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I attended as a regular visitor, one of the "farmhouse suppers" given by Hale Farm, Bath, Ohio, Nov. 10, as part of their museum programs. The charge for visitors is $50 which includes a meal and three-hour program of first-person interpretation. Similar programs are given at other living history museums, as well. At least Conner Prairie in Indiana also does them.
I'd highly recommend the experience. The group is limited to 12, which sounds like a lot, but the group I was with was fairly quiet, which is probably typical. The conversation is therefore dominated by the interpreters, so it doesn't deteriorate into a hubbub of voices. Period clothing for guests is discouraged, so I dressed modern, and afterwards, some of the guests still thought I was a "ringer" for the museum. :(
The premise is you're travelers stranded by a bridge that's out, and while it's being repaired, the local townspeople decide to take you in and offer a meal. While the description says you help prepare the meal, it's basically all prepared, and the things guests do are minor, like slicing the cake, setting the table, etc.
The recipes given out afterward are from period sources, and the food tasted to me just like repro food always does, and it seemed a typical large meal for company, with two kinds of meat, etc. Some of the other guests said afterwards they were surprised it was so spicy, since they'd expected period food to taste bland, though I didn't think it was overly spiced. The house and furnishings were well done, and the clothing was about equal to typical invitation-only reenactment style.
The interpreters were extremely knowledgeable, and the best part of the evening was you could discuss a wide variety of topics, crack jokes with period references, and they'd get the slightest references. For example, one was talking about the fugitive slave law, and how citizens were required by law to help marshalls capture runaways. I said, "That's what they say, but it doesn't work out that way. How about the Wellington Oberlin rescue?" Immediately the interpreter got my point, and explained to the rest of the visitors the story of the Oberlin Wellington events and their significance.
I mentioned that a local regiment from our region had been sent to Missouri--not a topic the interpreters would be expecting, since regiments in their area were either going east or hadn't left yet.
The lawyer immediately said, "Under Grant?"
I answered, "Under Fremont."
He said, "Fremont's gone, you know." [It had happened just eight days ago.]
I said, "Well, yes, he got a little ahead of himself."
He said, "With that emancipation proclamation, you mean."
When one of the women was complaining about another being too interested in going off to be a nurse for the army, and it turned out the nurse was originally from Canandaigua, NY, I said, "I don't know if Canandaigua is physically close to Seneca Falls, but it seems to be spiritually close." She immediately got the joke, talked a bit about the convention there, the reforms in women's property laws, and so forth.
It was great to be able to just relax and talk, without worrying about whether the "period people" would get upset for being put on the spot with something they didn't know, or think I was trying to "catch" them, when I was just trying to innocently make conversation.
One thing that added depth to the portrayals, is that the village used to portray the late 1840s and switched to 1861 a few years ago, so the echo of that late 1840s world is still there, just as most adults today over a certain age would still have first-hand memories of events 13 years ago.
The only down side--and I know it has to be this way--was that it was very much first person interpretation, rather than just an attempt at accurately reproducing a period meal. The situation of having a dozen guests who know almost nothing of your culture is odd enough, but normal people would handle it by at least asking the guests about their culture. Well, you can't do that either, unless you want an evening of talking about 2006.
So it's necessary for the interpreters to dominate the conversation, and they do, talking fast and aggressively, yet making sure to explain everything without acting as if the guests are dumb for not knowing things. They also want to pack as much as possible in three hours, which is good, because you get a lot for your time and money, but it's extremely "high energy." Quick preparation, dinner, a tour of the house, a song, a parlor game, dessert, and you're out of there. It's like 1861 on speed, compared to a normal two-day event.
If done among reenactors only, for reenactors, for a whole weekend, it would be too unnatural, and it's probably why a lot of reenactors scoff at first person as being theatrical and hokey, because they've only experienced first person museum-style interpretation, which is more like costuming than clothing, no matter how good.
But in context, the suspension of disbelief worked as well as could be expected, and the interpreters dealt well with having a combination of visitors from diverse backgrounds with different knowledge.
The web page is here: http://www.wrhs.org/halefarm/template.asp?id=419
And the museum's description:
Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net
I'd highly recommend the experience. The group is limited to 12, which sounds like a lot, but the group I was with was fairly quiet, which is probably typical. The conversation is therefore dominated by the interpreters, so it doesn't deteriorate into a hubbub of voices. Period clothing for guests is discouraged, so I dressed modern, and afterwards, some of the guests still thought I was a "ringer" for the museum. :(
The premise is you're travelers stranded by a bridge that's out, and while it's being repaired, the local townspeople decide to take you in and offer a meal. While the description says you help prepare the meal, it's basically all prepared, and the things guests do are minor, like slicing the cake, setting the table, etc.
The recipes given out afterward are from period sources, and the food tasted to me just like repro food always does, and it seemed a typical large meal for company, with two kinds of meat, etc. Some of the other guests said afterwards they were surprised it was so spicy, since they'd expected period food to taste bland, though I didn't think it was overly spiced. The house and furnishings were well done, and the clothing was about equal to typical invitation-only reenactment style.
The interpreters were extremely knowledgeable, and the best part of the evening was you could discuss a wide variety of topics, crack jokes with period references, and they'd get the slightest references. For example, one was talking about the fugitive slave law, and how citizens were required by law to help marshalls capture runaways. I said, "That's what they say, but it doesn't work out that way. How about the Wellington Oberlin rescue?" Immediately the interpreter got my point, and explained to the rest of the visitors the story of the Oberlin Wellington events and their significance.
I mentioned that a local regiment from our region had been sent to Missouri--not a topic the interpreters would be expecting, since regiments in their area were either going east or hadn't left yet.
The lawyer immediately said, "Under Grant?"
I answered, "Under Fremont."
He said, "Fremont's gone, you know." [It had happened just eight days ago.]
I said, "Well, yes, he got a little ahead of himself."
He said, "With that emancipation proclamation, you mean."
When one of the women was complaining about another being too interested in going off to be a nurse for the army, and it turned out the nurse was originally from Canandaigua, NY, I said, "I don't know if Canandaigua is physically close to Seneca Falls, but it seems to be spiritually close." She immediately got the joke, talked a bit about the convention there, the reforms in women's property laws, and so forth.
It was great to be able to just relax and talk, without worrying about whether the "period people" would get upset for being put on the spot with something they didn't know, or think I was trying to "catch" them, when I was just trying to innocently make conversation.
One thing that added depth to the portrayals, is that the village used to portray the late 1840s and switched to 1861 a few years ago, so the echo of that late 1840s world is still there, just as most adults today over a certain age would still have first-hand memories of events 13 years ago.
The only down side--and I know it has to be this way--was that it was very much first person interpretation, rather than just an attempt at accurately reproducing a period meal. The situation of having a dozen guests who know almost nothing of your culture is odd enough, but normal people would handle it by at least asking the guests about their culture. Well, you can't do that either, unless you want an evening of talking about 2006.
So it's necessary for the interpreters to dominate the conversation, and they do, talking fast and aggressively, yet making sure to explain everything without acting as if the guests are dumb for not knowing things. They also want to pack as much as possible in three hours, which is good, because you get a lot for your time and money, but it's extremely "high energy." Quick preparation, dinner, a tour of the house, a song, a parlor game, dessert, and you're out of there. It's like 1861 on speed, compared to a normal two-day event.
If done among reenactors only, for reenactors, for a whole weekend, it would be too unnatural, and it's probably why a lot of reenactors scoff at first person as being theatrical and hokey, because they've only experienced first person museum-style interpretation, which is more like costuming than clothing, no matter how good.
But in context, the suspension of disbelief worked as well as could be expected, and the interpreters dealt well with having a combination of visitors from diverse backgrounds with different knowledge.
The web page is here: http://www.wrhs.org/halefarm/template.asp?id=419
And the museum's description:
Travel a few miles and 145 years to experience an unforgettable evening filled with candlelight, food, family, and friends. Hale Farm and Village invites you to spend a very special evening with the Martin Family at our Farm House Suppers program. Enjoy a delicious meal you have helped to prepare, and discuss the topics of the day with the Martins and their friends. The dinner conversation may be historic, but it will never get old! Space is limited to 12 guests per evening, and reservations are required. This program is recommended for adults and children 14 years of age and older. Admission fee, 6-9 p.m.
hanktrent@voyager.net