DEVELOPING A PERSONA  

Swashbucklers is about having fun, The only rule right now is “there are no rules.” So here are some ideas we pirated from a very successful group, if you choose to use them they may help.

 

There are several steps to developing a persona and carrying that persona through at an event. The best personae do not spring fully realized from your brain. They are generally little sparks or funny ideas that pop out at the oddest moments and are then developed over long periods of time, like children who are born, then grow and learn. As your character develops, you will find yourself staying more in character at events and you will purchase clothes and props for the character. (My character even goes shopping with me.)

I start here with the development of a character from idea to real person and show you some of the steps and exercises used in theater and writing to develop a character.

 

WHO AM I?

First, we start with some basic questions and you should write down the answers to these. You may not have all the answers, they will come later, but any answers you already have will help you organize your thoughts. Also, as you continue your research and read about pirates and piracy, your characterization will grow. Remember you can change anything at a later time - you don't have to be the same persona forever.

• What are my physical characteristics?

• Am I tall or short, ugly or beautiful, fat or thin?

• Do I have any physical handicaps (this is fun to play with later)?

• Do I have a facial tic?

• Is my hair long or short?

• Do I have bad teeth that hurt all the time and make me grouchy?

• Was I hit by a cannonball so that I drag my left leg?

• Do I squint?

• Where am I from?

• What time period do I live in?

• In which country was I born?

• Am I from the city or the country?

• Do I have any siblings?

• Where are my parents and did I have a good upbringing?

• Did my father beat me?

• Do I come from a family of thieves?

• Who are my relatives? I suggest you stay away from having amnesia or being a bastard son of the King of England since these are much harder to portray. It is more fun to come from a dysfunctional family that the audience can identify with.

• Do I have a religion?

• What was my education? 

• Can I read and write?

• What is my name? While this is useful, it is not urgent (one pirate I know hasn't picked a name in five years). Try to pick a name that your friends will be glad to use (not "Bitch of the Seas"). Look at the names of some famous pirates: Mary Read, Anne Bonney, "Calico" Jack Rackham, Henry Morgan, Blackbeard. Simple is better and easier to remember: Blackdog, Agnes the Red, Jamaica Rose.

Now is the time to add some personality to the mix. It is easier if you use your own personality, but you are acting so anything goes.

• Am I bossy or silent?

• Am I a bully or a pushover?

• Do I present one face to the world, but am I secretly the opposite?

• Am I brash and harsh?

• Am I loud?

• Am I a drunken lout?

• Do I love being a pirate or hate it?

You don't have to psychoanalyze your character, but looking at cause and effect will give you some help staying in character. All of this will give you an idea about where you might fit in with a crew or on land.

Which brings us to:

• Where do I live and what do I do for a living?

• Do I live on a ship?

• What is its name?

• What do I do besides being a pirate/sailor?

• Am I the ship's surgeon or the cabin boy (remember, we can't all be the captain)?

• Was I an English sailor whose vessel was taken by pirates or was I on my way to slave labor in the new world?

• What is my shipboard job?

• Do I like it?

• What do I dream of retiring to?

• Do I live in Port Royal , Madagascar or where?

• Do I serve the privateers rather than sail with them? (Mother Rackett runs the local brothel and serves as an informant to the Swashbucklers.)

By now you should be getting an idea of where you might fit in with a mangy flea-bitten pirate crew. There is one more important ingredient. How do I look? What do I wear? If you have enough money for a silk brocade jacket and $1,000 jack boots, you could be a captain; however, if you are like most of us, you will have to start at the bottom and work up. You are best off with a shirt and pants or skirt, hat and maybe rope sandals. Most pirates started as poor sailors and became pirates because it was a fast way to make money. Also, when you are onboard ship, you don't wear your finery, you wear your work clothes.

 

LIFE STORIES

All this background may seem tedious to you, but it is necessary because the easiest way to stay in character is to tell the character's life stories. The audience wants to know all about your character. The best story is always: "How I became a pirate." You can tell your own story at an encampment or you and a friend can play off each other (like the Corsican Sisters do) or you can try to tell your story while the crew stands behind you and makes rude remarks about you ("I am the Duchess of Luxemborg." "Yea, and if ye gives her a quarter, she'll be the queen!"). If you are very shy, you can have someone tell your story for you. Read the stories of real pirates and change them or use parts of them to enhance your own story. Your stories can also be about the girl you left behind, how you murdered your father who beat you once too often, how all you ever dreamed about was getting rich or the other characters you have met in your travels. You can also get your shipmates to help you with your story.

 

STAYING IN CHARACTER

The hardest part of designing a character and building a life story is staying in character when nothing is really going on. This becomes easier when you choose a personality close to your own or one you would like to be. You must concentrate on where you are, what your character would do in this situation, and how you are reacting as the character. Learning sea chanteys will also give you something to do at events. You can also learn a skill that you can demonstrate (mending sails, tying knots).

You need to give your character space to grow. Be slightly mysterious at the start. Lots of sailors and pirates were wanted by the law and didn't want anyone knowing their business.

 

SUMMARY

In developing a persona you must create a physical and psychological profile of your character. You should read about pirates, sailors, privateers, buccaneers, etc. Then, you can build stories about your character and concentrate on your persona. My final word of advice is to practice, practice, practice. Be your character as much as possible!