Stepping Into Your Renaissance Character

Method Acting Improves Festival Experience

Ashland, NH - April 29, 2006 – Attending any Renaissance festival or event reveals the actor in all of us. The more we understand our historical character, the more fulfilling the event will be. But authentic method acting and character development is a skill rarely taught in school, or in life.

Begin by stretching your imagination and creating a role you’ve always wanted to play. Define your character. Where does your character live? How does your character conduct daily activities? What events have shaped your characters life and emotions? Build your character’s personality piece by piece.

Next, learn how to express their personality – physically. Most people believe actors must feel the same emotions as their characters to express this sentiment on stage or on screen. But this is simply not true. Actors use physical body language to communicate their character’s emotion. Is your character sad or sullen? Identify the physical body language of those in this frame of mind. Sad or sullen people typically express themselves in a downward angle, head slumped, shoulders fallen, eyes focused on the ground. In contrast, a character with pride and confidence physically resonates upward with their head held high, back straight and eyes directly in line with their recipient, if not above and beyond. Watch the body language of actors in various stages of emotion. If you mimic the physical gestures of someone billowing with laughter, regardless of how you feel, you can convince your audience that you feel silly and frivolous.

Apparel can be the best motivation an actor has when stepping into character. Are you a wench, a virgin or somewhere in between? “Character development falls into place once you slip into a crisp cotton chemise, tie a twill bodice around your torso or drape a velveteen cloak over your shoulders,” states Hailey Pearson, owner of Pearson’s Renaissance Shoppe. “Our most popular items include our Highlander shirt for both men or women and our complete wench costume with twill bodice, gathered skirt and white classic chemise for dramatic push-up shaping. These choices reveal a lot about the characters our customers wish to portray.”

To begin your Renaissance character transformation or enter a contest to win a free dagger, visit www.pearsonsrenaissanceshoppe.com.