Student name:

Anna Schuliger
Project #: (please use the project # that youve been using for this project throughout this
process)
1
Working version of project title (try to be creative while somewhat descriptive in your
project title)
Depicting the Lives of Others: Raising Awareness of the Importance of Empathy
****Rationale: In 1-2 sentences, describe why you made the decision to pursue this project
and shelve the other one.
I decided to pursue this project over the other because I felt that this project was more
achievable (especially in the research portion of the project). I also am more passionate about
the outcome of this project as I care very much about using theater as vehicle to promote
greater understanding between people and foster empathy within a population.

Research Proposal--FINAL draft

1.

State the essential question

How may a performing art be used to demonstrate the importance of empathy within a
population of people affected by a significant event?

2.

State the primary research question

How can an allegorical play be used to depict the experiences of and effects on a population of
people impacted by a significant fictional event (based upon significant historical events) and what
can an audience come to understand about the importance of empathy after viewing the play?

3.

State the secondary research questions you have (make sure these are fairly

comprehensive and extensive).

-How can a person be affected by a historical event physically, emotionally and psychologically?
-How can the effects of a significant historical event be accurately translated to the stage?
-How are different people affected by the same historical incident?
-How can an allegorical event be an effective way to show how different people respond to the
same event in order to raise awareness for the need for empathy in our society?
-What do significant historical events have in common? What parts dont they share? How can
studying various significant moments in history come and peoples responses to them help create
an allegorical situation that will allow people understand the importance of empathy?
-How do humans transfer their feelings into words and actions? In what ways are these
manifestations of feelings universal and in what ways can they be specific and personal to an
individual?
-Who can be affected by a significant historical event? Does it have to be a relative or close friend?
Can a person be as distant as a fellow commuter on the same bus/train and still be affected by
said persons sudden, tragic absence?
-What makes empathy powerful enough to promote peace through understanding?
-How does empathy between people impact a community?
-Is theater an impactful vehicle to raise awareness? If so, how can this impact be accurately
documented?
-Can a play promote empathy by depicting the lives of others?
-What is the most effective way to write an impactful play?
-What is the best length (time-wise) for a play in terms of keeping the audience engaged?
-How is a one-actor written play performed and acted?
-Will a one-actor play be effective for what I am attempting to accomplish with my project or will
it take-away from the experience?
-Will other actors be required for the execution of my performance?

-What space is best for my performance?

-Can the surveys that will be given out before/after each performance be digital so that the
audience members can use their phones to complete the survey?
-Will there be an age restriction for the audience members (i.e. only 10yrs old and older?)
-How many shows will suffice in order to collect enough useful information from the audience?

4.

Description of what the final product will look like. (Be sure that you are very
thorough here. Take us through the entire process from now until the final
product. If it would be helpful to you, number the steps and proceed through
them through and including your final product. In short: you MUST describe the
process here. This is vital to the approval process on your research proposal.)

Wk Week of
#

What I am planning to accomplish during that week

11/3/14

This week, I will spend studying 9/11 (in preparation for my visit to the
NYC memorial on 11/11/14) and the Boston Marathon Bombing. I will find
and read websites, books, news articles, and I hope to schedule an interview
with somebody impacted by the Boston Marathon Bombing (possibly the
same person that Ciara interviewed) this week. I will also prepare for my
interview with Catherine Geller in NYC. Lastly, I will record/digest the
interview I had with Lizzie Milanovich.

11/10/14

I will interview Catherine Geller and visit the 9/11 memorial in NYC. Also, I
hope to continue to study/collect data on 9/11 and the Boston Marathon
Bombing throughout this week. During this week I also hope to interview a
person affected by the Boston Marathon Bombing and, if possible,
somebody affected by 9/11 (potentially Mr. Mikalaitis past student teacher).

11/17/14

This week I will spend time studying/researching the Oklahoma City

Bombings and the London Train Bombings (I may decide to also study
Lockerbie but I am leaning towards focusing on four more recent terrorist
attacks). I will also try to find and schedule a phone interview with
somebody that has been impacted by either the Oklahoma City Bombings or
London Train Bombings.

11/24/14

This week I will take all the data that I have collected so far on playwriting

(Thanksgivi
ng week)

(from my interviews), compile and interpret it and find places where I still
need more information. I will do the same for all the information that I
collected about the four terrorist attacks and discover any holes in my data
that I need to fill with more study.

12/1/14

This week, I will develop a plan to collect the data that I still need (found
from the last week) in order to be at a place where I feel like I can start
writing/drafting my play. After developing a plan, I will also use this week to
start collected that data/contacting people to schedule more interviews
potentially.

12/8/14

This week is a scheduled catch-all week. I will use this week to catch up on
any work that I still need to do that is mentioned above. By the end of this
week, the bulk of my research should be complete and I should be ready to
move onto the playwriting portion of my project. By the end of this week I
hope to have an outline of my allegorical event and the characters that will
be involved in my play.

12/15/14

This week I will start on the rough draft of my show! In the writing process I
expect to continue researching as questions arise or as I find that I need
more specific information on a certain topic that I didnt foresee. Also, I will
begin contacting various theaters around Boston to find out if they are
willing to lend out their performance space to me and get this ball rolling.

12/22/14
Dec break

Over break, I hope to continue writing my rough draft and researching

12/29/14
Dec break

This week, again, I will spend time writing my rough draft and researching

10

1/5/15

By the end of this week, I will have my rough draft complete. I also hope
that this week I can nail down a space that will be available to me for
rehearsal and/or performances. (If lending the space out for rehearsal is not
possible, then I will have to arrange a separate space for this--maybe a
classroom at school?)

11

1/12/15

term 2 ends on 1/16/15 This week I will finalize my draft to the best of my
ability and then by the end of the week, send it out to playwrights in Boston
whom I know, teachers, friends, and fellow-actors for review. I will also in
this time contact fellow actors and technical directors to find if they would
be willing to collaborate with me on my show.

12

1/19/15

This week I will use to incorporate feedback that I receive from those whom
I sent my first draft to and revise my play into a second draft. By the end of
this week, I also will have finalized the actors/techies who will be

collaborating with me and I will schedule my first rehearsal date. Finally, after
the first rehearsal date is finalized, I will begin to advertise my performances
to BLS, to other regional theaters, I will try to also be present on social
media to spread the word and I will talk to people that I know who could
spread word about my performances to their spheres of influence
(specifically the marketing director--Charles Baldwin--at Wheelock Family
Theater)
13

1/26/15

During this week, I will continue to revise my play. Also, sometime within
this week will be the first rehearsal for the show at which I will hand out the
most recent draft of my play and a rehearsal/show schedule. I will also have
a set design done for the show.

14

2/2/15

This week will be full of rehearsals for the show (I am imagining about 2-4
rehearsals per week depending on how long my play is and how many
peoples schedules I need to coordinate). Throughout the rehearsal process,
there will be rewriting and reworking of the script as we work out the
technical kinks of the script as well.

15

2/9/15

Another week of rewriting and rehearsals

16

2/16/15
Feb break

This week I will hold more rehearsals than the previous two weeks. Also,
during this week will be the off-book date (which means actors need to
know their lines). All the technical aspects of this show will be ironed out by
the end of this week as well (specifically lighting and sound cues).

17

2/23/15

Final Rehearsal week this week! Most likely, there will be a rehearsal per day
leading up to OPENING NIGHT (which if all goes as planned will be 2/26)
**If I find I need more rehearsal time, I have built in next week and the
other possible opening night is 3/6)

18

3/2/15

Cushion week: could either be last week of rehearsals with opening night as
3/6 OR could be a revision week where I incorporate audience feedback,
change the script/performance and hold 1 rehearsal to make needed
adjustments for the 3/6 shows.
NOTE: There will be 3 shows per weekend: 1 show on Friday night at 7, 2
shows on Saturday at 3 and 7 (though this is subject to change based on the
availability of the performance space)

19

3/9/15

Another week of incorporation of audience feedback/revision. 1 Rehearsal

to make needed changes. 3 more shows that weekend.
NOTE: each performance will be filmed AND there will be 2 sets of surveys
handed to the audience at each performance (1 before, 1 after the show)
WITH an optional talk-back at the end of each performance.

20

3/16/15

Could either be another week of incorporation of audience

feedback/revision + 1 rehearsal and 3 more shows (if opening night was
3/6) OR could be a week where I work on compiling all of my data from my
performances and organizing it to prepare for my presentation

21

3/23/15

Prepare for my TED Talk presentation.

23

3/30/15

DEADLINE FOR FINAL PROJECT

term 3 ends on 4/2/15

5.

State how this research will advance the frontiers of knowledge and/or matter
and be significant in a meaningful way.

My research and performance will advance the frontiers of knowledge by promoting empathy
to each audience member in a time where misunderstanding of peoples suffering leads to
carelessness and chaos around the world. I will also discover how different audience members are
affected by my performance which will give insight into the diverse responses of audience
members while also finding out how effective theater is at raising awareness for some important
matter (such as empathy).

6.

State anticipated potential pitfalls or problems of this research effort

I anticipate that it may be difficult to gauge the effectiveness of each performance from the
audience because it can be hard to articulate the ways one has been affected by something from a
survey. In the same way, it will be hard to create a survey that will be able to best reflect the
audience's feelings and response to the performance. Also, I anticipate that it may be difficult
finding people willing to be interviewed who were impacted by one of the events (listed above)
especially the London Train Bombings and the plane explosion over Lockerbie since they
occurred overseas.

7.

State your a tentative plan to locate and review the literature related to your
project. This includes printed/published sources and online sources. [The

research strategy, part #1]

My plan to locate and review literature related to this project is to take advantage of the Boston
Public Library system (especially the Copley Library) where there are a multitude of sources
available for free regarding both writing plays and the terrorist attacks listed above. I will also look
into the Minuteman library system in Bostons surrounding neighborhoods such as Framingham,
Natick, and Needham if the Boston Public Library system does not have a book or source that I
may need or would be helpful. In addition, I will look online for eBooks available that could help
me in my research and also scholarly journals published online on databases or other websites.

8.

State a tentative plan for research and data collection. (Data collection can take
multiple forms--surveys, test groups, interviews, observations, etc etc. This will
differ from project to project. [The research strategy, part #2]

My plan for research and data collection consists of many different forms. For information on
how to write a play, I will contact the playwrights whom I know and have worked with before. I
will also contact different theater companies around the city of Boston and ask if it would be
possible to observe them in their development work for a new show. Additionally I will contact
any people who might be willing to be interviewed who have been affected by one of the five
terrorist attacks listed above to learn more about how each event individually affected people. I
hope to find people to contact about interviews by contacting museums or other organizations
which may have contact information of people affected. I will also reach out to friends and family
and ask if they know anybody who was affected by one of the terrorist attacks in some way and
gain contact information that way. Most likely, my primary mode of contact will be through email
where with each potential interview-ee, I will describe my project, let them know how they could
help me and ask if they are willing to be interviewed. If email is not a possible way to reach them,
I will call them on a phone or send them a letter in the mail. I will also pass out surveys to each
audience member before and after the show in order to research how effective my performance
was in raising awareness for the importance of empathy. In addition I will hold talk-backs at the
end of each performance for a half an hour after the show to give the audience a way to engage
with the production team (including myself) and give spoken feedback immediately after the
performance.
9.

State a tentative plan for research and data analysis and interpretation. [The
research strategy, part #3]
My plan for data analysis and interpretation is to review all of my interviews after Dragon or a
similar word-to-text software that would be downloaded on my personal laptop or a work
computer (at school). I will also review my surveys and either input all of the data
manually or design a way for the survey to be taken on cell-phones and sent to a

spreadsheet automatically. I will also take notes on the books, websites, and scholarly
journals that I read while also take notes on any documentaries I watch or places I visit
and review this data as well. I will organize my data using multiple infographics, scientific
graphs (if applicable), and use any other effective way to organize my data to present to an
audience.

9.

List the tools you will need to complete this effort. Identify (with an asterisk *)
tools that might currently be unavailable to you

-An external hard drive*

-Rehearsal and performance spaces (could be the same space or one space for rehearsals and a
different space for performances). *
-Group of willing and well-experienced theater techies (does not have to be an adultcould be a
student) *
-Dragon Software (for interviews) *
-Video Camera to record each performance
-A train ticket to New York City *
-Ticket into the 9/11 Memorial in NYC *

10.

Budget: what materials do you anticipate needing for your project? Please
provide a list with quantities and an approximate cost per item, along a brief
description of why you need this for your project.
Do some research and find out the actual cost of the items you need. Be as specific as you
can. Please add cells/rows if you need them. These are the budgets we will use to
determine the allocation of funds, so take time to be thorough and specific about this.

item
(please be
specific--brand, if
relevant, and item #

quantity
of this
item

cost per item

retailer where you

want to purchase this
(and the source of
your price)

why you need this item for

your project

Dragon Software
(for Mac)

$149.99

amazon.com

I would need this item to

record the interviews I
conduct as part of my
research.

Performance
Space

Cost
dependent

Retailer dependent
upon who agrees

I would need this space

for at least 4 and at very

upon who
we would
rent this
space from
(maybe
MassArt or
Calderwood
Pavilion or
BU?)

to lease the space

or which space is
available.

most 9 performances

Actors
(maybe)/Techies

3-6
(total)

Dependent
on the
budget I will
have
available and
also whether
or not I can
get
volunteers
for this. If I
pay per
rehearsal, I
imagine
about
$20/rehears
al for adults
and
$10/rehears
al for youth.

This would be
dependent on
whether or not
these artists would
be volunteers
(maybe for BLS
students, this could
be an
outside/inside
school volunteer
opportunity?) or if
the artists would
need to be paid. If
paid, I would
probably pay per
rehearsal.

I would need a couple

other actors if I discover
that I one actor show
would not be the most
effective way to spread
my message of empathy
and I would need techies
in order to work the
light/sound/set design
for the performance
while also be in charge of
filming it.

Seagate 1TB
External Hard
Drive for Mac

79.99

amazon.com
(http://www.amaz
on.com/Seagate-B
ackup-Portable-Ext
ernal-STDS100010
0/dp/B00H4YGR
48/ref=sr_1_1?s=e
lectronics&ie=UT
F8&qid=14147080
47&sr=1-1&keywo
rds=seagate+exter
nal+hard+drive+f
or+mac)

I would need this item to

store capstone files on
from my computer so
that I can use my
personal computer to
work on my project and
not be concerned about
taking up space on my
computer.

A 2-way Train
Ticket to NYC

74.00

Amtrak

I would need this train

ticket to travel to NYC in
order to visit the 9/11
Memorial and also
interview Catherine
Geller

11.

Bibliography- early draft. This bibliography must include at least 5 books, 5

scholarly journal articles, 5 websites, and least one potential source who you
might interview. Use proper bibliographic citation (MLA or APA format; your
choice). You are welcome to use EasyBib or refer to the formatting template
created by Purdue University: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ Explain why
you anticipate (at this point) that these sources would be relevant.
Please be sure that your entire bibliography is readable in this box; some of your earlier
versions were cut off.
Works Cited
Bleiker, Roland. "Art After 9/11." Alternatives: Global Local.Political, Vol. 31, No. 1, Art and
Politics (2006): 77-99. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/40645174?ref=no-x-route:4c0df45be063fde30064
09614ec0d07a>.
I will use this scholarly journal entry to investigate 9/11s impact on Art and how in turn
that reflects 9/11s impact on people.
Bodden, Valerie. The Boston Marathon Bombing. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
I will use this source in order to research the Boston Marathon Bombings, the impacts
that the event had on people and on the city of Boston as well. This source will also
educate me on the more factual information regarding the marathon bombing so that I
may study the event itself while also study its impact on people.

Boston Marathon Bombing." Boston.com. The New York Times, n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/specials/boston_marathon_bombing/
>.
I will use this website to explore all of the various articles published on Boston.com
regarding the Boston Marathon Bombings. This website will also allow me to see
pictures and read accounts of witnesses published here.
Conkle, E. P. "To a Young Man on the Business of Writing a First Play." Educational Theatre
Journal 3.1 (1951): 49-50. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3203681?ref=no-x-route:5dd526a08c34d4c640fff5
f77404352f>.
I will use this scholarly journal entry to research the different opinions of how to write a
play (this opinion will be one of my older opinions).
"Exhibit Walk-through." Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Official Website.
N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org/secondary.php?section=12&catid=136>
.
This website will allow me to virtually visit each exhibit that exists in the Oklahoma City
National Memorial and Museum and thus give information regarding the Oklahoma City
terrorist bombings.
Foreman, Richard. "How to Write a Play." Performing Arts Journal 1.2 (1976): 84-92. JSTOR.
Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3245042?ref=no-x-route:58e0980d8c39a066b582c

b454e9a6a5f>.
I will use this scholarly journal excerpt to research in more depth the many opinions into
how to write a play.
Hull, Raymond, and Raymond Hull. How to Write a Play. Cincinnati, OH: Writer's Digest,
1983. Print.
I will use this source in order to gain insight into how I will approach the playwriting
process and also help me avoid some rookie mistakes as I embark upon writing my
play.
Jamison, Leslie. "The Believer - The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison - @believermag."
The Believer. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.believermag.com/issues/201402/?read=article_jamison>.
This article online I will use to give me insight into how empathy can be gauged from a
group of people and how others are executing various projects in order to raise
awareness for empathy.
"Life after 9/11." Fortnight No. 401 (2001): 5-6. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/25560458?ref=no-x-route:d202cd21ee5038db4ca3
7faeb7f22f52>.
I will use this scholarly journal excerpt in order to investigate how New York City and
its residents recovered from and dealt with the terrorist attack on 9/11.
Muth, Marcia. How to Write and Sell Your Plays. Santa Fe, NM: Sunstone, 1974. Print.
This source will allow me to find out how I will write a play that will engage an
audience and be successful in advertising my play effectively.

Nakonezny, Paul A. "Did Divorces Decline after the Oklahoma City Bombing?" Journal of
Marriage and Family 66.1 (2004): 90-100. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/3599868?ref=no-x-route:d1a84beae49535ef7c296e
16f5206bcc>.
I will use this scholarly journal article to investigate the social effects of the Oklahoma
City Bombings.
Parra, Angelo. "Playwriting For Dummies." Cheat Sheet. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/playwriting-for-dummies-cheat-sheet.html>.
I will use this website to research more about how to write a play.
Poland, James M. "SUICIDE BOMBERS: A GLOBAL PROBLEM." Humboldt Journal of
Social Relations 27.2 (2003): 100-35. JSTOR. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/23524155?ref=no-x-route:fc4d6be7f4b7cf1f3970a
dee438e7579>.
I will use this scholarly journal excerpt to investigate suicide bombing and how that
practice of terrorism has come to affect our world today.
Rai, Milan. 7/7: The London Bombings, Islam and the Iraq War. London: Pluto, 2006. Print.
This source will allow me to research the London Train Bombings of 2005 and give me
insight into how the Islam faith as well as the Iraq War played a role. I will also be able
to learn about how this terrorist attack affected people and the city of London as a whole.
Thoms, Annie, and Taresh Batra. With Their Eyes: September 11th, the View from a High
School at Ground Zero. New York: HarperTempest, 2002. Print.
This source will provide me with information about how 9/11 affected teenagers who

were very close to the tragic event. It will also allow me to study how these teenagers
articulated their thoughts, pain, and emotions surrounding the event.
Whitney, Craig R. "JETLINER CARRYING 258 TO U.S CRASHES IN SCOTTISH TOWN."
New York Times on the Web. New York Times, 2010. Web. 19 Oct. 2014.
<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2Flearning%2Fgeneral%2Fonthisday%2Fbig%
2F1221.html%23article>.
I will read this article and use it to research the initial responses and reactions to the
Lockerbie plane crash in order to give me insight and information about the event itself
and also how it affected people on a larger scale.

I plan to interview Andrew Barbato who is a playwright whom Ive worked with living in
Boston to investigate how I will approach my material to make into a play.