what is a dramaturg?
If you aren't sure what a dramaturg is or what their purpose is, you are not alone! The role of the dramaturg is very fluid and can change depending on what the production needs. The dramaturgy (as a noun) is the dramatic structure, language, theme, music, and characters of a play, and how those elements work together to make meaning. According to Beehive Dramaturgy Studio, a dramaturg is someone "on the creative team whose primary task is to support the play's development by asking key questions, starting conversations, researching, providing context, and helping the artists as they work together to tell the intended story." There are two kinds of dramaturgs: new work dramaturgs and production dramaturgs.
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New play dramaturgy is the process of developing a new work, whether it be a traditional play or a devised theatre piece. When it’s a new play, the dramaturg works primarily with the playwright to help define their intentions, ensure the relevant information about play’s world makes it out of the playwright’s mind, and recognize and address the holes. ​I have worked as a new work dramaturg on EXTRACURRICULAR (workshhop, playwright/director: thomas schultheis), keep me company (new play program, kennedy center american college theatre festival region II, playwright: sally seitz), stratford 24hr play festival (james madison university stratford players, playwrights: m.k jill and josh porter), and posies troop 1478: an explorer’s guide to mastering the forest (playwright: maria carpinelli)
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Production dramaturgy is the process of working on the production of a play, usually one that has already been produced and published. The dramaturg works with the artistic team, actors, and designers to support the director’s vision and transfer the script to the stage. I have worked as a production dramaturg on big fish (forbes center for the performing arts, dir. kate arecchi), what the constitution means to me (eunoia theatre, dir. becca stehle), and a wrinkle in time (james madison university studio theatre, dir. kathryn wevley), among others.
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​read more about my dramaturgical work here on my website and connect with me here or on New Play Exchange.
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definitions from Northwest Theatre Workshop.