Yea!  Excuse me all listers, but I want to share this with everyone!
I am a graduate student in the Museum Studeis department at Baylor
University.
My thesis (in process) is entitled Knowledge Retention in First and
Third-Person History Museum Interpretation.  I have taken two living hisotry
sites, Log Cabin Village in Ft. Worth, third-person interp and Old City Park
in Dallas, first-person interp, and will compare the data from visitor
surveys based on information learned on a tour to the blacksmith's shop.
Yea!  Thanks for letting me share that.
Okay, as far as resources go...
Always start off with Stacy Roth's homepage (you can google it) and the
ALHFAM webpage.  Both have wonderful bibliogrpahies.  I definitely recommend
Vicki Green's dissertation from the University of Victoria, An Oral History
Field Trip... (1992) and Keith Dewar's as well, Sender Competence... (1991)
University of Waterloo.  While these dissertations do not exactly answer
your question directly (Green focuses on recollecting experiences and Dewar
focuses on the effectiveness of the interpreter) they will provide
background information.  Apparently, what you are wanting to know will be
addressed in my thesis--yea!  I will defend late May and the thesis will be
in print by August and available through Baylor library system.  Stacy Roth
also has a wonderful book entitled Past Into Present...
Also check the IMTAL website (International Museum Theatre alliance).  I
have a little information on museum theatre--as a BFA theatre performance
undergrad, I have definite interest in the topic as well.  Please feel free
to contact me off-list for more stuff [log in to unmask], and I might
even be able to divluge some thesis results to you!  YEA!
This e-mail really made my day!  I am so happy to hear about others'
interest in the same thing!
Sincerely,
Julie

>From: Cheryl Kessler <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Visitor Studies of Live Interpretation
>Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 13:28:26 -0500
>
>I am posting this for a colleague of mine, so please reply to him
>directly or post to the list.  Thanks.
>
>
>
>Does anyone out there know of any visitor studies of 1) live
>interpretation that examines visitor responses to the interpretation, or
>2) live interpretation that compares visitor responses to the same
>exhibition with, and without, live interpretation?   By live
>interpretation, I mean an interpretation in which a person facilitates,
>as in a tour, demonstration, activity cart, or 1st or 3rd person
>interpretation.   I am always interested in museum theatre, so although
>not my primary focus at this time, I would welcome information there as
>well.
>
>
>
>I would appreciate any citations, or if available, electronic copies or
>web links to the studies.
>
>
>
>You can send any responses directly to me or to the list.
>
>
>
>Thanks much for your help.
>
>
>
>Dale Jones
>
>Institute for Learning Innovation
>
>Annapolis Maryland
>
>[log in to unmask]
>
>410-268-5149
>
>www.ilinet.org <http://www.ilinet.org/>
>
>
>
>
>
>Cheryl Kessler
>
>Research Associate
>
>Institute for Learning Innovation
>
>166 West Street
>
>Annapolis, MD  21401
>
>(410) 268-5149
>
>(410) 268-2179 (fax)
>
>www.ilinet.org
>
>
>
>
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The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).