A dramaturg's role

Date

1997-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

Dramaturgy can be a frightening concept if not given the proper time and respect required for successful development. Dramaturgs take research and communication skills, and aspects of the theatre as fundamental as performance, and meld them into the process of production. A complete understanding of the field of dramaturgy combined with the talents of design, direction, and performance can produce excellent theatrics; however, the dramaturg must not be afraid to break down the walls that commonly are built between the areas of academia and performance. As a new dramaturg, I faced a limitless arena in which to begin the development of dramaturgy at the Texas Tech University Theatre, and through careful situational analysis, I came to solid conclusions about my work.

My main objective in this paper is to determine the relevance and the place of a dramaturg at Texas Tech University Theatre. To do so, I must first explain the dramaturg's historical and modern presence in theatre, and then discuss the successes and failures of my experiences as a dramaturg on the Fall, 1996 Texas Tech production of Cabaret.

Description

Keywords

Theater, Drama, Plays-in-progress

Citation