On the Way to Cape May

Remember how your mother always gave you things and told you they were good for you? That rule applied to everything from Brussels sprouts to broccoli, and most often mom knew it was something unpalatable and the only justification for it was “it’s good for you.”
The same thing, I’ve learned, applies to history. I will be the first to admit that I was a lackluster history student, and that’s being kind. All those dates! And they’re all dead! Who cares? Unfortunately, in my school days much of history was taught by rote; we memorized dates rather than examining cause and effect and the nature of the people involved.
History has changed only insofar as the book has gotten thicker: It’s one of those comforting things that you know can’t actually change. But the way it’s learned about certainly has changed and, once again, my job here at MAC in Cape May has taught me a few lessons.
It’s all about the history here at MAC, with three historic sites: the Lighthouse, the World War II Lookout Tower, and the Emlen Physick Estate. All three are big attractions for the lower part of the county, and bring plenty of visitors to town every year. But, let’s face it: How many of us want to study when we’re on vacation? I see only a few hands raised and one belongs to our director, so that doesn’t count.
There is our dilemma. Our very purpose for being grew from the need to preserve and interpret these historic sites for future generations, but we can no longer just say “Listen to this…it’s good for you.” We have to find ways to make it more interesting, more palatable, and worth spending some of your vacation time on.
We’re not alone in this dilemma. Other historic sites around the country face the same challenge and we’ve collectively given birth to the concept of “edutainment.” Is it entertaining? Sure, it is. Is it good for you? You bet!
One twist on this began here last summer with a program called Murder at the Physick Estate. We figured if a little blood was being spilled, the programming would have appeal, and people would come in and see what a great old house the Physick mansion is.
Everybody loves involvement in a good murder mystery, so that was the springboard. Since then, under the direction of our creative interpretation manager Ray Crew, Murder at the Physick Estate has continued to grow in popularity. It took seasonal twists for Halloween and Christmas, and this summer is moving toward steam punk, as well as a south of the boardwalk look at bootleggers.
The performances are the work of a small cast, moving from room to room within the house, and the stories literally unfold around you. Is it good for you? You bet! Because the foundation is still history. As you become involved in the plot, you absorb the history.
This summer, the cast – collectively called Actors Offstage – take their shows to the road, as well, with trolley rides. The stories they tell on these rides are about history: the Civil War, rumrunners, the perils of the sea, all told in a captivating performance style.
And, you know what? It’s good for you. These are stories we all need to hear, including us locals, about the history of our part of the Jersey Cape. They are an enduring legacy and one to which we’re committed. We just needed to find a way to do it that would entice people to leave the beach for the classroom, and then leave that classroom – either the rooms of the Physick mansion or a bench seat on a trolley – feeling entertained and enlightened.
I sure wish they had taught history like this when I was a youngster. I would have been an “A” student.
Barraclough is director of marketing and communications at MAC.