Audience responses to Contact!Unload: A Canadian research-based play about returning military veterans

Abstract

Contact!Unload, a research-based play co-developed with veterans and community members, depicts the experiences of a group of veterans serving in Afghanistan (and elsewhere) and their transition home after overseas combat. The play was first produced in April 2015 in a professional theatre venue in Vancouver, and has subsequently been staged 15 times across Canada. To date, eight veterans have taken part as performers in this theatre initiative led by researchers in counselling psychology and theatre. This article takes a close look at the impact the theatre project has had on audience members and their perceptions of the play. Audience impact was measured through a mixed methods approach, using three focus group sessions, four interviews and a post-production written survey by audience members.

Keywords

• research-based theatre
• assessment
• audience