical study. It has always been a subject that was sort of on the peripheral for me. I knew it was there, I thought it was interesting to see, but I never really pulled it close and looked at it before. It turns out, I'm greatly intrigued by it. I am also impressed by its previously unknown diversity. I think it is something I would like to explore further. I can certainly see how it can be an important tool in relaying information and engaging and educating the public about certain periods or events.
Bibliography:
Anderson, Jay. "Living History." American Quarterly, no. Fall (1982): 3-12.
Bonnie & Clyde. Directed by Bruce Beresford. Performed by Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger. United States: Sony Pictures, 2013. Netflix.
Roth, Stacy F. "Glossary: First Person Interpretation." In Past Into Present: Effective Techniques for First-Person Historical Interpretation. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1998.
Salicco, John. "Some Thoughts on First Person Interpretation of Historical Persona." There Was a Time... LLC, no. MMVI. Accessed October 22, 2015. http://therewasatime.net/Seminar_series.htm.
Thierer, Joyce M. "The Significance of Historical Performance." In Telling History: A Manual for Performers and Presenters of First-person Narratives, 1-33. Lanham: AltaMira Press, 2010
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