WORKING FOR THE

LIBRARY IS MURDER!

Tiffany Hayes, Library Training Coordinator

Sana Moulder, Local & State History

Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center

Fayetteville, NC

What is an interactive play?

How to find a script

Casting the parts

Personalizing your script

Find the money

Team-building exercise

OBJECTIVES

WHAT IS IT?

• Script is ONLY a suggestion

• Cast interacts with the audience

and draws them into the action

• Dialog changes as the audience

becomes part of the event

• Audience members attempt to

solve the mystery based on the

evidence

Pros

• Less Expensive

• Easy to tailor to your group

Cons

• More work

• Writers inexperienced with

the format

Pros

• MUCH less work

• Glitches already worked out

• Script has been used

successfully

Cons

• MORE expensive

• May not be specific enough

FIND THE PERFECT SCRIPT

Write Your Own Purchase one from a vendor

Recruit the most outgoing

Consider ALL staff

Use staff from outside

agencies

Consider family and friends

of staff

Use a local drama club

RECRUIT YOUR CAST

Allow staff to choose their own

character, if possible

Need to “create” the character

One read-through and 4-6

rehearsals

If you make changes, give them

to EVERYONE

GUIDELINES FOR CAST

PERSONALIZE THE SCRIPT

Be sure to mention (and

thank) your funders and your

administration

Mention library events

Include local landmarks

Be aware of the sensibilities

of your community

Friends of the Library funded ours

Adapt script to reduce props

Cast uses their own costumes or

borrow from a theater group

Sample budget

• Script: $25

• Props/costumes: $40

• Refreshments: $40

FIND THE FUNDING

PUBLICITY &

PROMOTION

• Advertised in our Monthly

Calendar of Events

• Posters, signs, and fliers posted in

all of our branches

• Heavily promoted on Facebook

using cast photos

• Televised segment on our

monthly cable PSA

Assigning teams randomly;

staff loved working with people

that were unknown to them

Script was rewritten to be

library and cast-specific

Zombie concept was popular

Clarity; we should have

explained what we expected and

not relied on them to read it

Timing; we didn’t allow

enough time for set-up

Teamwork; no debriefing

TEAM BUILDING PORTION

What Worked What Didn’t Work

THANKS FOR COMING!

Questions?

Comments?

Tiffany Hayes (thayes@cumberland.lib.nc.us)

• (910) 483-7727 ext 1306

Sana Moulder (smoulder@cumberland.lib.nc.us)

• (910) 483-7727 ext 1363