Dramaturgy

Dramaturgy is one of the most transferable skills in performing arts. With its integration of scholarly research and creative practice, dramaturgy is in a position to augment all other areas of performance. For example, more often than not a good director or a good choreographer is also a good dramaturg: an ability to analyze, adapt, and transform an existing dramatic text or weave devised actions into a narrative is essential for the success of a performance; likewise, acting becomes greatly enriched by performers' ability to grasp internal workings of a dramatic text; finally, any kind of design (stage, costume, light, or digital) benefits from skillful plotting of the story through images and sounds. In this class, students will get acquainted with theoretical and historical sources of dramaturgy and explore procedures and techniques they can use in their work on productions.