Topics: Dramaturgy I

Catalog description

What is dramaturgy? If all the world’s a stage, comprehending and managing the art of life requires dramaturgy. At its core, dramaturgy is the theory and practice of play-making that is separate from directing, acting, and stage-managing. It involves holistic knowledge of dramatic literature and the process of bringing a play to the stage. In simpler terms, the dramaturg is the bridge between the audience and the performance, the bridge between content and style. The dramaturg is the audience educator, the in-house critic, the director’s collaborator, the art curator and advocate who considers the aesthetic and formal aspects of the play, and is the arbiter of the political and historical significance of the play and its reception. A dramaturg finds new plays for production, supports the creative and interpretative work with research, and attends to the cognitive and social needs of the audience. Dramaturging is radical collaboration with all aspects of the play to help achieve maximum connectivity between director, actors, managers, playwrights, audience. Additionally, the dramaturg helps the audience through the conflicts and trauma that the play reveals, and insists on diversity of playwrights, actors, directors and works to enhance the diversity and inclusiveness of audience. Dramaturgical approaches are not limited to plays— the holistic work of the dramaturg can be helpful for any interface between an audience and creative experience: gaming, film and television, dance, fine arts, athletic competition, or even for performative social or work situations—anything that involves a location, props, costumes, and reception.