Garner, Julia
Theater Specialist
Researches, develops, writes, and performs interactive theater programs as a first person interpreter or facilitator. Consults as an audience engagement expert on exhibition core teams. Develops educational videos. Shares expertise with staff and museum community via engaging workshops on museum theater, collaborative communication, team building, and navigating challenging conversations.
Research Areas
Background And Education
Education And Training
- The Studio Acting Conservatory 2005 - 2007
- B.A. in English & Theater Education, University of Maryland , College of Education, Theater Department 1995 - 1999
Awards And Honors
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Garner, Julie and Rossmanith, Eva. 2021. "Using Participation and Empathy to Inspire Positive Change: A Transcontinental Conversation." Journal of Museum Education, 46, (1) 48–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/10598650.2020.1852491. 2021
Activities
Teaching Overview
- I have been a theater educator since 1999. My work includes curriculum development, teaching, coaching, devising, and directing at the middle and high school levels, both in the public school and in extracurricular programming offered at professional theaters. I have also worked as a consultant, leading and facilitating adult improv and corporate team building workshops since 2001. As a faculty member of The Studio Acting Conservatory, I teach semester-long acting and improvisation classes designed to support the conservatory's three year curriculum. My expertise is in interactive theater and improvisation, which comes from 20+years of working as a professional improvisor, actor, and special events performer. As a first-person interpreter and experience designer at the Smithsonian, I engage with audiences and spark curiosity and inquiry about history and its relevance to the present. My personal goals are to balance education with entertainment, and to inspire others to make positive change in the world.
Teaching Activities
- Creating Historical Characters for National History Day Guest Lecturer, Webinar 2020
- Museum Theater Techniques for GWU Museum Education Program Guest Lecturer, Workshop Creator 2017 - 2020
- Designing a Museum Theater Program, as part of Capacity Building for Argentinian Museum and Cultural Heritage Professionals, sponsored by SI OIR Guest Lecturer 2019
- Devising Museum Theater Programming-Harvard Extension School Guest Lecturer 2017 - 2018
Contact
Location
- National Museum of American History Department
