A Creative Writer's Perspective
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
A.D. Gladu, PGAV Creative Writer, always has a cast of characters in her head. It’s how she deploys empathy to create engaging, inviting, and welcoming storytelling, leading to a great guest experience. Gladu says, “When I dream up a space, an entire cast of characters walks through it with me. I consider how they would experience it, what they would feel and think at every turn. This cast is a wild mix of everyone I have ever met, read about, or observed. They are why I love meeting new people with different life experiences. They don’t know it, but I am adding them to my cast.”
Gladu understands guests bring myriad perspectives when they walk through the gate, and she considers this whether she’s developing the guest journey or a live play.
AD Gladu, Creative Writer
“Storytelling is about understanding and anticipating diverse needs and reactions. I carefully consider who the guests are and what they might experience at the attraction. What if a guest is in a wheelchair? What if they have a heart condition? How does the environment change when it rains, and how will that make people feel? What will that feeling drive them to do?”
Her approach, deeply rooted in empathy, stems from her training as an actor. She says, “I’m trained to step into the shoes of my characters, no matter who they are. I dive into their minds and bodies—considering their desires and needs. Then, I look for ways that we can take some of their burdens away. For example, if a guest travels with an oxygen tank, they need smooth surfaces and places to rest, and they 100% need to be able to enter a space without walking through a cloud of cigarette smoke. They and their family shouldn’t have to search for what they need, or even worse—fight for it—we should anticipate it and provide it.”
Understanding and Engaging the Audience
Understanding the audience is the cornerstone of compelling storytelling in attraction design, the primary step before selecting communication methods to resonate with the guest. Audience analysis often involves parsing out a general scope: is the attraction primarily for families, teens, or older adults? “Educating clients about effective strategies is crucial, especially if they are not part of the target demographic.” Gladu explains, “Sometimes, clients express a desire to target a specific demographic, like teens, but may not fully grasp the nuances of engaging that group. Language and communication styles change so rapidly now. A phrase that was fun last year may be cringe this year—like the word cringe. It’s our job to bridge that gap, helping clients understand that different age groups require different approaches. It’s more than being on-trend; it's understanding thinking and communication patterns.”
Performer’s Intuition
Storytelling is an art that blends empathy, creativity, and attention to detail. Gladu believes her background as a performer greatly influences her storytelling approach. She says, “What I loved about being on stage was the deep connection I felt with my audience. I could hear their movements and feel their reactions. In real-time, I would adjust my performance based on their very breaths, and I loved doing it. From this deep love of people and personal connection grew the cast of characters in my head. They inform my approach as I develop the communication style of a show, interactive, or space. They remind me to carefully consider themes and our desired emotional outcomes. They challenge me to expand my own world and thoughts, making every experience I create deeper and more meaningful than the last.”
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