Truth, Reality, and Honesty
A characterization is a representation of a person as he might exit in the times and circumstances as presented. At no time should you think that the character is real or true. Instead you must recognize that you can only approximate truth or reality and strive to be as honest in your presentation as you can.

By that I mean that you can recognize that this person you are presenting is in some greater or lesser degree nothing but fiction, the product of your own imperfect understanding and intentions. But, what you do present is your honest understanding of how that person would actually behave if he were real and if he were here.

My personal approach is to know the character so well that I can see him in my mind's eye. I can tell him what he is to do and he will do it. I must then do my best to do what he does exactly as he does it or at least as honestly as I can.

Of course, even the concept of honesty is subject to the needs of the performance. But, in nearly every case, I simply ask the character how he would do what needs to be done under these circumstances and the obliging fellow does the necessary.

Preparing a character
There are three basic stages in preparing a character:

• Know the society your character lives in.
  
• Know his place in that society.
  
• Know what it is he wants and needs.

Know the society your character lives in.
You should understand that 'society' is a flexible word. It can encompass the whole of a culture and all that it touches or it can describe some small portion of the whole which is more or less exclusive than the rest. For instance, if you are a noble of a great house, you will have an education that makes you aware of world factors that a peasant who works in the field would have no knowledge of. But you, at this stage, should be concerned with knowing as much as possible about the total society of the time, both from a historical perspective and separating yourself from modern knowledge as possible. What is more, we want to know all this in as much detail as possible.

This is really a "compare and contrast" situation, this society versus the one you actually live in. You should make yourself aware of what is different and what is the same. One technique is to question everything you do during a normal day of your life from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep. Question the nature of what you do from the viewpoint of someone living at the time of your character. Consider the effects of age, status, and sex on those perceptions. Consider the ethical and moral implications of all these things on our society and theirs. See if you can substantiate or contradict your inferences and speculations. Become an expert on the period. Become upset if someone asks you a question and you can't even speculate on an answer, then run and find out.

Once we understand the society we can move to the next step.

Know his place in that society.
Now is the time to understand the limitations imposed on your character by his position in society. There will be things he does not know and cannot do, simply because he has no experience with them. This is true no matter who you are studying.

If you are creating a character based on someone who actually lived in this society, you should study all that is known of that persons's life and actions. Just file the facts away for now. You should, in any case, study the lives of others similar to your character who moved in the same circles of society. You are looking for the details that made this particular life style different from others. You are exploring all the possibilities of such a life under such circumstances.

Again, consider every aspect of your present life and those of your character. Just as before, walk through a day in your life and make sure you understand just what your character would do specifically to match your actions within the scope of his social standing. Ask yourself, what he would know of others in different circumstances. Consider what he would feel about those differences or your behavior if he knew of it. Remember you will be confronting the present from your character's viewpoint every time you speak with someone who is not in character. Consider where you stand socially, ethically, and morally.

Know what it is he wants and needs.
Every person is defined by his particular choices. Those choices are based on his own value system; what he wants and how he will attempt to achieve his goals. You as a performer must understand the exact nature of those values for this particular person, even if he does not understand himself. In this way you can lead him into situations that will be interesting for you and for those he is interacting with.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
In a similar sense, you must understand the history of your character both as he will perceive it and in ways that he may be unaware. You must understand how that history affects what he is at this point in his life and how it will shape his future.

Please remember that your character is being presented at a specific moment in his life. There is much which has gone before and usually much which will follow. Your knowledge of your character's future can often be used to add quality to a moment in his present. Particularly in the case of a character who is well known, a spectator can experience a profound moment of theatre by hearing a comment that reverberates with import. For instance, a contemporary of young Thomas Becket might describe the low probability of sainthood for so entertaining a young fellow. Or at the time of Henry VIII before the break with the Catholic Church, a bit of gossip might be punctuated with a joking line such as, "What is he going to do, chop her head off?" Beware! These moments can cut both ways. Judge well your audience.

Dealing with the Mundane World
You must make some commitment as to how you will deal with the problems related to interacting with people who have no period persona. They are clearly not dressed appropriately and will only seldom have any real understanding of the times. If you can define a strategy that permits you to remain honest with your character then you will enjoy every encounter and anticipate the next. My approach has always been to treat these mundanes as foreign, perhaps friendly, poorly informed, timid, and, undoubtedly, primitive visitors to the port of Bristol at the time of the faire. My civic pride in our fair town as well as my considerable financial interest in anything connected with shipping guarantees my involvement.

You must find a way to view these out-land-ish visitors that is in keeping with your character's concerns so that you speak with them and still remain honest.

By the same token, they will enjoy the little games of anachronism that are natural to these confrontations. Children still have little understanding of the relativity of custom, they are easily amused by discussing their public display of their undergarments. Sent them off to their parents to be properly dressed. Somewhat older children but still before breaching are entertained by customs of dress. Arm yourself with little known facts of daily life and their reasons for existing. Invite these visitors to participate, for instance, the legal requirement for headwear under Elizabeth. Remember that a faire day is as good an excuse as any for permitting minor exceptions to local regulations. If you feel comfortable, allow yourself to be drawn into political discussions of the day. Do not be afraid to express your character's religious views if you can do so without starting a brawl and if you can do so accurately for a person of your class. Try to draw the mundanes into the entertainments of the time, riddles, songs, stories, music, or whatever. Feel free to gently berate them if you can treat them as approximate equals. If you cannot, you must find a way to refer them to someone who can deal with them on an equal footing. Play with this within the limits of your character's character.

Summary
I have only outlined a basic procedure, a progression from general to specific which is not unlike the old joke about how to sculpt Michaelangelo's David: Start with a block of white marble and remove everything that doesn't look like David. Obviously, there are skills and crafts to doing the job well and equally obviously Michaelangelo never took a course in sculpting David. But, I have offered you a couple of tricks to help even the unskilled actor who is willing to apply them to be able to construct a character from whole cloth.

• Know what there is to choose from. Do the research
  
• Use the faculties you have and understand to make your choices. You are already a critic.
  
• Compare and contrast against the familiar
  
• Learn to be your own audience
  
• Treat your character as a real person
  
• Be honest.

In closing...
This essay does not even pretend to be exhaustive. Many of the topics opened here are already planned to be expanded into whole articles. I am open to requests to discuss or debate my viewpoints, since that is what most of what I have written here is. You may leave open comments on my guest book or you may send me email. Unsigned comments or questions are suitable for unrestricted ridicule where ever appropriate or merely convenient. I will try to respond to postings if such seems indicated and I will always respond to email.

Thank you for your attention.

Barton Lynn Rolsky
[Sir Baržolimieu Roderickson of Barrow House, Knight Bachelor,
Master of the Gate
Bristol Renaissance Faire]