Emergency Drill Actor

I’m posting this now, because I won’t be home before midnight to post in time for my “week’s” adventure.  I am about to be an actor in an full-scale emergency exercise.  I can’t say where, because this not a public exercise.  Instead, it is an attempt by 12 different federal and local agencies to practice coordinating when it comes to an emergency situation. I am going to be one of 30 civilian volunteer actors in the scenario. I don’t know yet what my scene will be, but it appears to be one of three things:  a dead person, an person injured by an explosion or gunshot or other method, or a hostage.

But according to Friday’s orientation – I am really supposed to act (but not overact).  Apparently there’ll be a coach/observer guiding us along the way – who will be telling us to scream louder, etc.  Unless I am playing a dead person.  I personally hope that – this being my first time doing this – that I play a dead or unconscious person.  Because I don’t know how much acting I can actually do without being incredibly self-conscious.  I think the last time I acted in a play was high school – and I was always nervous.  This is different.

So we shall see.  I’m off.  Have to go meet the group, get makeup done, and then we get transported to the scene.  Wish me – and the agencies luck.  We want this to go well.