A few weeks ago, I saw a public invite from one of the Annapolis museums that I follow, to take a First Person Interpretation workshop with the Colonial Williamsburg Marquis de Lafayette.
When my son saw that, his eyes got big and he said, “Oh Mom, we have to go to that workshop. That is the single most important thing I want to do.”
Uh oh.
INTERPRETATION AND COSTUME PREP
I called the organizer, who loved that we were coming and encouraged us to come in costume and have an interpretation ready.
Together my son and I planned our costumes and interpretations.
CAPTAIN MERIWEATHER LEWIS WITH HUNTING FROCK
Although he considered Captain John Paul Jones, which probably would have been a hit due to the Naval Academy next door to our venue, he decided to portray his most recent persona, Meriweather Lewis, so he wore his hunting frock with all the fringe, to keep things simple.
FRANCES TASKER CARTER WITH COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG CHINTZ REPRODUCTION GOWN
My son encouraged me to portray Frances Tasker Carter, the wife of the First Emancipator, as one of the book authors we met at Colonial Williamsburg had suggested.
Wow, she has a great story, so I had fun putting all the details together, though I didn’t have much time for rehearsal.
I wore my 18th century Colonial Williamsburg reproduction chintz fabric gown, which I thought it would be perfect for Frances Tasker Carter, formerly of Annapolis, presently of Williamsburg…
CLASS IN ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Yesterday morning, Saturday, we drove to Annapolis, Maryland for the class.
After a presentation of a handy packet of information, we participated in lots of acting exercises which reminded me of some another friend has been encouraging me to do.
During breaks I was asked about my gown, which was fun to chat about.
And funny thing, the only ones in costume were the Marquis, and three of us guests!
Near the end of the workshop, we went to the stage to feel what that perspective of an auditorium felt like.
After some discussion, there was time for two attendees to give their interpretations.
Any volunteers?
One of them was my son, who received lots of feedback that he deeply took in.
1824 LAFAYETTE’S GRAND TOUR IN ANNAPOLIS
An hour and a half later, we sat in a darkened auditorium to hear the Marquis de Lafayette tell his story up to 1824, when he arrives in Annapolis on his Grand Tour of America.
That was new for my son and I to hear, as well as all the queries that were often sprinkled with tidbits of wonder about his time in Annapolis.
As we drove home, my son talked about his favorite parts of the day and about all he learned.
This will definitely go on his high school transcript.
