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Using the word “dramaturg” as a verb is a way to define how the dramaturg should approach a project. It also is a way to define how a dramaturg should execute that project. As an action word, the verb “to dramaturg” starts with a mindset that allows us to be more useful in our collaborations and more effective with our contribution. It is a way to listen, question, excavate, connect, explore, bridge, advocate, support, synthesize, articulate, advise, curate, and contextualize. To dramaturg is to do, and the perspective is vital, because it is what allows for the practice, without limiting the scope to merely the application of a methodology.
The advantage a mindset has over a process is that it is flexible. When dramaturgy is considered as a way of seeing, a manner of engagement – when dramaturg is seen as a verb – it allows for a dynamic relationship to material rather than an exercise of applied process. The mindset to dramaturg is to be actively engaged in a project, with a holistic perspective, a responsive point of view, and a collaborative practice. The first part of this book looked at ways to develop this mindset, this way of seeing, and considered the role of dramaturg through a different lens. Part II looks at the application of the mindset, and how it can be applied to projects.
The mindset to dramaturg is developed in order to be a more effective artistic collaborator, and once it is understood as a way of seeing and engaging, it can then be used to effectively fulfill the necessary tasks of production, new play, or institutional dramaturgy; or really any kind of project to undertake. A person can curate an experience for an audience in many ways, and as long as she recognizes the audience and understands the experience, she can dramaturg.
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The disadvantage of the flexible and adaptable nature of dramaturgy is that it seems to cover so many possibilities that it becomes difficult to identify the concrete of it. If it can be so many things, does that mean it is nothing in particular? Is there something about the open-ended and flexible nature of the dramaturgical perspective – the read of dramaturg as verb – that makes it so encompassing as to offer no specific guideline to the work we hope to do? Is it merely another way to arrive at the same impasse that sometimes seems to plague the field, “What is dramaturgy?”
Practicing dramaturg as verb allows for the ambiguity to be an asset and is itself a way to shape the method of dramaturgy. Since it is a way to see, it can be applied to any project. Since it is a way to process information, it can be useful to many different circumstances. Since it is a way to actively respond, it can be an asset to any collaboration. It halts the inclination to box dramaturgy into a simple process and recognizes it is both a way of seeing and a way of doing.
Asking questions, flexible thinking, seeing holistically, understanding timing, and a close connection to the needs of the audience are all part of the dramaturgical mindset. To dramaturg is a way of looking at the world, a perspective that can be applied to every facet of life and one that is an asset for a theatre maker. However, while it is a mindset, it is important to remember that it is not only a mindset. To dramaturg is also a dynamic practice that incorporates the mindset. It is the way to use the outlook in order to shape the output on a project. It is a method that will help make the contribution to any project more effective.
The flexibility of dramaturgy ultimately means that the work of the dramaturg is defined by the needs of the project. The more closely he connects to those needs, the more useful the dramaturg’s role. Each new venture is approached with openness and clarity in order to determine what is needed and for whom. These will in turn reveal how that input can best be offered. The concrete foundation of dramaturgy is not found in the specificity of the task or its requirements; however, it is best to identify a process that is applicable to the tasks of the dramaturg and incorporates the mindset to dramaturg.
The method of dramaturgy is formed by two fundamental questions that provide the context that informs every task: What is its purpose? Who is it for? The clarity and usefulness of the mindset and its application to method is shaped by the ability to stay clearly connected to these parameters – what and who – and each step and each task will be built on that foundation.
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The Method
As introduced in the first chapter, the method to dramaturg has three steps and the overall success of the work is dependent on how effectively the three work in concert.
The three steps are simple: define the project, gather the content, and communicate the findings. It is a deceptively simple and straightforward process and can decidedly shape the way we work as dramaturgs in any context. While simple, it is not always easy to do these things well, and the craft of dramaturgy is in the honing of those skills. In addition, the real test of effectiveness is in the combination of the steps. Each is as important as the others, and if they are not all three useful collectively, the efficacy of the dramaturgy may be significantly reduced.
The usefulness in concert is something that is worth taking some time to discuss as it is another example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. It is not just that the three steps need to be well done, but they are interconnected in a way that creates the dynamic synthesis of the work – that creates a dramaturgical output. Metaphor is effective to discuss the dramaturgical process and we can use a construction one. The dynamic connection of the steps is akin to the composition of concrete. For example, people sometimes confuse the words and misuse concrete and cement as interchangeable terms; however, cement is a component of concrete. Cement is the sticky substance that combines with sand, gravel, stone, or other particles to bond and form usable concrete. It is the combination of the materials that results in a useful substance of concrete.
Perhaps a better metaphor is from chemistry; think about the process and product of dramaturgy as akin to the difference between a mixture and a compound. A mixture is a combination of elements while a compound has the elements react in such a way that something new is formed. And it is not a combination that can be separated by physical means once that dynamic joining has occurred. Or another metaphor that can be used is thinking of cooking ingredients that have a form and texture as separate elements but when combined form something completely different. The cooking analogy works well because when they are combined in an effective manner they can form something extraordinary.
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There are many analogies and ways to look at the kind of connection that dramaturgical process demands. These offer some insight into the inextricable link between the attention paid to the process and the effectiveness of the product. The comparison also helps to remind one that the combination of the steps in the process is what brings about the dynamic yield – the composition of the recipe produces the cake. The ingredients must be in the effective measure and treatment in order to bring the desired result. The analogy reiterates that the effectiveness of the dramaturg’s work relies on each of the steps in the process of creation in equal measure. It is their fusion that provides the output of the dramaturg and this output will ultimately be the primary contribution to the creative collaboration.
Step 1: Define the Project
As previously mentioned, the extensive practice explaining dramaturgy to those who ask what one does for a living is useful preparation to practice dramaturgy. The ability to understand what is asked and to answer coherently is a required skill for a dramaturg. In addition, the ability to work with and around ambiguity is an important part of the work. This ambiguity is often navigated through the construction of definitions – of words, ideas, and processes.
The mindset of the dramaturg is largely forged through definition. Defining is a process of making something clear or distinct and this is precisely the kind of involvement the dramaturg hopes to have in the creative process. It is not being a translator or an intermediary between script and actor or playwright and director, rather it is a process with the goal of clarity and specificity for whatever audience she is targeting.
The distinction between definition and translation is important in understanding the unique collaborative role of dramaturg. One of the things that causes confusion, and sometimes suspicion, in a production team is the image of translator that indicates that the dramaturg essentially stands between the collaborators, or between the material and artist, and is the point of comprehension between them. In short, the implication is that the work needs to be translated or reframed. Definition, on the other hand, is a way to strengthen connections, to broaden and deepen comprehension, not supplant it. The dramaturg does not stand as a barrier of translation between the source and target, but as an additional point of connection through definition. To use another metaphor, she serves as the current connecting collaborators, ideas, and materials.
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The act of making something clear or distinct is a useful frame for looking at the tasks of the dramaturg, and as an action it encompasses the process. In short, the practice of defining permeates the dramaturg’s work. The collaborative process itself requires a kind of clarifying and one of the first things we do with artists with whom we work is to discuss needs and expectations. This is somewhat built in to the first meetings with directors and playwrights where we talk about the various possibilities for the collaboration and try to ensure that the expectations of the role of dramaturgy in the process are mutually understood. The conversation should also happen with actors and other members of the production team and it is useful to set the tone of open communication and clarity of expectation early in the process.
The following are some examples of different ways to dramaturg on a production, depending on the needs of the company and definition of the project. They demonstrate the flexibility of the mindset and the way the collaboration can determine the efficacy of the role.
Example: Dramaturg as Collaborator
A first meeting with a director is a chance to get a sense of her ideas for the play, her communication style and why she is interested in a particular work. It is also an opportunity to get a sense of her expectations of dramaturgy in the production. This input will be valuable to help define the process of collaborating with the director.
A director likes to talk through the large thematic ideas of the play and the time period. She sees the dramaturg as a point of contact to explore the ideas of the play in a more informal, conversational way, and potentially test out ideas. She does not want materials from the dramaturg, nor does she want him to be actively involved in the rehearsal process. This kind of starting point is useful because the expectation is clearly articulated; however, it sets somewhat strict parameters. Later there is always the possibility that the dramaturg will be able to find a more expansive role in the production; however, it is also useful to define the role in a way that will make it as effective as possible within the expectation.
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The dramaturg has a standing meeting with the director before rehearsal. He does not bring in physical materials but comes to each meeting with a talking point related to the scene being worked that rehearsal. His contextual research around the ideas of the play and the cultural circumstances provide the foundation for the conversations, and he asks questions and raises issues that coincide with those asked by the play. The dramaturg defines this role as a chance to contribute to the depth of the director’s contemplation about theme and meaning.
A different dramaturg defines this relationship as one where she reflects the ideas of the director. The conversations are held after rehearsal and she prompts the director to ruminate on the thematic issues in light of the work that was done. She responds by restating and helping to solidify the thematic points that the director raises and uses her knowledge and research to further bolster those meanings.
We require more from our defining than setting expectations and clarifying roles. Definition is the first step of the process to dramaturg, and the first thing to do at the onset of any kind of project is to identify and define the parameters of that project. It is the starting point of the dramaturgical work and one that is specific to the given project. Each new play, production, element of production or any project the dramaturg tackles has this stage in which the essential nature of the work is clearly parsed and articulated. Defining is to make clear and distinct; the first stage of the dramaturgical process is to discover the clear and distinct parameters of the work to be dramaturged.
Example: Dramaturg as Researcher
Dramaturgy is most frequently associated with production dramaturgy on an existing text and the task most often considered is the task of research. A dramaturg researches. However, this requires definition as much as any other project. What are the kinds of things that need to be researched and to what end? For whom are you doing the research? The dramaturg has to begin by defining the scope and context of the research he is doing. The research needs to be useful and related to the production at hand in order to be effective. A contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is likely not going to make use of much research on the conditions and community of sixteenth-century Sicily. However, a close reading of what is happening in the contemporary community in which the play is being presented may be very useful.
On another production, a dramaturg is working on a movement-based silent piece. The collaborators do not need support in the research on movement or story. Instead, the dramaturg begins to explore cognitive response to silence and audience reception to silent narratives. He becomes familiar with the theory around the kind of work the performance is seeking to achieve as a way to contribute to its effective creation.
Defining is a dynamic activity, and this stage of the process requires the dramaturg to have a focused and attentive approach. Defining the project seems like a simple and straightforward endeavor, and it is one that is paramount to the success of the work. While it is simple it is not necessarily easy and the act of defining requires the answer to many questions. What is it? What is it not? What is the goal? Who is it for? What are the constraints? What are the demands? A clear sense of the purpose and the goal of the project is fundamental to the ability to define it; consequently, the dramaturg needs to be diligent about the function of his project. There is not room in the process to dramaturg an element of production in a vacuum; each piece is always part of the whole and the parameters set for the piece are shaped, in part, with regards to the whole.
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Example: Dramaturg as Audience Outreach
As part of the production process, the dramaturg may work with a marketing department, or in lieu of a department, on audience outreach. The primary intent is to get people to see the show, but more generally is an early point of contact with the intended audience that may influence their experience of the production. Audience outreach is a way to connect to the various groups you hope to contact as well as to offer the various types of information and ideas about the performance.
For instance, a theatre is doing a series of short plays about sexual violence in a city with a large number of colleges. The dramaturg recognizes the opportunity to join the conversations about sexual assault on college campuses and reaches out directly to local schools. She uses some of the language and the imagery of the plays in order to evoke a reaction in potential audiences. She puts commentary about the play interspersed with headlines of real events and information about support for victims of assault in a deliberate mixture. She defines the outreach of this production as a public service announcement to and a voice for a population that is often marked by sexual violence.
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When we define the project, we conceptually draw a line around what it is in order to separate it from what it is not. Each work requires a different criterion and that particularity is what allows us to draw a distinct line around the project. Chapter 7 will look specifically at how this can be done for particular elements; however, it is useful to note that it is through the act of selection that the shape is revealed. Determining what the project is helps to specify what it is, and this identity will be identified most directly through its purpose. Once we understand what the element needs to do, we can select in order to make it clear and distinct, and also particular. An important aspect of this process of definition is that it gives a particular identity to the project; it stops being of a kind and becomes a specific and definitive entity.
Once the project is clearly articulated, through its function and its constituent parts, the dramaturg solidifies his understanding of where this project fits into the larger context. If it is a production element he looks to the production as a whole, if it is the production he looks to the season, the work of this theatre in relation to those surrounding it or the particularity of this event in the context of the related events surrounding it. The process of the dramaturg is one that recognizes its place in other processes.
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Step 2: Gather the Content
When the project is defined the next step is to find the content that will inform it. This is the “research” phase, a vital step in the production, which often becomes the visible task most frequently associated with dramaturgy. However, that association often comes with the assumption that dramaturgical research is essentially merely fact-finding. The task most widely understood is that the dramaturg is the person who will define terms, look up historical data, and answer specific questions that arise from the text. These things are often part of the task of dramaturgy but are merely a part of the content discovery that we do when we dramaturg. The collection of data is something that everyone on the production is doing throughout the process, and the role of the dramaturg can help streamline that process, but is not the aspect that characterizes the contribution dramaturgy can make to a production.
Gathering the content is dependent on the project defined, and it is the clarity of that definition that allows for the specified, targeted research that is so important to a dramaturg. She is working on production time, so the time spent uncovering content needs to be well used. The content is found in a variety of places and can consist of virtually any material that will contribute to the project. Written text, visual imagery, experts, case studies, objects or experiences can all be used to help shape the experience for the audience.
The content is determined by the definition reached, and we seek out the answers to the questions that need answers in this particular venture. Although there are some general guidelines for certain kinds of content, for example a glossary, there is nothing general about the content we compile for it. The particularity of the definition of the project is what allows the specificity of the content. When we know precisely what it is that we are making, it is much easier to determine the building materials for it.
Content discovery is an important part of play production and, while each member of the production team is gathering the information they need for their individual role, the dramaturg may find additional avenues and overlapping circumstances that will be useful to the rest of the production team. A glossary is a common tool for the production and is most often compiled by the dramaturg to complement the fact-finding done by the other artists. A glossary will include pronunciation and definition and context of unfamiliar words and references, but it is the research that is particular to the production that is most useful. It is the content that shapes the staging of the play, that adds to the composition of the production that is most useful as dramaturgical input.
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Example: Research Scenarios
The facts that are gathered give context; however, the meaning of the context is most often what is useful. A character is offered a certain amount of money to kill someone, and he seriously considers the offer. This is information about the character, and further information into that character becomes more specific by the amount offered. The characterization of one who stops to think about it for $5,000 is different than that of one who does the same for $100. Even more so, when the amount of money is understood in terms relative to the character – is it more money than he would see in a year, or just a convenient excuse for a killing? This is a kind of dramaturgical research that goes past the simple conversion of currency from one time and place to another to understanding the significance of the context and providing an actor character-information through the research.
A dramaturg who is looking at cultural customs for a period piece discovers that it was considered unlucky to say goodbye in a doorway. She brings this information to the director, who then stages an emotional farewell between lovers on the other side of the stage, away from the doorway, and the scene ultimately benefits from the expanded tension of the character’s long exit after the final goodbye.
Content can be broad and is often more useful when it pushes past expected sources and forms. One of the primary uses of flexible thinking as a dramaturg is in research, where we can approach subjects with a creative mindset that can take us in interesting directions with the form as well as the content. The questions we ask and answer need to be connected to purpose and use; however, a constructed artifact in the rehearsal room or a series of photographs or music in a dark room can be effective kinds of content. Resources do exist online and in libraries but those are not the only, and sometimes are not the best, sources for content for the project. Sometimes the most useful content is an experience.
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Example: Content as Experience
The dramaturg brought the company together and turned off the lights and told ghost stories. The tone of the production was creepy and suspenseful and he wanted to remind the cast what that kind of tension felt like, and how it changed the quality of an experience. The cast experienced the ways their voices changed with the telling of the story, the increase of the heart rate in a moment of suspense and the expulsion of breath and nervous laughter around revelations. The dramaturg wanted them to experience the way the group checked in with each other, looked around to reinforce the sense of a shared experience. Telling ghost stories in a dark theatre was done to show the company the mood they were hoping to inspire in their audience, and remind them it was a precarious kind of tension that needs to be balanced.
It can be vicarious experience as well. In a play about drug addiction, the dramaturg brought in guests who were able to talk about their own physical and psychological experiences with drug use. The guests were able to give a specific and firsthand account that the actors could use as a point of reference in their work, as well as answer technical, physical movement, and emotional questions.
Another way that the content collection is driven by a clearly defined project is that it will be sought based on the expectations of its specific needs. When the first step is done effectively and it is clear what the project is and is not, gathering the content will have a much clearer vantage point. Without that clarity, a dramaturg can end up spending a lot of wasted time seeking out pieces that are not going to be useful to the particular venture. Dramaturgy utilizes directed, specific, process-driven research. It is content that is sought and collected in order to directly affect the project, whatever that may be.
Once the kind of content is identified and the content gathered, it must be edited. It is an important aspect of this second step in the process. The dramaturgical content is not just a large collection of content that is stacked up and left in a corner to be perused when inspiration comes. The purpose-driven content must then be synthesized in such a way that sharpens the specificity of the dramaturgy while keeping away any extraneous information.
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The fundamental requirement is that the content be useful and so it needs to be a reasonable amount in order to be used. In addition, we include only the pieces that are of utmost relevance. We may find some interesting and entertaining ancillary materials; however, we need to keep in mind that the needs of the project drive the content and so we select only that which can be used. There are circumstances in which content that would seem secondary – and in fact would be in another project – are essential, based on the parameters of the project or the knowledge of the audience.
Example: Content for the Audience
The company specializes in classical work and is made up of an ensemble of history lovers. The dramaturg provides content for the actors that is text-heavy, with a fair bit of historical flavor. It is organized in a way that allows for easy access to further reading. She makes her own extensive research materials available to the cast before and after rehearsal and sets up time to have open-ended informal conversations about the historical period of the piece.
An actor got his first actor’s packet and it was a three-inch, three-ring binder that was stuffed with articles, commentary, and timelines. It was significantly more text than the lines he needed to learn for his role. The binder made an effective doorstop and not remotely useful dramaturgy.
The process of content collection is not a fixed event, nor is it a static process. Collecting is a dynamic act with a flexible approach to the kinds of things that can offer useful content. This question of what can be useful is directly related to the project itself: what it is, what it needs to accomplish, and who is the targeted audience. Since those things are always different, the mode of collection is going to vary as much as the content itself. There is a collection of content, though it will take many different forms. The content is compiled, edited, and curated with the purpose in mind. Is it going to the actors or the production team? Will it ultimately be presented to an audience or is it perhaps for the archives of the theatre? Whatever the ultimate form, the content is gathered into some kind of collection. The overall goal of this step in the process is to discover, compile, and synthesize the most useful assortment of material for the precise requirements of a specific audience of a particular project.
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Step 3: Communicate the Findings
Once the content is found and sorted, it needs to be delivered to those who can make use of it. The final step is just as important as the previous two, and it does not matter how well crafted the project and how useful the content if it is not presented in a way that makes it accessible and usable to its particular audience. Once again the specificity matters. While the presentation should be clean and easy to follow, well edited and well composed, there is no set way to present material. It can be in countless platforms: online, on paper, as a physical installation, a video presentation, or in any media that effectively conveys the content to the audience. The needs of the project direct the content-gathering, and they as deliberately shape the mode of communication. It would not be effective to use the same mode of presentation for vastly different needs and so the connection to “What is it, what is used for, and by whom?” is paramount to the design process. This can be something as simple as deciding between text and image, digital or paper, oral or written communication. It needs to fit the project as defined, leaving no doubt that it is the specific design for a specific project.
I have a friend whose motto is “If you are going to do it, design it.” She is speaking mostly from an aesthetic perspective and asserts there is no reason not to take the time to create a deliberate composition of form with attention paid to aesthetic elements. The point extends beyond the aesthetics as well, and design also determines accessibility and usability. When it comes down to it, anything presented is designed to some degree; it may just be a question of “How deliberately crafted is that design?” Interactions with things are influenced by the composition of those things, and a meaningful design will help guide the process and shape the experience, and so it is a useful reminder when embarking on the final step in the dramaturgical process – communicate the findings.
Example: Content Delivery
Digital presentation of content can be useful for actors’ packets and is an easily updated and eminently mobile mode of delivery. Online resources can be shared, they have embedded links to video, audio, and have other technical advantages. In one production, the dramaturg working with a complicated script elected to use a web-based application for his materials. He created an interactive annotated script with pronunciation keys, images, musical clips and short question and answer prompts. In addition, he built an interactive map of the world of the play where the user could move through the virtual location on a platform that was reminiscent of a video game. It gave the actors a visual connection to the indicated places, and even indicated the relative proximity of offstage locations that were referenced.
The mode of presentation is also inextricably linked to the audience. Who we are speaking to is fundamental in determining what we say and how we say it. This is true in speech and writing, and is especially true in dramaturgical communication. If we as dramaturgs are preparing materials for an actor or director, the selection and annotation of material is completed and then the manner of transmission is directly connected to how that person/those people will use it – and from there we design it. The kind of content and the amount are going to be dependent on who we are assembling it for, and the mode of presentation is also going to rely on our understanding of our audience.
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The choice of how to communicate is as important as the determination of what to communicate. Does it need words or pictures? Electronic or paper? Tactile or virtual? How is it spaced in terms of time and location? There are a variety of conditions that need to be considered since communication can incorporate virtually any mode that we can imagine. The goal is to construct the mode that will most effectively serve the target of our communication, so we hone in on the particular needs of that subject in order to shape our method of presentation.
Another way to consider this final stage is to look at this step as including an important and fundamental question: who is this for and what should it accomplish? That is a question that is useful throughout theatre management, and hopefully drives the work that is done across many departments. For the dramaturg, it is a way to remind us that the answer to the question has a concrete purpose.
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Selecting the mode of communication relies on an understanding of both of these (interrelated) points of who it is for and what it accomplishes. A simple example is that the actor may need the answer to help flesh out a role, the designer to know what something should look like and the audience to understand a context. We have different points of access to each of those three subjects as well as the variation of the need and so we may offer significantly different information and use video, image, and text respectively to answer what seems at first glance to be essentially the same question.
Each project is changed by its mode of communication, and this final step allows for the ultimate efficacy of the project. Once the project is identified and data is collected, the precision with which the transfer of that information is crafted will be the ultimate tell of the usefulness of that which is dramaturged.
In summary, what is the purpose and who is it for? The answers to these questions provide the foundation of the three-step method to dramaturg and allow for the application of the mindset. When a project, or part of a project, is undertaken with clarity, flexibility, and a well-defined and clear purpose, it is much more likely that the outcome will be useful. A dramaturg who comes to the table with a holistic mindset and a purpose-driven process will be an effective creative collaborator.
Exercises
The purpose of these exercises is to build your skills of definition. These are aimed to require creative thinking and to reinforce the idea that the first step is definition.
Each of these activities should follow the three-step process:
1. Define the project; what does it mean to dramaturg this thing?
2. Collect and synthesize the content for that meaning.
3. Choose the platform to communicate the content and construct the output for a specific audience.
Dramaturg each one using the three-step process. Each should be clearly defined and constructed to be presented to a specific audience.
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1. Dramaturg a song.
2. Dramaturg a place.
3. Dramaturg a person.
4. Dramaturg an event.
5. Dramaturg a collection – headlines, trending stories, YouTube screen.