Acting:
You are all heroes. It is impossible (almost) to overact. Little gestures are often overlooked so make big ones for virtually all outdoor play. It does not matter how corny or well used a statement is - if it fits then use it! Rather than "Incoming! Get your weapons!" use "To arms my friends! The enemy approaches!"
Men bow to ladies! Ladies curtsey to men! OK Dwarves do not do the curtsey thing and Elves of both sexes use a half bow with closed fist over heart (as do Drow - funny that!). Doff hats, knuckle foreheads, back away from IC betters and so on. All little things but they set the mood and make the hard stuff come easier.
Actions:
If you are hit with a double handed hammer it would do a bit more than damage. It could knock you to one side or, if to the tummy, cause you to double over. A latex one should not do this. It looks far far better though if you make out it has. Wherever you can safely exaggerate a move in a fight, do so! It looks better and, dare I say it, feels more heroic!
Running away is one of the most sensible and most often resorted to action at Mayfest. If a person is running in a panic they usually hold their arms out in front of them to ward off others and to help them quickly find their way around obstacles. Running this way adds to the realism.
Keep the comedy on the back burner - i.e. don't use it often. It soon gets worn out!
Words:
Pick up local rumors and learn a bit about the characters that would be talked about. Chat to the bards about recent happenings. Learn some IC songs and tunes. This help you to stay in character through those long treks or while on guard duty. Humming an IC song rather than a modern classic, talking about what happened in Honey Ton or the state of King Flint's paranoia rather than slagging off that fella's poor costume is far better for any that can hear you.
Shy?
Many folk new to the hobby think they will be shy and are a little awkward at first. Just remember, the character you are playing is not you! Throw yourself into the character and do not worry about doing things wrong. In such surroundings it is almost impossible to over act so do not fear that folk will laugh at you. They may laugh at your character but that is not detrimental to you. If any one gets 'slagged off' it would be someone who role plays but never seems to be role playing, someone who keeps on talking out of character or someone who acts on out of character information that their character could not possibly know! Bear this in mind and you will soon be happily discovering how good it is to be a hero for a while!
How to play: