Past into Present (ePub)

First-person interpretation--the portrayal of historical

characters through interactive dramatization or roleplaying--is

an effective, albeit controversial, method used to bring history

to life at museums, historic sites, and other public venues.

Stacy Roth examines the techniques of first-person interpretation

to identify those that have been most effective with audiences

while allowing interpreters to maintain historical fidelity.


Past into Present focuses on first-person

interpretation's most challenging form: the unscripted,

spontaneous, conversational approach employed in "living history"

environments such as Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts, Conner

Prairie in Indiana, and Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. While

acknowledging that a wide range of methods can touch audiences

effectively, Roth identifies a core set of practices that combine

positive communication techniques, classic interpretive

philosophy, and time-tested learning theories to promote audience

enjoyment, provoke thought and inquiry, convey important messages

and themes, and relate to individual visitor interests. She

offers numerous examples of conversation and demonstration

strategies, visitor behavior profiles, and suggestions for

depicting conflict and controversy, and she provides useful

character development guidelines, interpretive training advice, and recommendations for adapting first-person interpretation for

diverse audiences.