Describes a production of Barry Kornhauser's play "This Is Not a Pipe Dream" that was intended to support increased audience engagement in the production both emotionally and aesthetically. (SR)

Studies perceptions of and responses to a production of Barry Kornhauser's play "This Is Not a Pipe Dream" from second, fourth, and sixth graders and adults. Finds that production styles need to be more explicit and organically tied to actions so that metaphoric themes become more recognizably visible and audible to young untrained…

Summarizes a comprehensive study isolating long- and short-term recollections of young audiences in regard to characters, themes, scenography, objects, and sound effects of 26 theater productions over a 17-year period. Finds that, in general, young audiences recall more strongly those theatrical elements further removed from reality. (SR)

Reports results of a 7-year study of drama/theater for children, conducted by Arizona State University, with 30 participants progressing from kindergarten to sixth grade. Finds, as children aged, a shift from story to character in postperformance discussion of theater events; a subtle increase of evaluative responses; and that girls were more…

Describes 45 third graders'"dramatic literacy" and the modal sources for inferences. Finds that (1) the more children used visual cues, the more they used verbal and psychological cues; and (2) inferences about the play's theme were related to aural recall of thematic dialogue and what children reported learning from the play. (SR)

Finds that children's ethnicity and gender, and possibly the socio-cultural composition of the school population, are variables that influence how characters are perceived and themes extracted from a theater event. (SR)

Uses semantic differential to assess specific and global attitudes of children toward the theater experience. Shows that the semantic differential can be used with fifth grade children. (SR)

Examines five versions of the Cinderella story. Argues that children's fairy tale drama presents female beauty as a moral absolute, not merely as a physical characteristic. Cites feminist theories of the female body to demonstrate ways in which fairy tale drama establishes female beauty as an unchanging, "universal" concept. Considers…

Investigates children's dramatic literacy and explores new testing methods. Supports the critical importance of dramatic actions for young audience's comprehension. Finds that over half the subjects recalled the linear, cause-and-effect, central actions in this "absurdist" plot, particularly when playing with analogous props. (SR)

Outlines inquiry-based methods for analyzing longitudinal qualitative data to assess participant changes in three long-term theater education studies. Encourages qualitative researchers in drama and theatre education to devote more extended periods of time to systematically observing young people or adult practitioners experiencing the art form.…