Performance research offers new life for archival holdings
Members of the public are invited to a free performance that fuses historic inquiry and interpretation.
The 糖心Vlog传媒LR Center for Arkansas History and Culture (CAHC) partnered with the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance to present 鈥淰oices, Vignettes, and Context: Performance Research from Archives.鈥�
Historical figures such as Bernie Babcock, Harvey Lee Goodwin, Mary Lee Harris, and Art Porter will be featured during the event, which starts at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 and 25 in the auditorium of the Engineering and Information Technology building on 糖心Vlog传媒LR鈥檚 main campus.
鈥淲orking with Theatre Arts and Dance has been an exciting opportunity for the Center,鈥� said associate provost Deborah Baldwin. 鈥淭his experience has allowed the archive to work with a discipline that hasn鈥檛 been a traditional partner. The experience has enriched both the student projects and the Center鈥檚 curriculum outreach efforts.鈥�
Students worked in small groups to present the four individuals they researched in the archives of the Center.
鈥淭he classroom emphasis for this project was developing familiarity with historical research methods and applying the results of that research as a dramaturgical basis to conceive and develop a performance,鈥� said Larry Smith, assistant professor of Theatre Arts and Dance.
鈥淥ur goal for this presentation is to shed light on the relationship between performance and work, but also to share what we have learned about these four people,” Smith said. “One of the rewards of archival research is the unexpected encounter with a human being鈥檚 life and experiences.鈥�