Paper short abstract:

The paper follows the Estonian Folklore Archives’ project of collecting theatre folklore. Recording interviews is always a humanly tender communication situation, but approaching a rather closed and sometimes mystified theatre circles is an experience on its own.

Paper long abstract:

How to approach a "village", which in its everyday function is mostly closed for the larger public, at least as far as most of the behind-the-scenes work is concerned? At the same time this closedness has changed with times, as theatres in Estonia now make more programmes for children and grown-ups, to visit and witness those hidden sides. But to find and question people, who would be willing to give interviews on a specific topic of theatre folklore, can be occasionally difficult and occasionally surprisingly easy.

What are the demands of a folklorist to oneself, when on fieldwork in theatre, which sometimes means meeting different people in relatively short time in variable conditions? How to enter and leave the theatre and the interview situation so, that you can exit with the hope of re-entering it again? There is the question of managing time in one or few-day trips to have enough time for recuperation and rest to be fit for yet another interview. This kind of fieldwork also demands flexibility in adapting to quickly changing situations. The paper tries to offer self-reflections of a folklorist when on fieldwork in theatres and also the first conclusions and outcomes of the project.