Date: Tue, 26 Aug 1997 08:15:48 -0400 (EDT)

Could You Not Sing?  Please?
-Playing the Non-Traditional Toreador

by Jen Raffensperger

She walks up to you out of a crowd.  Coquettish eyelash action occurs. You
wonder how her eyes can move that fast with all that makeup she's propped
atop them.  Her black clothing makes her nearly invisible to the naked eye
in the quiet twilight.  A satin-gloved hand extends to you, her new
Primogen, as she introduces herself as "Cassandra Du Fromage," your newest
Toreador.  She's just in town from Virginia.  She has an engagement to
perform in "The Marriage of Figaro" at the Kennedy Center in the spring.

And if you're me, you think, "Oh God.  Not again."

There's nothing wrong with opera.  There's nothing wrong with satin 
gloves.  God knows, there's not a thing wrong with wearing black - I'm 
just as guilty of gothing up once in a while as anyone else.  There is, in 
my opinion, something wrong with making a new Toreador character just like 
every other swooningly gorgeous French opera chick that's ever come out of 
a Toreador cookie cutter.

It may come down to what we think of as "art."  There are a number of 
nifty Toreador web sites that list possible Toreador occupations - 
sculptors, musicians, poets - sure!  Graffiti artists, surgeons, and 
chefs?  Hmmm...how about a short order cook?   Why not?  It might not be 
an easy character, your non-typical Toreador.  He might be hard to 
costume.  It might tax your talents of justification and your ability to 
spew bullshit on any number of subjects.  But by God, it won't be boring! 
And that should be in every Toreador's credo:  "Never bore."

Man, I thought I was getting wacky with my thrift-store-crap wearing, 
trash-talking Toreador graphic novelist (whose art is dark enough to raise 
eyebrows and make folks think antitribu)!  Then I met a Toreador whose 
primary art was deception, manipulation, and intrigue.  (He was good, 
too!)  There's also plenty of neat ideas to read about out there on those 
pages - Salon de la Rose is as good a place as any to start: 
	http://www.toreadors.com/

There is so much more to a character than a cliche.  Look at the ideas of 
others, and the world around you.  Sure.  Sometimes you can peg someone on 
your first impression, get 'em dead-on.  But how many times have you met 
someone, seen them dolled up in their business suit or their grubby 
weekend wear, and completely missed their personality by a mile?  It 
happens all the time, because people aren't cliches, stereotypes, or 
cookie-cutouts.  They're people.  Folks.  They have oddments and strange
bits, scary bits, kind bits, freaky bits.  And your character, when you
get right down to it, is (was) a person.  People have flaws and do weird
shit.  People decide to do things they're not "known" for doing.  And
Toreadors can drive monster trucks if they want, dammit.

Break out the satin gloves once in a while for fun, if you want.  But if
you want to fill out your Toreador, and make her really interesting, don't
make her like every other artsy type flitting down the street.  The
world's got plenty of 'em already.  Sure, you could argue the world also
already has plenty of monster truck drivers - but I'm willing to bet your
local LARP or tabletop campaign doesn't!