Dying, or taking a hit as it often referred to, is a crucial part of war re-enactment.
A Civil War battle re-enactment is an effective way to entertain and teach history. Reenactments are sometimes general, non-scripted battles between the Union and the Confederacy and, other times, are scripted, battle-specific reenactments. Knowing when to die, or take a hit as it is known within the re-enactment community, will depend on the history of the battle, what your colleagues do and the need to keep the show consistent and realistic.
Instructions
1. Speak to the battle organizer and ask him which side is supposed to win. In some cases, the organizers will hand out private cards that state your fate. Follow these directions. Get an idea of how the battle is supposed to play out. If it is a battle specific re-enactment, ask for the script and study the history of the battle. Study what happened and when. As an example, if your platoon is scripted to get flanked by cavalry and suffer heavy losses, prepare to take a hit at that point. Determine if you are specifically singled out and scripted to take a hit at a certain point.
2. Examine your surroundings during the show. If you have been scripted to suffer heavy casualties, and most of your colleagues are still fighting and alive, take a hit to try to steer the show in the right direction. In an unscripted reenactment determine if the overall casualty ratio is on track to reach the goal of the show and adjust accordingly.
3. Determine the length of the battle. If the battle is supposed to go on for an hour, some people will have to take a hit early on and wait. Others will have to wait until closer to the end to feign death to keep the show interesting.
4. Ensure the show is realistic. If a cannon fires directly at you from 5 feet away, you should probably act out being killed. The audience is watching and will notice inconsistencies.
Tags: battle supposed, history battle, keep show, suffer heavy, will have, your colleagues