Staff Training/Dress Rehearsal for 'ShadowDreamScape'

Time for reflection

Now that i've been back in MN for a few weeks, I have had time to reflect on many aspects of our 'ShadowDreamScape' collaboration at Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose.  I will be working on a more formal reflection of the process in 2016 as it was a very meaningful and impactful project and I continue to learn from it.  

Came across some photos from a staff training I led at CDM the evening before 'ShadowDreamScape' opened back in November 2015.  Our performers, who are in every sense professionals, got an opportunity to play and perform in the space with live visitors for the first time.  CDM incorporates their floor staff, denoted as Exhibit and Program Specialist into the development of programming at the museum.  For November's training, 40+ floor staff joined us in the installation space for a play/explore/report format that also served as the official dress rehearsal for the project.  After spending half an hour exploring, the group reflected on important connections to families visiting the museum:

• engagement modes to use with families
• ways to incorporate themselves into the narrative performance sequence
• proper prop use (basic shadow puppet skills/discoveries)
• modeling play and interaction with performers

Take a look at the action: 
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