An Indiana Historical Society has created an exhibit depicting the drafting of Indiana’s constitution. The exhibit, “You Are There 1816: Indiana Joins the Nation,” opened Sept. 19. It took position exhibitions researcher Angela Giacomelli about a year to research.
“I had to figure out what a room would look like in 1816,” Giacomelli said.
She said this was difficult due to the lack of photos.
“We want people to feel like they’re learning in a different way,” Giacomelli said. “Some people like to be immersed, and so we have actors playing the roles of people who would have actually been there.”
Giacomelli said the exhibit is distinctive, in part, because of its constant changes.
“The whole run of this exhibit ... the research and the fine-tuning is never done,” Giacomelli said. “We go with the flow, and we see what’s working with school groups, with visitors.”
The exhibit, located in the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis, will run through the bicentennial year.
Giacomelli said the actors playing the delegates will interact with visitors.
“It kind of depends on who the visitor is,” Giacomelli said. “There’s always at least one or two actors who are going to engage in conversation.”
Mike Redmond is a non-professional actor who previously worked as a feature columnist at the Indianapolis Star. He plays Dennis Pennington, who he said was Harris County’s constitutional convention delegate. He said his character was a formidable identity in politics in early Indiana history.
Redmond said he and the other actors have to do a lot of homework to get their roles right.
“For the most part the preparation is research, research, research,” Redmond said. “The more you learn, the more the character emerges and gives you your clues as to how you might play him.”
Nonetheless, Redmond said Giacomelli contributed to much of his work.
“Preparing to play Pennington began with Angela’s terrific research, which included a really thorough biographical sketch,” Redmond said. “In fact, I’d say most of what I use as Pennington came from Angela’s work.”
Redmond also said performing can be challenging, especially with the tough visitors.
“Although you try to be prepared for any question, there will come a time when someone is going to ask one that stumps you and, in that moment, you experience a moment of sheer panic,” Redmond said. “Then you remember that ‘I don’t know’ can be a perfectly plausible response, or the answer comes to you, and you’re OK.”
Redmond has also dealt with visitors who have made his role rewarding.
“Challenges are the people who visit but simply refuse to play along ... rewards are the ones who do, especially little kids,” Redmond said. “Those times are golden.”
