It’s that time of year again, when events start popping up that are in serious need of a Rebel presence. And so we return again to another season of Event Debriefs!
This was actually my second such event in the last week, but the first one (of 26 January) was much less about the Star Wars side of things and more about the activism-propaganda distribution/social disruption side, and so was far less productive/successful.
Instead of providing a lengthy but negative write-up, I’ll summarize and say that it did provide some righteous useful lessons in, for example, being aware of the factors that can negatively influence a group’s public perception, correct use of liminal spaces, and the importance of tailoring one’s approach when dealing with the Public. In short: be respectful, blend in, and Know Your Audience!
On to this week’s event!
Location: downtown Louisville, KY – Kentucky Center for the Arts
Event Type: ANH + live orchestra!
Louisville has a really great orchestra, and over the last few years their new leadership has been making a push to keep the orchestra hip and fresh. Towards this goal, the LO had a two-show engagement to perform John Williams’ complete score to Star Wars’77 (aka Episode IV – A New Hope), accompanied by the film (I remember this format being used for the Jackson Lord of the Rings movies as well, which are definitely worthy of the live orchestra treatment).
When I first heard about this event last November, I penciled it in on my calendar as a potential event ripe for interpretation. It was a Star Wars event that wasn’t ‘kids day at the library’, the ticket prices ensured attendees were serious about either the arts or SW, I knew there would be a big crowd, and I knew the venue like the back of my hand (going to lots of plays, ballets, and concerts there over the years).
I have a few friends in the Space-Nazi Charity Club, who said they had been invited to attend the performances and do what they do best—meet and greet (i.e. stand around for folks to take photos with.)
(Other Saturday night attendees were a sandtrooper, a TIE pilot or two, a blackshirt Imp officer-something, a very solid Boba Fett, the Emperor himself (what can I say? the man has always been a patron of the arts ;), and Senator Amidala in her Ep II villa ‘rainbow dress’—for some reason, the Louisville area has a very active 501st membership but an almost non-existent Rebel presence.)
Now, since I’m not a member of either the Space-Nazi Charity Club (for obvious ideological reasons) or the counterpart ‘good guy’ charity club (due to their dogmatic rules—or possibly just a lack of imagination—that restrict members to only portraying on-screen characters and ensembles), I decided that I needed to gatecrash this party and rep the Alliance to Restore the Republic authentically.
Kit breakdown from bottom up: Finnish jackboots, OD highwaisted trousers, black leather belt with rectangular buckle, gloves, blue silk shirt, wool fatigue jacket, and my ‘donut’ helmet. Y-straps and brown belt carried my multitool, new belt box (phone, power cell, business cards), and leather double box (blaster magazines, wallet & first aid tins). In my Czech softpack I carried a poncho, canteen, assorted small gear, and spare Declaration copies. A recent addition to my hard kit were a pair of Rebel code cylinders, stuck in the weird thigh pocket on my pants…I really need to go back and add a pocket to my jacket’s upper arm. While they clink together and are super shiny (both bad for woodsrunning), little details like these really do help the whole outfit ‘pop’!
I also carried my DH-17 slung behind my right arm, which is somewhat visible but also doesn’t draw attention to itself. I like to think it projects the message of “I’m a Rebel, and I’m armed, but fighting isn’t my mission here.” (Weeks before the event I contacted the venue to learn their policy on costumed attendees—so I knew my helmet and blaster were kosher as long as I cleared them before the show. It pays to check ahead!)
Since ‘doing history’ (even fictional history!) means more than just posing for photo ops, I needed a legitimate activity to interpret. As has become my standard engagement hook, I loaded up my holster with Declaration of the Rebellion copies. For this event, however, I affixed a simple sticker to the back of each, directing to the website for Extinction Rebellion. This is much subtler than including a separate flyer for XR, which is more likely to rapidly attract negative attention from event staff/security (a lesson learned from the previous event). Directing the reader to ‘join the fight at rebellion.earth’ without mentioning the name of the group is a bit of fourth-wall-breaking fun—giving the plausible impression that it’s a local Earth chapter of the Rebel Alliance!
Unlike the 501st-ers, as a recruiter/political officer I couldn’t just stand or pace in one area – I couldn’t wait for the recruits to come to me, I had to seek them out myself! (I have to imagine that while it’s fun to pose for a picture with a stormtrooper, it’s much more special to get to really interact with a representative of the Alliance, even if he doesn’t look exactly like someone from the movie – see the grin on this young fellow:
And plenty of adults still took selfies with me!)
My prime demographic were of course young boys, and girls (“the Alliance is very inclusive!”), but I also targeted any punky or hipster type 20- or 30-somethings, to whom the countercultural aims of XR might appeal more. Dropping a simple “there’s a link on the back to join us in the real world” is far less aggressive and much more my style. After all, since I wasn’t a member of an invited group, I could potentially be kicked out at any time!—so my rabble (rebel?) rousing had to take a more restrained approach. Instead of trying to get a leaflet into the hands of everyone who passed by—the attention-getting tactic of last weekend’s group—I had to choose my connections carefully, and focusing on the youth kept me from looking like a pushy street proselytizer.
As it was, I arrived about an hour before the show, with a stack of ~120 leaflets. I must’ve played my cards right, because admin didn’t ask me to leave until right as the show was starting—which was fine by me since I was down to my last ten flyers!
Overall, I chalk this event up as a great success!
What to work on for next time:
-Kit-wise, my main complaint was that without my steel canteen on my equipment belt, my belt boxes pull the Y-straps downwards in front. I’m going to try running the Y-straps through my ample back belt loops to keep things from shifting around.
-Contact event planners ahead of time and get consent to ‘recruit’—framed as extra in-universe immersion and public interaction. If they decline, there’s always public space outside the venue!
Living History in the Star Wars Galaxy 