https://doi.org/10.1177/1532708619885404 Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies 1–14 © 2019 SAGE Publications Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1532708619885404 journals.sagepub.com/home/csc Original Article First-year public school teachers often hear the echo of stu- dent voices calling out, “Teacher! Teacher!” as they wrestle with culture shock in their new positions. Teaching is a complex profession, and teachers often report they do not feel prepared to meet the demands of the job (Ingersoll, 2001). Research suggests the need for teachers is balloon- ing, the supply is greening, and the profession is becoming less stable (Ingersoll, Merrill, & Stuckey, 2018; Sutcher, Darling-Hammond, & Carver-Thomas, 2016). There are high turnover rates; many incoming teachers leave the pro- fession after 2 to 5 years. This impacts student perfor- mance, especially in schools serving underprivileged or students of color (Darling-Hammond, 2010; Mantle- Bromley, Gould, McWhorter, & Whaley, 2000). Hawaiʻi is no exception with its high attrition rate among teachers. Hawai‘i’s Department of Education recruits teachers from the U.S. continent who experience problems adapting to the culture, especially in rural areas (Pape & Terell, 2016). These new comers rarely remain after 5 years, thus per- petuating a cycle of teacher shortage. In response to this problem, this applied theater project took on the culture of first-year teaching in Hawai‘i by integrating research and performance. Applied theater operates in nontraditional spaces outside of conventional theater forms, deliberately engaging communities in the challenges they face while stimulating dialogue about pos- sibilities and solutions. Boundaries between actors and audiences are sometimes blurred as the community itself takes an active role in the creative process. We employed ethnodrama to transform interview transcripts into a cre- ative product. Through a combination of ethnography and performance, “we learn something about ourselves from taking the role of others” (Turner, 1979, p. 82). The project began with ethnographic interviews of 18 first-year teachers including elementary school teachers (8), secondary teachers (5), and special educators (5). Next, an ensemble of seven performers from the community worked with two co-directors to interpret excerpts of the transcripts and created a series of dances, poems, mono- logues, and dramatic vignettes utilizing playbuilding strat- egies (Tarlington & Michaels, 1995). Norris (2010) and Saldaña (2011) have advanced playbuilding as a powerful, collaborative method for effectively transforming research transcriptions on the page into breathing action on stage. The project culminated in three, hour-long performances for audiences of teacher candidates and teacher educators, 885404CSC XX X 10.1177/1532708619885404Cultural Studies <span class="symbol" cstyle="symbol">↔</span> Critical MethodologiesSimpson Steele et al. research-article 2019 1 University of Hawai‘i at Ma ¯noa, Honolulu, USA 2 Freelance Artist 3 Moanalua High School, Honolulu, US Corresponding Author: Jamie Simpson Steele, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, College of Education, 1776 University Ave., Honolulu, HI 96816, USA. Email: jamiesim@hawaii.edu Teacher! Teacher! An Artistic Exploration of the True-Story Troubles and Triumphs of First-Year Teachers Jamie Simpson Steele 1 , Nicholas Brown 2 , Ronnie Tiffany-Kinder 1 , Chloe Amos 2 , Andy Luu 1 , Neil O’Brien 2 , Mark Lester Ranchez 2 , Jill Tengan 3 , Audrey Castañeda Walker 1 , and Judithanne Young 1 Abstract New teachers often feel unprepared to meet the demands of the profession, and attrition rates indicate approximately half will leave within their first 5 years. To address this problem, this applied theater project utilized ethnodrama, integrating research and performance, to stage the stories of first-year teachers. Researchers interviewed 18 first-year teachers and an ensemble of performers then developed a series of monologues, dances, poems, songs, and scenes. These vignettes fit within three categories: (a) The Beginning; (b) The Students; and (c) The Profession. This script documents that performance. Keywords ethnodrama, applied theater, playbuilding, teacher preparation, teacher retention, novice teachers