Setting the scene for a social science enquiry: The forms and stakes of promoting research artistically

Among the theatrical productions that apply stage writing to the social sciences, some focus on the research process, especially by reconstructing a field study. This paper is based on the approach of the “Si et seulement Si” theatre troupe, while also situating it in a broader context of performances created jointly by artists and social scientists and related to field studies. It describes the specific features of this theatrical scripting of social science and how it can be an alternative way of presenting research findings that changes the audience’s relationship to history and social science research, as well as the researcher’s relationship to his/her work in a way that can challenge and stimulate scholarly writing.