MAKING THEATRE FROM DATA: LESSONS FOR PERFORMANCE ETHNOGRAPHY FROM VERBATIM THEATRE.

Performance ethnography provides exciting possibilities for engaging new audiences in research. This paper argues that some performance ethnographers have underestimated the importance of the theatrical/ performance aesthetic in their conceptions of the area. Verbatim theatre has decades of experience staging research for diverse audiences and has aesthetic insights that could support the development of performance ethnography. This paper presents some of that theatrical expertise from two verbatim theatre practitioners. The paper argues that partnerships between verbatim theatre practitioners and performance ethnography researchers have the potential to create productive and innovative research partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]