Spring Break
Getting into character for history
Six Eastern students portray historical women
Jaclyn Gorski/ Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/7/05 Section: News
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The Living History program, sponsored by women's studies, consisted of performers dressing up in costumes that reflected their character's time period. Each performer was responsible for researching her character, developing a 10 to 12 minute speech on the woman and determining the most effective way to convey the information to elementary school children, said Gail Mason, professor of communication studies.
Writing their speeches in the first person to consume the identity of their subjects, the performers' gave information on the women in history they chose and the time period they lived in.
Diane Reid, a sophomore elementary education major, performed as Hatshepsut, one of Ancient Egypt's few female pharaohs.
"(Ancient Egyptian) history is really interesting to me," Reid said.
Reid talked about the obstacles standing in Hatshepsut's way of gaining recognition as a legitimate pharaoh.
In order to be considered a ruler, Hatshepsut had to marry her half-brother, who died two years later, after which she married her nephew. She also had to say she was a child of Amon-Ra, one of ancient Egypt's gods, and dress in a male pharaoh's clothes when she was in public. She also spoke about the disappearance of Hatshepsut's body after her death.
"No one knows what happened to her," Reid said. "Her death was a mystery."
Allison Banducci, a freshman social sciences major, performed as Elizabeth Blackwell, a female doctor in the 1800s.
Banducci said women back then were not allowed to be doctors by the social majority, and Blackwell was not respected when she was studying medicine.
"I was like a plague, (no one) would talk to me," she said, while in character.
The students will perform in over 100 shows in Ashmore and Lerna, and at Mark Twain Elementary, Carl Sandburg and Jefferson schools in over 40 classes, Mason said.
"It's amazing how many performances they can fit into their schedules," she said. "It's a lot of fun."
The Living History program gives the performers a chance to get off campus and talk to kids, she said.
"The kids are so cute," Reid said.
The performers get a lot of funny questions during the performances, she said. One of her favorite questions was whether she liked hot dogs, even though Hatshepsut died before hot dogs were invented, in 1482 B.C.
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