ORAL THEATRE HISTORIES
RESEARCH AND ORAL HISTORIES Why do we do oral histories? How do we do oral histories? How do we use oral histories in our research?
E V E RY PA R T I C I PA N T I N A M AT E U R T H E AT R E H A S A S T O RY T O TELL… Martin Collins, archivist at The People’s Theatre, Newcastle
O R A L H I S T O RY CAPTURES AND P R E S E RV E S EXPERIENCE IN P E O P L E ’ S OW N WO R D S Beverley Quinn of the Washington Theatre Group (1977-1990s).
O R A L H I S TO R I E S O P E N U P AC C E S S TO N E W S O U R C E S O F I N F O R M AT I O N …MEMORIES, A N E C D OT E S , PERSONAL S TO R I E S T H AT ENRICH OUR U N D E R S TA N D I N G
Sabine Hoffman interviewed during an Evocative Objects workshop at the Worcester Swan Theatre
MANY STORIES: MANY WAYS TO CAPTURE THEM
WHO? T RY TO G E T A RANGE PERFORMERS, D I R E C TO R S , DESIGN TEAM, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AUDIENCES
Singing rehearsal with the Admirals’ Players, Portsmouth
WHO?
I N D I V I D UA L O R GROUP I N T E RV I E W S ?
PTUK in rehearsal
WHERE? D I F F E R E N T S PA C E S INVITE DIFFERENT RESPONSES – HOME, CAFES, C O S T U M E S TO R E S , T H E AT R E S …
TOADS costume store, Torquay
B E P R E PA R E D – H AV E A N I D E A O F W H AT Y O U WA N T TO C OV E R
Nadine’s notes for an interview conducted earlier this year
H OW D O YO U R E C O R D T H E I N T E RV I E W S ? TA K E N O T E S , A U R A L AND VIDEO RECORDINGS… RELEASE FORMS – M A K E S U R E Y O U H AV E P E R M I S S I O N TO U S E T H E I N T E RV I E W S M A K E S U R E YO U R EQUIPMENT IS WO R K I N G B E F O R E YO U S TA R T !
Athanaem Limelight Players in rehearsal, Warminster
HOW TO GET STARTED • Have an easy opening question to kick things off
• Keep questions open to invite expansive responses • Only ask difficult questions once a relationship has been established • Ask for a specific example if something is interesting
• Listen actively – nod, smile, but try not to talk too much yourself! • Allow silence to give interviewees time to think
REFLECTIONS ON PRACTICE • How did you find the experience?
• What was easy/difficult? • What type of questions did you find to be the most successful? • Did the tone of of your conversation change at all over the course of the interview?
• Did you find out anything surprising? • How might an interview process like this one fit into the work you do with your company?
FURTHER RESOURCES T H E O R A L H I S T O RY S O C I E T Y W W W. O H S . O R G . U K
N A N C Y M A C K AY ‘ C U R AT I N G O R A L H I S TO R I E S : F R O M I N T E RV I E W S TO ARCHIVE’, LEFT COAST PRESS, 2007