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Listed below are some of the roles that can be taken up in the reenactment. They will entail various amounts of preparation which will also reflect the length and complexity of the role. Some of the roles require dialogue, which will be conducted through the pa system on the stage. The reenactment already has a wide range of participants who have a range of performance experience. For those who do not want to take up roles that require preparation there are less demanding roles as community members with no dialogue. All reenactors will be costumed.
My budget constraints mean that reenactors in role as community members will have to supply their own costume. However the costumes are very straightforward, mainly consisting of 70's bright casual wear; short sleeved shirts, trousers, skirts and sandals etc.
Jim Jones:
The Jones character will be pivotal to the reenactment. His dialogue with other reenactors via the pa system will be the main audio component of the reenactment. This part will require several months of preparation and may well be taken by a paid professional actor.
Christine Miller:
A peoples Temple member who tried to persuade Jones and the community to postpone the suicide and spare the 276 children who died. She engages Jones in a dialogue that lasts about ten minutes.
Two nurses and doctor:
Two community nurses prepared the potassium cyanide and Valium poison bringing it out to the crowd assembled in and around the main pavilion building in Jonestown.
Community members:
for every ten or so community members there will be one member who has attended rehearsals. The other reenactors will take their cue from him or her. During the reenactment various community members get up on stage and take the floor to pay tribute to Jones and the community before taking the cyanide. Other community members take the floor with the pa system and offer words of encouragement to community members. These tribute are short, only lasting a few seconds to minute.
Journalists:
Along with Guyanese Defense Force soldiers several journalists were among the first into Jonestown 24 hrs after the suicide ritual. One of these was Washington Post journalist Charles Krause who had also been wounded on the attack on the congressman Leo Ryan at Port Kaituma airstrip. Guards: During the suicide ritual the pavilion building was ringed by armed guards; community members armed with crossbows and rifles. Some 39 guns were recovered from Jonestown. All of the guards also took part in the suicide ritual.
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