Performance for Learning: How Emotions Play a Part
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PERFORMANCE FOR LEARNING: HOW EMOTIONS PLAY A PART Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Catherine H. Hughes, MA ***** The Ohio State University 2008 Dissertation Committee: Professor Christine D. Warner, Advisor Approved by Professor Brian Edmiston Professor Ian Wilkinson Professor Anthony R. Jackson ________________________ Advisor College of Education and Human Ecology Copyright Catherine Helen Hughes 2008 ABSTRACT Over the last twenty years, museums, zoos and aquaria have been developing live theatre programs to present performances to their visitors. In general, these performances are presented by professional actors, the scripts are written by playwrights, and the staging is done with a director. The content of these performances is generated from the institutional mission of the home museum, zoo or aquarium, and is usually educational. This genre of performance is called museum theatre. While the practice of museum theatre has proliferated, fewer attempts have been made to research its effects. Positive response has been documented from visitors who have seen such performances, but only a few studies have gone beyond this to understand the underlying nature of that response. This study explored the nature of spectator response to museum theatre performances. Several different museum theatre performances were used in two museum sites in order to gather responses from museum visitors of all ages who became spectators. Through pre- and post-show surveys, observations, focus group interviews, and follow-up interviews 3-5 months later, spectator responses were analyzed using ii transactional theory as a lens to reveal what participants selected for attention and how they constructed meaning from their museum theatre experience. The data showed that participants brought a variety of experiences and understandings to these performances. The sample of visitors who participated in this study represented a wide range of ages. This was evident in the variety of experiences they brought to their meaning-making of the performances, which inspired a plethora of different interpretations of the performances. Participants in this study were typically able to recall details of the performances they saw three to five months later. A primary idea that emerged in the data that showed aesthetic response to museum theatre was the centrality of empathy. The human dimension, the interaction between spectator and actor, was found to be of central importance in engaging spectators to museum theatre. One of the strengths of this study was in the variety of instruments used, which allowed participants to construct and clarify their responses in varying ways and at different intervals. A consistency in the data painted a detailed picture of the museum theatre event as a site of activation for participants’ affective and cognitive processing, which led to strong recall, comprehension and learning. iii Dedicated to the women in my life: My sister, whose love and support have been essential and with whom I share in this achievement My daughter, who is my inspiration and whose patience has been appreciated My mother, whose memory has sustained me iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to thank my advisor, Dr. Christine Warner for her guidance and for her early suggestion to look at Transactional Theory, which influenced and shaped my thinking greatly. I appreciate her many hours of reading and suggestions during the actual writing process. Our meetings were always constructive for my writing process, but I also appreciated her interest and support about all the facets of my life during this time. I wish to thank Dr. Brian Edmiston for his consistent support through my entire doctoral study, especially as co-chair of my candidacy committee and as my supervising teacher. His influence has especially broadened my thinking about drama and teaching. I wish to thank Tony Jackson for his incredible belief in my study and my abilities. He gave me confidence to believe I could accomplish this daunting task. His encouragement and generosity have been indispensable, his point of view and feedback essential. My gratitude to Dr. Ian Wilkinson for his willingness to step in when I needed him and provide his contributions in general, and his knowledge of transactional theory in particular. My thanks to the staff of the Kentucky Historical Society and especially Greg Hardison, and the staff of the Museum of Science, Boston, especially Dan Dowling and Margaret Ann Brady. They allowed me free access to talk with visitors and provided me v with technical and logistical support, as well as sharing their thoughts and experience. My study, needless to say, would not have been possible without their openness and creativity. These two museum theatre programs stand as exemplars of this genre. The support, guidance, and mentorship of Dr. Robin Mello have been invaluable to me. Robin spent many hours with me on the phone, offering another perspective on the doctoral process and encouraging me to keep my eye on the prize. Carolyn Cutler provided essential editing assistance throughout this project, but especially at the end. She also shared her wise insights into the dissertation process. Her counsel kept me grounded in crucial moments. Finally I wish to thank with all my heart my sister Jennifer, who has really been a partner on this PhD/dissertation journey. She has had to read my writing, hear my quandaries, sympathize with my frustrations, and generally provide back-up support so that I could focus on the task at hand. She has mothered my child when I was unavailable, so that Sophia did not have to wonder or worry about her place in the world. It is an understatement to say I could not have done it without her. My daughter Sophia kept me sane by reminding me of why I wanted to do this in the first place, grounding me, and giving me inspiration to make her proud. vi VITA July 6, 1962 ........................................ Born—Boston, MA 1984............................................................ B.S., Theatre, Emerson College, Boston 1984-89....................................................... Freelance Actor and Director Museum of Science actor 1989-90.......................................................... The Science Museum, London Drama Program actor 1990....................................................... Acting Certificate, London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts 1994............................................................ M.A., Independent Studies, Lesley College, Cambridge 1990-2002..................................................... Science Theatre Program Coordinator, Museum of Science, Boston 1990-2001.................................................... Executive Director, International Museum Theatre Alliance (IMTAL) 2002-2007.................................................... Graduate Research Assistant, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, The Ohio State University FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Education vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ ii-iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .....................................................................................v-vi VITA.......................................................................................................................vii LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................................xi LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................xiii Chapters: 1. INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................1 1.1.1 History of Museum Theatre .......................................................2 1.1.2 Related Pedagogic Theatre.........................................................4 1.1.3 Development of Present Practice................................................9 1.2 Defining the Problem .............................................................................11 1.3 Rationale................................................................................................16 1.4 Theoretical Framework ..........................................................................19 1.5 Research Questions ................................................................................20 1.6 Definition of Terms................................................................................24 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE.............................................................................28 2.1 The Changing State of Museums............................................................29 2.1.1 The Changing Definition of Meaning.......................................30 2.1.2 The Meaning-Making Paradigm...............................................35 2.1.3 Elevation of Education within Museums ..................................36 2.1.4 Learning in Museum Theatre ...................................................41 2.1.5 Museum Theatre Research.......................................................43 2.2 Theories of Emotion and Affect .............................................................46 2.2.1 Empathy as Vehicle for Emotions ............................................57 2.3 Theatre/Performance Theory..................................................................65 2.4 Transactional