First of all, a bit of explanation may be in order.
When you join the Seadogs, whether for a weekend or for the remainder of your days as an actor, you're joining a theatrical troupe, specializing in singing, improvisation, and portraying various maritime characters from historic periods (primarily Elizabethan and 'Dickensian' Victorian England). As such, most of us in the guild have adopted various 'characters', with names, occupations, and histories of varying complexity and detail.
Now, this does NOT mean that you (or anyone else) is expected to have a perfectly authentic and masterfully researched historic character, nor are you expected to have a character for whom you can name relatives off to the nth generation at a moment's notice. To be perfectly frank, the customers (thems who we're supposed to be entertaining) 99.9% of the time couldn't give a damn. On top of that, as an improv actor, you should be prepared to drop your pre-done character at a moment's notice if a gig demands such - to the guild you may be "Chester Fieldman, Ship's Ratter", but if the local constabulary apprehends you with a cry of "Got you now, James! Your days as a scurrilous dunnycleaner are over!" then you've just switched identities. Demanding to be recognized as your character to the detriment of a gig is a big no-no.
So why do it? Well, it's kinda required by the guild. Plus, it's a great way to keep yourself in the 'feel' of the period, and barring someone else arbitrarily assigning you an identity (as above), it provides you with a pre-set history and basis for reaction in improvised acting. So...
How do I create a character?
There are several steps to creating a fully fleshed out character. I'll list them in the order of (what I consider to be) their importance, with detailed explanations to follow:
I. Your Name
II. Your Nationality
III. Your Personality
IV. Your Occupation
V. Your History
VI. Your Family History
VII. Your Interactions With Others
I. Your Name
This, obviously, is one of the more important elements
you can pick. It's what we'll call you within the guild, and for those that
stick around long enough, it may be about the only thing most of your friends
know you as (Just ask one of our old dogs, Mike "Benji" Hall). In
selecting a name, you have a LOT of latitude... We (as Seadogs) do request a few
things:
No obvious movie references (if you call yourself "The Dread Pirate Roberts", we WILL laugh at you. Then make you pick another name.)
No 'pun' names. Long ago, in much less concerned days, we had a Pierce Hymen, an Isaiah Percival Freeley, and a number of other similar 'joke' names. We've heard them. They really aren't clever. Don't ask if you can be one.
No 'modern' sounding names. Be careful on this one - there are actually some names that have only been around since recent times. A big example of this is "Wendy". Barre invented that name for his book, "Peter Pan". Also, while "Robert", "Richard", "James" and the like are perfectly acceptable, "Bob", "Rick"/"Dick"/"Rich", or "Jim" are not particularly desired.
With the above in mind, there are a few really good sources you can search for names if you need help.
For the Elizabethan Period, Shakespeare just can't be beat. His contemporaries as well. Beware of picking the 'foreign' characters from this, and use some sense - the fairies from "Midsummer's Night" are NOT acceptable. Also, the Bible is a good source (as are just about any works that are somewhat reliably dated to the Renaissance or before.)
Since almost all of us portray Englishmen/women, there are a few basic trends in names that are prevalent. A major one is the use of craft or trade or other identifying familial feature as a last name... Several names that can be found today very likely got their starts in the trades of ancient ancestors. "Baker" very likely at one point was one. Same with "Fisher", "Taylor", "Cook" or a number of other family names. A common conceit was also to use various 'virtues' for first names. Many period records show "Constance", "Chastity", and other such names.
For the Dickensian/Victorian Period, well, Dickens is a great place to start. Be careful when lifting names from Dickens, however. Most Dickens events will have 'theme characters' portraying characters. Also, there are MANY more literary references (both fictional and non) for this period, so if you'd prefer to have a 'real' name, there are MANY for the taking. Beware though... by picking a 'real' person, you run the risk of running afoul of a customer who may know more about 'you' than you do.
Beyond that, it's fairly easy to come up with very 'Dickensian' names that do not necessarily appear in his literature. Just think longish and many jointed.
This is actually fairly simple. Unless you've asked the Guildmaster for special dispensation, you're English. There is a bit more latitude for Dickensian events, but beyond this the only exception would be for shows where we're based in another country (i.e., for an American Shanty Festival, we'd be American).
This is for a few reasons - but the biggest is costuming. When wandering an event, the main way that a customer (or another performer) identifies what country you are from is by the way you dress. It's also how they identify what you do. For the most part, the Seadogs have adopted a fairly uniform appearance, and by declaring you are from another nation chances are you'll be expecting to dress appropriately - and this will quite often render you unidentifiable as a Seadog. Plus, to be brutally honest, most of the guild really doesn't want to spend a large amount of time playing the 'we don't speak a common language' game.
As a further note, it's usual to pick a home city as well. It's been a running joke in the guild for a while that we're all from Dover, but by no means does that mean YOU have to be from Dover. Just don't be surprised if you suddenly get relocated for a gig.
This is something that most people let just 'evolve' out of their natural inclinations, but it can be VERY helpful to define ahead of time.
While having a fully developed personality can take a LOT of work, it can be extremely helpful to at least work on two or three major 'significant traits'. Some fairly experienced actors recommend that you work on having these two or three that can be identified within seconds of someone watching you. Are you depressed? Irritable? Jolly? A drunkard? All of these can easily be portrayed by basic broad mannerisms, and can define your character very quickly to a customer.
Your occupation within the Seadogs can help to define many aspects of your character. However, due to the nature of the guild, there is a vast difference between Male and Female occupations.
Men
As a male seadog, most of us portray various members
of a ship's crew. In all fairness, for many (and this is very true for our new
members), "deck seaman" is an acceptable 'occupation'. As time goes
on, you may wish to define your role in a bit more detail.
To that end, here are a few guidelines:
We are almost ALL sailors. There are a few conventions within the guild as to the names of the ships, the company we work for, the taverns we frequent and the like, but those will be covered in another article (or you can just ask the guild). But by and large, we're all sailors. It IS possible to be a shorebound worker, however. Please clear it with our Director first. A few onboard positions can be found here, but others include Barber Surgeon, Rigger (there were always MANY riggers, and most sailors were at least part time riggers), Ship's Ratter, Deck Hand, Gunner, Pilot (Currently portrayed by our Director), and numerous other positions. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the guild.
We are NOT pirates. This can not be stressed heavily enough. Piracy is, was, and will likely always be a capital crime in almost any nation on this planet, and is normally punishable by death. On top of this, the vast majority of events we do either fall considerably before or after the 'golden age' of piracy. This is not to say that 'piratical' behavior is unknown to our 'ships'. Privateering is a time honored occupation and has been for centuries (for those who are not acquainted with it, Privateering is government sanctioned capture of 'enemy' nation ships). The English have also been famous for centuries for their aptitude in 'salvaging' damaged or sinking ships - in some cases, substantial differences of opinion are known to have occurred between the salvager and the salvagee over said operation. On the whole though - No velvet coats. No tricorn hats. No eyepatches or peglegs without prior approval. NO PARROTS. And if you insist on any of the above, or sport a "Jolly Roger", we reserve the right to ridicule you.
You are NOT the captain. You are not a ranking officer, unless you have explicit approval from our Director. You are a regular crew member. There are a few reasons for this... A primary reason is that our Director portrays the ship's Pilot, who has been left in charge of our motley bunch while the captain is conducting business "Over Thar". The simplest reason why no Seadog 'outranks' him is that in a case where someone needs to speak to an authority figure, they will normally look to the best dressed person around, and as Pilot, our Director dresses in a style similar to the rest of the guild. In addition, by assuming an Officer character, you also assume a level of authority in gigs that can make it difficult to interact with the rest of the guild. Just don't do it, OK?
Women
I'll be honest here. Being a female Seadog is not the
easiest of roles in the world. Given that women at sea are STILL an uncommon
sight, the role of a female sailor (with the famous exceptions of Granuaile
O'Malley, Anne Bonney and Mary Reade) is pretty much out of the question.
Some shows (particularly the Dickens shows) feature several 'cabin boys', but
that's unfortunately about it.
With that in mind, there ARE a few 'occupations' that are common amongst our talented women, such as:
Tavern Employee. One of our Assistant Directors currently portrays the owner of the Crazy Galleyasse, the (sadly demised) tavern from the old RPFN faire. Our RPFS 'Tavern', the Broken Compass Inn, also is available to use as a source of employment. Or, you can pretty much get away with naming your 'home' tavern whatever you wish - just try to keep things straight with anyone else claiming to work with you.
Local Merchant. Or representative thereof. This could cover a number of options and gig opportunities. As a local merchant, you could be trying to sell merchandise to the crew... or trying to collect on merchandise already sold...or you could have any of the other motivations for females to be in the guild, and use the 'merchant' character as a means of expediting this.
Local Resident. Or, the ubiquitous "other" category. There's actually a fair amount of room in this. Well, there's SOME room in this. Some of our members portray relatives of the crew... or wives/relatives of the crew... or are looking for a sailor to marry. About the only thing that's frowned on is the 'prostitute' character. While it's a moderately 'open' gig that several of the tavern workers and a few other characters are prostitutes, it's not a flaunted gig - we like to keep it somewhat subtle.
Anyway, once again - being a female in the guild can be difficult as far as creating a character is concerned. Please feel free to talk to the various guildmembers for advice.
This is your personal background - where you came from, whom your family is, whether you are married or not, that kind of thing. You can go into as much or as little detail as you wish in this area.
This is also something that is mainly for your comfort. In my nearly 10 years in the guild, I've yet to be asked for details about my character's past. Heck, I've yet to be asked details about his present, either. But regardless, if you feel you need to fully flesh out your past, by all means do so. For many people this is a valuable aid in being able to 'become' their character. This can also be a neato place to show off all your historic research.
This is really an extension of the personal history. Once again, while it is by no means required to have created a history for your family members, some people do feel that it aids them in assuming their character.
VII. Your Interactions With Others
This (again) is an extension of other areas of your character, and primarily covers if you've included other Seadogs into your descriptions. If you're married to a sailor, or if you've married a woman ashore, what is your relationship like? The Doting Couple? The Cheating Pair? The Bickering Neighbors? If you're related to another Seadog- how is your relationship? Estranged? Loving Siblings?
As you can see, having established relationships with another seadog or three can help to define your character. Again, it's by no means required.
In summary, your character will be YOU. Once at an event, your character is how you interact with customers, guildmates, and other performers. The background development should never swallow you up in it - as noted, it's not something that you'll often be called on to explain - but it can also be an invaluable aid in fleshing out a character so that you feel comfortable within it.
But please... again... realize that we're all still actors, and as an improv actor, please don't get upset when a random actor pulls you into a gig as his "Long lost Uncle Charles" or somesuch... just go with it, and create a new and temporary character!