Nora Meets the Science Museum

Ministry of Education Teaching Practice Project - Creating an Immersive Drama Tour

National Sun Yat-sen University Department of Theater Arts "Creative Performance (I)" course

"Creative Performance (I)" Course "Nora Meets the Science and Education Museum"

Introduction to off-site teaching:

Borrowing from the play A Doll's House by Norwegian playwright Ibsen, the performance was adapted from the script of "Dramawriting Practice: Modern and Contemporary" in the previous semester. It was extended by students of the "Creative Performance (I)" course and Professor Du Sihui, and combined with the "Gender Innovation in Science and Technology" exhibition of the Science and Technology Education Center and created in the form of educational theater (TIE); breaking the fourth wall and leading the audience to explore the unequal status of men and women in the 19th century.

The performance will be held at 14:00 and 16:30 on April 20, 2024. The total duration of the performance is about 50 minutes, without intermission, and will be held at the National Taiwan Science Education Center (No. 189, Shishang Road, Shilin District, Taipei City) on the third floor of the Gender Exhibition Guide and the fifth floor of the Future Kitchen. About 54 people registered for the first session and 40 people actually attended. About 39 people registered for the second session and 40 people actually attended.

Script Introduction:

Nora in "Nora Meets the Science Museum" has a strong desire for knowledge, but in the context of the times, women's right to education was not advocated by society. In addition, her husband Helmer did not accept his wife's conservative ideas of seeking knowledge and the control from love, so Nora could only study secretly. However, after watching the "Gendered Innovation in Science and Technology" exhibition, Nora got to know outstanding female scientists from ancient times to the present, and realized that she actually has the right and qualifications to become one of them, so she asked her husband to study, but will she succeed?

At first, the audience will gather at the entrance of the gender exhibition on the third floor of the Science and Technology Museum. While waiting, they can watch the "Critical Few" video produced by the Science and Technology Museum. It starts with a time traveler who leads the audience on a guided tour to get to know the female scientists in the gender exhibition.

Before the audience enters, the front desk will distribute colored signs to facilitate quick grouping (red, yellow, and green) in this section. The audience is divided into three groups, each with a Nora, a Mrs. Linde, and a butterfly guide. There are about 13-14 audience members in a group.

As Nora and Mrs. Linde tour the exhibition, the audience will get to know Hypatia, Louise, Merian, Emily, Maria and other female scientists from different fields. The immersive guided tour and question-and-answer session will also allow interaction with the actors. As they switch between exhibition rooms, they can feel Nora's desire for scientific research, and are led to put themselves in Nora's shoes and think about how to strike a balance between achievement and family.

As the tour was coming to an end, Butterfly Guide led three groups of visitors to the fifth floor's kitchen of the future. On the way, they passed through a time tunnel. The fantastic and novel clown performances led the audience to change the performance venue, which not only increased the entertainment but also added a mysterious atmosphere.

After entering the Future Kitchen, the mysterious traveler will first open the show and summarize the tour for the audience, leading the audience's emotions into the following more framed performance. Cast performed the first act, "Confrontation between Husband and Wife", which brought out Nora's current worries from her casual chat with Mrs. Linde while making cookies. When her husband Helmer returned home to receive the mail, he found out that Nora had secretly published a paper in a magazine that received a wide response in the academic community and was fully sponsored by the Academy of Sciences for a three-month research project. The quarrel revealed the status of women in the family in society at that time, and how they sacrificed their dreams for the family. Nora believed that if she worked together with her husband in the process of pursuing achievements, the two of them could maintain family harmony. Helmer believed that his wife's work outside the home was not understood by social values, and he personally could not accept his wife's exposure outside the home. Children, housework and the husband's dignity became the reasons for their quarrels and mutual reluctance.

The second part, "Sitting on Needles", uses the interactive question-and-answer format commonly seen in educational theatre (TIE). Helmer first comes on stage and tells the audience that he cannot understand why Nora wants to leave the family. After the audience gives some solutions, Helmer gradually reveals his desire to control his wife. After Nora comes on stage, she also asks the audience whether they think they should have the courage to pursue their dreams, how to strike a balance between children and family, etc. Finally, with Nora's self-awakening, she and Helmer have their last argument. Helmer finally confesses his desire to control his wife and wants Nora to stay and become a controlled doll. Nora pulls her suitcase and leaves a closed door. The time traveler came out at the end and gave the audience a portrait of women's lives since ancient times. Both men and women have become victims of traditional social expectations, which is actually happening in our lives. "Before becoming anyone else who asks you to be, first be yourself."

Group photo of the production crew and museum staff.