| Roundtable: Evaluating Theatre Within a Museum Setting: Challenges of Process and Content |
| Roundtable Presentation 606 to be held in Suwannee 21 on Friday, Nov 13, 3:35 PM to 4:20 PM |
| Sponsored by the Evaluating the Arts and Culture TIG |
| Presenter(s): |
| Sarah Cohn, Science Museum of Minnesota, scohn@smm.org |
| Elizabeth Wood, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, eljwood@iupui.edu |
| Abstract: Increasingly, informal education programs in museums are using theatre as an interpretive tool to emotionally involve visitors in exhibit content. While emotional involvement is certainly one potential outcome, defining broader impact on visitors is necessary. Working with departments to expand theatrical goals from emotion to impact is a challenging task, especially when bound by sometimes opposing theories of the goals of theatrical and informal learning. This discussion focuses on how to engage various stakeholder audiences in a meaningful evaluation of their efforts in any context. It will use the context of museum theatre to discuss ways of framing studies that capture participant experiences in complex programs while also effectively communicating with stakeholders to support use. |