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7

THE SKILLSET IN PRODUCTION

The previous chapter outlined a method to apply the developed skillset to the work of the dramaturg. When dramaturgy as a way of seeing meets the tasks of the dramaturg the three-step process will prove useful to help develop the role and become a more effective artistic collaborator. This chapter will consider some of the typical tasks of the production dramaturg within the production team and examine ways to apply the mindset and method of approach. It first examines pre-production work and examines the process applied to the creation of the casebook. Then it continues with the rehearsal period and explores the dramaturg in rehearsal and during the rehearsal process. The next chapter will consider the following step, when the audience is engaged.

As previously discussed, the easiest – if not most effective – way to define the role of dramaturg is by the tasks of dramaturgy. The dramaturg is the person who does the research and compiles the actor’s packet, the one who answers questions that come up in rehearsal. She offers context, asks questions, and it generally appears that the dramaturg is identified by the tasks she completes. As established earlier, the role is more than the sum of its tasks; however, that is the visible product of the dramaturg’s contribution, and is a large part of what she brings to the production. The mindset to dramaturg is what makes those tasks valuable and that contribution more than merely the work product of the materials. In short, the approach to the task is what will ultimately determine its outcome, and the more solid the dramaturgical perspective, the more likely the content generated will be useful to the production.

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The intent of this section is not to go through the tasks beat by beat; there are other places that offer a how to for these visible elements. The purpose of this chapter is to consider the various ways the shift in perspective and practice to dramaturg will serve the tasks associated with the role.

There are more resources and discussions happening about the role of dramaturgy in the American theatre than ever before, and we are in an exciting moment for the field. Some books and digital resources are available that provide step-by-step process for various tasks, including Scott Irelan, Anne Fletcher, and Julie Felise Dubiner’s The Process of Dramaturgy: A Handbook, which brings the reader through the process of production work. In addition, Mark Bly’s The Production Notebooks are an invaluable resource for emerging dramaturgs. There are informative dramaturgy blogs and a number of theatre companies publish their dramaturgical materials online for their audiences. This work is intended to join that discussion and look at the broader scope, to look at how the tasks can be integrated into a more cohesive kind of dramaturgy, to consider how they may be accomplished as part of the larger activity of dramaturgy. When the tasks of the dramaturg are refocused through the lens of dramaturg as verb, with flexible thinking and holistic understanding, their function can be better understood and their execution much more deliberate and precise.

The process of dramaturg as verb is one that works on the macro and the micro scale. It is a way to approach the whole production that helps to solidify the role and efficacy of the dramaturgy. The mindset and method are also ways to approach each project, each specific task. It is a frame for each individual task to help to shape the work into something that is allied directly to the needs of the production. When we define the parameters of the project, we do that for the whole picture – the forest, to revisit an earlier metaphor – as well as for the part on which we are focusing – the trees. It is useful as both a macro and a micro approach. This chapter will go through a couple of representative tasks of both pre-production and during the production process in order to further explore the approach of dramaturg as verb. The intent is to illustrate the application of the mindset and method to dramaturg.

As discussed in the last chapter, the question that creates the foundation for the work is this: what are we trying to accomplish and who is it for? This starting point shapes the three-step method and our ability to define the project – what do we hope to do? – as well as give context for the mode of communication – who is it for?

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Pre-Production

The image of dramaturg as researcher primarily comes from the tasks she must undertake as a production dramaturg in the pre-production phase. It is this period of the production cycle – however long that is – that allows for time spent with the script and whichever members of the production team are already enlisted, in order to gain as much contextual understanding as possible. Some of this context will be shared directly with the production team through casebooks, websites, blogs, and presentations. The majority of this context will be used to create an understanding of the world of the play in order to be more fully invested in the world of the production and thus be a more effective dramaturg. The pre-production work includes research of many kinds that is about both the world of the play and the world of the production. Effective dramaturgy will come from the overlap of those two circumstances and so the dramaturg focuses her work as much as possible on the kinds of things that will be useful to the performance. For example, the better she understands why a playwright indicated a certain location, the more useful a resource she will be to help shape the visual landscape of the production.

First Things First: Script Analysis

One of the important early reads that a dramaturg makes is an analysis of the script. This includes reading for structure, genre, tone, story, character, and theme. The script analysis enables the dramaturg to delve into the text in ways that allow him to see the structural pillars that make up the story. He can piece together the clues that reveal character and the intimations of theme and metaphor. There are many approaches to script analysis that are effective and each dramaturg finds his own ways to approach the work.

What is the purpose? Who is it for? The purpose of the script analysis is familiarization with the text and it is for the dramaturg himself. Understanding the world of the play will allow the dramaturg to work with the production team on concocting the world of the production. The more familiarity he has with the workings of the script, the better prepared he will be for the first conversations with the director and designers to be meaningful ones. The questions and contributions will come from a place of understanding and the collaborators will start with a common source of information.

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The method to dramaturg is pretty straightforward for script analysis. The dramaturg needs to be as familiar with the text as possible. The content gathered is a combination of the information mined from the text itself as well as the application of theoretical and stylistic models and any additional corollary information that will offer insight into the text. Finally, the mode of presentation is inherent in the process since the intended audience is the dramaturg herself. Consequently, the approach and format are determined by the dramaturg’s own preferences and way of doing things.

Script analysis is a dry term for an exciting activity. It is the process of unlocking the character, of unwrapping the language, of revealing the texture of the play’s world. The more scripts the dramaturg encounters, in text and on stage, the more versed he will be in this process. However, the flexible and open mind with which one approaches the text is extremely important. Even as the script analysis becomes a more familiar process, each new text needs to inspire the dramaturgical reading that takes it on its own terms and does not get bogged down in categorization or expectation.

There are two works that are a good inspiration to create a frame of reference on how to approach a script. One is Billy Collins’ masterful poem “An Introduction to Poetry” where he asks the reader to look at poetry and “hold it up to the light/like a color slide/or press an ear against its hive.” Mark Bly uses this poem when he works with young writers and dramaturgs and wrote a compelling article, “Pressing an Ear Against a Hive or New Play Explorations in the Twenty-First Century” that was published in Theatre Topics in 2003. Another source of inspiration on how to read a script is Elinor Fuchs’s frequently cited essay “Visit to a Small Planet: Some Questions to Ask a Play.” This is a widely used teaching tool for dramatic structure, and even more it is a piece that reminds us of the value of asking questions as artistic methodology. The idea is that script analysis is like dramaturgy in general; it is most effective when done with an open and flexible approach, and is responsive to what is presented rather that what is expected.

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One insight that is constantly reinforced throughout theatrical work: the question and the answer are in the script. This is perhaps the most important concept for a dramaturg to keep in mind when working on a production with a script. The world of the play is created from the text, and all information about the rules of that world, the characters, narrative structure and theme all derive from that text. It is the common source material that all artists work from, and it is uniquely and specifically itself; consequently, the questions asked and answered for theatre-makers and audiences are going to come from the script. If there is a disagreement within the production team, the script is the most useful material from which to direct the conversation.

Another part of the pre-production work can be dubbed play analysis. This step coincides with the script work and consists of familiarizing oneself with the playwright, the theatrical moment, other productions, and the overall circumstances of the world of the play as well as the world in which the play was created. These are all elements that get the dramaturg as well acquainted with the text as possible, so when she has the opportunity to discuss the work with collaborators, she will have a solid foundation on the work as a starting point. Some of this initial research will be found in the later output to the production team; however, the purpose is a breadth of context and the audience continues to be oneself.

The next phase of the pre-production dramaturgical work is meeting with the artistic collaborators. Ideally this will be a series of in-person meetings to discuss the various ideas and questions that arise, whether in production meetings or one-on-ones, but the goal is to find out as much about the ideas for the world of the production as possible. Conversations with the director about the play are vital to help shape the dramaturgy.

The goals of the pre-production design meetings are to establish a clear line of communication, share resources, and to establish the conceptual explorations and decisions. The best preparation for this phase is a solid sense of the world of the play. The director and designers will have already done their own preliminary exploration of the play and will likely have some initial thoughts for the production. What the dramaturg can provide is a vocabulary for the production staff, a way to contextualize the work within the larger scope of the theatrical moment. His work naturally overlaps with the work of the designer and so the addition of visual materials can be useful. The dramaturg does not do the designers’ contextual research for them, but brings in additional imagery and environment from the time and place of the play as a way to augment the conversation. In addition, the dramaturg helps maintain the through-line of the conversations as he navigates the conversations with designers, the director, and helps to ensure the collaborators are all familiar with the conceptual ideas that are decided or are being explored.

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One of the reasons so many of the metaphors for dramaturgy are navigational is because it is a role that is dedicated to helping to bring the vision of the production to fruition. One way to help that happen is to have a very clear understanding of where the production wants to end so the dramaturg can determine the steps needed to get there. The mapping or charting of a navigator seems an apt analogy for this function in the production. Whether she is charting by stars or smartphone, the navigator relies on the specificity of the destination in order to determine the path. The dramaturg seeks a similar certitude in the conversations with director and designers to ensure she knows where the production is headed so she can help maintain the path. She helps to establish the vocabulary, listens closely and follows the path of the conversations that happen and the decisions made to ensure that they stay on course. In the event that they veer, she is able to ask the questions and refer to earlier choices in order to help collaborators stay on path, or agree on a new one.

While the overall viewpoint and role in collaboration seems to be applicable to any situation, the work of the dramaturg is not without specificity and the tasks of the dramaturg are connected to the specific production. The script analysis one does for oneself is connected directly to the text as written, the content one offers to the production team links to the script as text for performance. Periodically the question arises about sharing the research from a play. Once a casebook is created, why not circulate it? Is that not a dramaturgical task completed? While there are elements that are somewhat standard, this way of thinking minimizes the contribution that a dramaturg makes to a production. The casebook is generally a compilation of information about the playwright, production history, as well as terms, places, and ideas within the play. The idea that it is transferable alludes to the task of assembling data to access as the creation of a casebook. However, effective dramaturgy will be particular to the production so will not be readily recycled for another.

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Approaching the role and the tasks with the mindset to dramaturg will help shape the work into something specific and useful. Understanding the process of production, thinking flexibly, recognizing timing and connecting to the play and the audience creates the context for a dramaturgical output that is vital to the production. When this mindset is met with the process to dramaturg applied to its tasks, the creative collaboration of dramaturgy is most likely to be realized.

The Task: The Casebook – a Tool for a Well-Resourced Production

The casebook or the dramaturg’s book are among the names used to describe a document that is created in order to capture the contextual materials and make the content of the script readily available to the creative team. The version that goes to the actors, typically called the actor’s packet, is often an abridged version of the casebook and with character-specific content. The casebook is typically seen as an in-rehearsal resource and a repository of information that may be needed through the rehearsal process. Other members of the creative team also often use it, though it is generally constructed with the actor in mind. While this task, as the others, is largely dependent on the needs of the specific show, there are some common content areas that are present in the casebook. The casebook may include:

There will be other categories for other casebooks. In general, however, clarification of language and references will show in a glossary and information about the playwright, the world of the play and the world of the playwright will be present. The approach to the casebook will help to determine how these categories are treated and how useful this “book” will be.

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The casebook is a significant opportunity for effective dramaturgy and is a useful repository of valuable information. The nature of that information and the manner in which it is presented are the two most important determiners of its likely usability. To start, define the project. Some of the questions that will inform this definition include the following:

Once the general needs are identified – particular to the specific audience – the casebook can be defined and outlined.

A good casebook is a functional and valuable tool for actors, designers, and directors. It is a repository of content that can be sourced for actors’ packets or image archive. In short, a well-executed casebook contributes to the production. If the content is difficult to use or the presentation is offputting, the packet may be ignored. An actor friend tells the story of the extensive book he was given at the first read-through for a production of a tough role. It was color-coated and cross-referenced, was beautifully formatted and was hundreds of pages long. The first article was a complete academic journal article with complex and dense theory. The actor brought the binder home and promptly forgot about it while he started his work on the role. It is a good reminder for a dramaturg and highlights the importance of understanding what any given task needs to accomplish and who it is for. A giant binder full of information does not seem as if it would often be a useful handoff to an actor. He is concerned with characterization and lines and the research he is doing for character, and the casebook needs to be something that will complement that work, and be useful to that actor.

The audience of the casebook determines what it entails, how much detail is necessary and possible, and what it is possible to assume is known versus needs to be articulated. The actors’ books will be customized to them. Sometimes this will be a case of the age and experience of the actors, sometimes the relative popularity of the play or playwright, and other times there may be a regional difference that helps to drive the demands of the casebook. For example, if there are regional practices or references in a text, their context is only necessary to someone unfamiliar with that region – this could be terminology, like a liquor store is called a “packie” in Boston, or can be a practice like eating black-eyed peas on New Year in Texas. It reinforces the importance of the dramaturgy being connected specifically to a production and not generically to a play. The casebook is for the creative team on the specific version of the play with whatever adaptation, concept, and company that implies. Consequently, all choices about what to include will be predicated on those circumstances, and the project is defined by that standard.

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At this point, the dramaturgy goes back to the stage of definition for each of the content areas that will make up the packet. The individual sections require as specific an approach as the whole work in order to be pertinent and useful to the production. Each element needs its own purpose and direct correlation to the whole.

Some Elements of the Casebook

The playwright biography tells the creative team the parts of her life that offer insight for the production and the production history creates a narrative to contextualize the play in performance. The pertinence and value of a casebook are determined by the purpose it serves. Understanding the world in which the playwright created the piece can help unlock some of the content, and knowing where she is coming from in terms of her own personal history, political leanings, education, family, are ways to contextualize the things about which she writes and offer further insight into story and character. The playwright biography is not meant to be a Who’s Who entry, and its adherence to the needs of the production team will be what keeps it useful. The given circumstances of the playwright are going to be a useful tool for the dramaturg’s own context, and elements of it can be pertinent in a casebook. It is not necessary to draw conclusions about the play or make assumptions about a playwright’s personal life connecting to a work; however, this fleshing out of the writer can shed light on aspects of the play or at least introduce a way to discuss them. Similarly, where a play fits into the body of a writer’s work can contribute to the approach to a work.

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For example, the importance of biography can be seen in Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, which was inspired by the death of her father; this gives some context to the addition of the father in the play and offers insight into the changes made from the original myth. Similarly, the autobiographical aspects in the works of Tennessee Williams provide character information and help to reveal some of the dramatic tension in the works. The play within the body of work is a significant key to understanding August Wilson’s Century Cycle and how each play fits into this larger project looking at questions of power and identity for African Americans in the twentieth century. Or a different kind of context can be seen in Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, which was written as a response to the criticism of his play Ghosts. The biographical information on each of these writers helps clarify the meaning and intent of the action of the play as well as giving the creative team more conceptual input for the production.

Production history is another category that can easily become a chronicle rather than a commentary. While the initial perusal is to get a sense of where and when the work was performed, what kinds of venues and what kinds of responses, it is only the narrative of that production history that warrants placement in the casebook. Once again, the need to define the project and identify its purpose is evident. Are there points of interest about the reception to the play or the manner in which it was presented in other productions that can enhance the understanding of the play or its potential impact on audiences? Are there anecdotes or trends that will offer insight into the work of this particular production? Is there a story to a production history that helps the production team tell its story?

Information about the playwright and production history will usually be of use to the dramaturg when he is familiarizing himself with the play, and these categories of information will often find their way into the casebook and actor’s packet. These are useful inclusions when their purpose is clear and well defined and they are part of a well-conceived whole.

Perhaps the most widespread component to the actor’s packet is the glossary. It is a document that will include words to define, pronunciation, locations, references to explain and anything else in the text that is likely to warrant explanation. Glossaries are well-organized, quick references that are incredibly beneficial early in the production process. The defining of this task really is about selection: what are the words/ideas that need to be included and what can be taken as general knowledge? How much detail is useful and how can it be integrated into the rest of the casebook?

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The most important rule of the glossary is that it must be usable, and generally needs to be an “at-a-glance” resource that is compiled based on what the actor needs to know. There is no fixed metric for what to include in the glossary; however, here are some guidelines to consider:

Character information, cultural context, genre, and criticism all have their place in some casebooks. Once again, the need to define the project is paramount. Once the dramaturg determines the nature of the casebook and what it is meant to provide, she will select the areas that need to be addressed. This definition will come in part from the needs of the play and in equal measure from the thrust of the production. If the director is taking a certain approach to a work, the casebook will require attention being paid to the issues surrounding that approach – if it is a psychological bent or a Marxist read or a traveling sideshow, the casebook reveals the production as well as the play.

The first step of the process to dramaturg is to define the project, and when the casebook is defined, step two is the gathering of content. This is a huge process in the task of the dramaturg and the reason that “researcher” is something that is so closely associated with dramaturgy is because that is a large portion of the role. However, we also need to look closely at what it means to conduct dramaturgical research. There is the component that is looking things up in books and online, finding specific information to answer particular questions. Much of the glossary, for example, is going to be the concrete data that is found within the traditional modes of research. The dramaturgical mindset allows for an approach to research that both expands its boundaries and also looks to content-gathering as a way to open conversation and broaden perspectives as much as find new avenues of information-seeking.

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A useful casebook is an example of how the mindset to dramaturg can open the conversation and directly contribute to the artistic development. A casebook can start a line of inquiry by including not only a painting that is referenced in the play but also the artistic movement that spawned it. Perhaps the character makes reference to the painting as being the first time the artist received critical acclaim, and it was at the beginning of an artistic movement that transformed the field and created a new approach to technique. The hope and energy of that reference is something that would inform the character for the actor, and could inspire a conceptual direction for the collaborators.

Another way the conversation can be expanded would be incorporating a brief biography of a person on whom a character is based while also providing a short context on how that person has been portrayed in the press. This depth of information offers the creative collaborators a point of reference on why a dramatic choice has been made so as to better execute the presentation of that story. A function of the casebook is often to create context of the time in which the play occurs, and sometimes it is the music, architecture, street art, video games, or the graphic novels from the period that will open up the play for the collaborators in a way that allows the work to flourish. Framing the casebook within its intended goal, and having the flexibility to allow room to include content that accomplishes that goal, will help to make the dramaturgy effective and the output useful.

A way that the flexible thinking of the mindset is exercised is through the avenues of research. While the traditional modes are useful and offer a lot of possibilities, the need-driven research of dramaturgy often inspires unusual sources of research. Whether it is personal interviews, boxes in an attic, a poster at a boxing gym, the medieval torture museum, techno-pop from the 1980s, a dollar store or hand-drawn maps of Middle-earth, the source material for a dramaturg is anything that can offer context. It is the culmination of what she is able to see and hear and ultimately connect into a usable form to share with collaborators.

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The dramaturg’s ability to select and synthesize is as important as her ability to find content. There are many interesting avenues of inquiry and a whole selection of content areas, yet if one hands over a thousand pages of essays, articles, and images, the casebook will unlikely even make an effective doorstop. The key is efficacy, and the packet must be useful for those who will do something with it. It needs to help the actor play a character, help the designer create the landscape of the play, and help the director shape the world of the production.

Once the content areas are identified and the content gathered, the process of editing and creating the narrative begins. It is specific, research-with-intent and the synthesis of the materials reflects the intent. Ideally there is a combination of media represented, visual, aural, as well as text-based offerings. Whatever the makeup of the content, an essential element of the dramaturging is the synthesis of that content. The usefulness of the substance of the casebook will be further shaped by the effectiveness of its editing and the clarity of its presentation.

Communicating the Casebook

The third step in the formation of the casebook is its composition. As stated earlier, the effectiveness of dramaturgical output is reliant on all three steps being executed well, and the casebook definitely relies on its successful presentation. This section will look at the way the communication is determined and a couple of options for how to present. The mode of presentation is as connected to the “who” as any other element. “What function will it serve and who is it for?” This is a question that bears repeating because it is one that is fundamental to the dramaturg’s tasks, and will be at the forefront of the decision how best to communicate the findings. The terms actor’s packet and casebook imply a physical object, a printed and reproduced book that can be flipped through at rehearsal. However, many dramaturgs now elect to practice a kind of digital dramaturgy and use combinations of online platforms to share their findings. These can take a variety of forms, websites or blogs, or repository-based platforms like Pinterest or Tumblr.

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A chief characteristic of dramaturg as verb is that it consistently evaluates its own mode of operation, and the constantly evolving nature of digital dramaturgy is a natural ally to that process. The constant defining, compiling, and composing that is dramaturgy meets the ever-shifting process of digital communication in an exciting way. There is some interesting and exciting work generated in that intersection.

Digital dramaturgy is not the only mode of communication, nor is it necessarily the most successful. The goal is to find the most effective way to communicate your content – in a way that makes it usable – to your audience. The digital platform has some real advantages, starting with the fact that it is accessible whenever the user chooses. The proliferation of smartphones means a person does not even need to wait until he is at a computer to access his actor’s packet. The platform allows for much easier inclusion of other media, especially video which can be a valuable resource. Printing and reproducing expenses and time are eliminated and the process to change and disseminate the content is much easier than with a physical casebook. Finally, it is the mode that most of our audience in the creative team are accustomed to using. The comfort with which digital media is navigated is something that definitely affects the decisions to utilize it.

It is the comfort of digital platforms that may drive the dramaturg to elect to find another mode of communication. The challenge with a digital-drenched audience is the question of how much of that media they absorb. If the casebook is glanced at with the same half-attention as the twitter feed, it may not be as usable for the actor. That is assuming that it is looked at in general. If the creative collaborators do not start off with the perspective that the casebook is going to be useful to their process, it may be more of a challenge to get them to participate in it, especially when it is so casually easy to access. It seems counter-intuitive; however, the fact that the familiar starts to become invisible is not a new phenomenon, and some dramaturgs are electing to reintroduce the physical artifact into the rehearsal room to make it visible.

The physical casebook does not need to be a large three-ring binder with color tabs, nor does it preclude a digital presence. What it does is give the artistic team an object to physically interact with, which can be a useful component to the dramaturgical book. The point is that the content determines the medium, as do the audience and the purpose. It is the clarity of these in combination that reveals what the mode of communication needs. Perhaps a presentation at the read-through with some visual materials and a link to an up-to-the-minute dynamic and comprehensive blog will be the most useful. Or an accordion board in the rehearsal hall that has new arrangements of thematic content assembled for each rehearsal. Maybe audio played before and after rehearsal or a fully annotated digital script with interactive maps and iconography. The dramaturgy is effective when it is useful, and the dramaturg elects a mode of transmission that he thinks will support that mission.

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The success of the casebook is revealed through its use as a tool in the production. When the dramaturg understands the production and has a clear and specific goal for the casebook, gathers and synthesizes useful content, and selects a mode of communication that speaks to the content as well as the audience for it, the probability of that use is high. Each part of the casebook can be treated with the same methodological approach in order to be certain the content is necessary and interesting and purpose-driven.

The Task: The Dramaturg in Rehearsal

The dramaturg’s role in rehearsal changes from one production to the next, and also changes throughout the production timeline. Depending on how the director works with the rest of her creative team, the dramaturg may be a quiet observer in the rehearsal room whose contribution to the process is primarily in conversations outside the room. Or she can be one who is part of the discussion in rehearsal and asks and answers questions throughout the development of the piece. Communication may be via email or standing in the parking lot after rehearsal. What helps to increase the likelihood of a successful collaboration is that the expectations of the role are discussed and reconciled early and the dramaturg spends time in rehearsal.

The best resource the dramaturg in the room provides is herself. The information she has gathered, the connections made and conversations had are all part of that offering and it is also her taste and her attention and her response. It is important as a dramaturg to not underestimate the value of being in the room. You are watching what happens with the knowledge of what the production hopes to become, and you are seeing it when you are actively engaged to be responsive. This is a useful presence in the room and the key is to keep the communication that allows the production to benefit from this presence.

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The role will change throughout the rehearsal process, and the earliest days of table work will likely be the time that the dramaturg engages most directly with the actors in rehearsal. The initial reads of the script generally include the introduction of the substance of the pre-production research, if not of the casebook itself. Questions of form and content often arise during table work, as well as larger conversations around theme and metaphor. The dramaturg answers the direct questions she can and makes note of those that arise, as well as participating in discussion of meaning and intent. Again, the way this occurs in rehearsal will reflect the agreement with the director about the preferred rehearsal protocol. While the actors are navigating the script, the dramaturg can help clarify questions as well as inspire ideas. When possible, it is useful to give a presentation of some kind to the company at the first rehearsal. This provides the opportunity to introduce the cast to some of the key thematic and contextual elements the production is enlisting, as well as an opportunity to introduce the presence of dramaturgy in the production. If it is a company with which one has worked before, or one with a history of utilizing dramaturgs, this step may not be as necessary. However, when working with a company that may not be as inclined, it is good to have the chance to introduce the kinds of work one can contribute and create the expectation of the work.

The specific goal for a process carries over to this phase of the production as well, and it can be helpful to have a particular goal for any given rehearsal. This is not the overall plan for the night the director may have, but instead a planned expectation for the dramaturgy. The plan may be related to story or character, such as: during this run I will track the progression of this character. Or it could relate to a metaphor or theme that is developing over time and the goal is to find the points in the play where it is made manifest for the audience. Frequently the goal of a rehearsal is checking for continuity. Whatever the specific project may be, it can help to block a rehearsal time for a specific purpose. In addition, the director may ask for a particular view or to look for something particular. You are in rehearsal to track the progress, recognize the stumbles, provide insight, ask and answer questions, and be the advocate for the eventual audience. All of these things require a close attention and openness to what is happening on the stage. The goal enables that openness to still be purpose-driven – not to narrow the vision but to give it a directional focus.

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The dramaturg in rehearsal relies on the emphasis of timing discussed earlier. Understanding the flow of the rehearsal process is necessary to understand when a particular view is useful, and when a question or a comment is both useful and appropriate. Looking for continuity is an activity one engages in early in the process, and asking about nuanced emotional shifts is something that would likely come up toward the end of the rehearsal process.

Other tasks of the dramaturg take place during time not in the rehearsal room. Throughout the rehearsal process the dramaturg needs to communicate with the artistic collaborators, in production meetings and around rehearsal times. At these times it is important to ask questions and offer input into the production process. They also afford a valuable opportunity for the dramaturg to maintain contact with the individuals and processes with which she may not be as closely connected. For example, if costume design does not include as much contact with dramaturgy, the production meetings are a way to learn from that designer and keep track of the development of the aesthetic, and that point of contact could possibly identify a different avenue or opportunity to share images or materials that would benefit both departments. In addition, production meetings are a good way to hear the questions that arise and the modifications that are happening outside the rehearsal. The production meeting is not typically the venue for further exploration of dramaturgical output, but it helps to inform it and keep the connection to the whole creative team. The follow-up can then happen at another time or the dramaturg can get on the agenda for the next meeting.

Generally the most frequent communication in production dramaturgy is with the director, and for the most part the work that the dramaturg does with actors or other members of the creative team is cleared with the director. This relationship may be different in various production models and in dramaturgy done outside a traditional theatrical structure; however, the hierarchy of director as creative lead is most common. There is also a practical benefit to this open communication in making sure that the various elements are working toward the same production goal. If a dramaturg is doing one-on-one character work with an actor, she wants to be certain it is supporting the work that the director is doing with him in rehearsal. The best way to gain this assurance is through effective communication with the director.

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Effective communication is one of the cornerstones of effective dramaturgy, and the in-rehearsal task of dramaturgy requires even more attention to the mode of communication. The dramaturg has to find the time and the manner of contact with the director in order to ask questions, offer input, and answer the questions she is charged with. Rehearsal time does not allow for this contact, for the most part, and so she needs to work within the production schedule and director’s preference to find that workable space.

If the preferred mode is email, it can be a challenge to phrase things in a way that is clear and concise, and frequently dramaturgs make the choice to take a somewhat formal tone in writing so there is less chance of being misconstrued. An advantage to the exchange being in writing is that one has the opportunity to take the time to select one’s words more precisely. However, there is limited opportunity for follow-up and there is not a measure for how clearly the director understands the question or comment.

Face-to-face communication allows for dynamic exchange and enables the dramaturg to observe the reaction to her words. It does not allow the careful word selection that writing does, but it creates a point of connection that can help to solidify the communication, and provides the opportunity to explain further or change tactics if the situation arises. The more time spent in the collaboration the easier it is to find the useful ways to communicate, and in any given situation the close attention to the needs of the show, a clear purpose to accomplish, and an understanding of your audience will be useful guides to how to proceed.

The dramaturg can answer questions, offer insight, track progress, and ask questions that assist the trajectory of the production throughout the rehearsal process, in and out of the room. In rehearsal, dramaturg as verb allows the dramaturg to approach with flexible thinking and a holistic approach, while maintaining a sense of purpose for the day and understanding the audience for the input. The casebook in whatever form it takes allows the artifact of the dramaturgy to be in the room, and the presence of the dramaturg provides the context, viewpoint, and response that she carries with her.

The biggest asset of the dramaturg is his active and engaged presence. He brings with him the script analysis, the research, thought, conversations and insight gathered from all of the time since the first day with the play. His attention to the process in and out of the rehearsal room give him a unique insight into the production and make him a useful presence in the room. This point of view also allows the necessary knowledge to be an effective contributor to the conversation with the audience and allows him to help to tell the story of the production.

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A Schedule of Events

Production schedules vary at different theatres, and the dramaturg’s schedule must coincide with the fixed dates and typical practices of the company with which she is working. However, it is useful to consider a typical schedule of events for a production dramaturg. The following is an example of a schedule for a production with a six-week rehearsal schedule and two-week run.

Pre-Production

3 months out: Hired as the dramaturg

Read the script and did some preliminary research on the playwright and the play to familiarize myself with both. Did a brief production analysis of the text to get a sense of the production needs, structure, and style.

3 months out: Call with director

The director was not in town yet so the first contact was a Skype call. We talked about the play, discussed her ideas about the production and her expectations of the collaboration.

After the call I started more directed research around the specific areas that came up in discussion.

2 months out: Production meeting

This was a chance for the production team to meet and discuss initial ideas. I prepared and gave a brief presentation with information about the playwright’s work and images regarding the world of the play.

I began more in-depth research into the style, and some of the cultural questions from the text, and started gathering things for the casebook.

1 month out: First items of the casebook

Sent some curated information to director and designers, coincided with a pending design deadline.

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Production

Auditions: Attended auditions to see the kinds of things the director saw, and see what she explored in callbacks. Provided some visual images to use in callbacks.

Week 1:

First read-through of the script. I made a presentation to the cast and provided links to the initial casebook and blog.

During table work I worked through some questions and ideas and participated in the conversations.

Week 2:

Developed and circulated information for the press release.

Week 3:

Started public blog.

Weeks 2–4:

Met with director 30 minutes before each rehearsal to talk through the plans for the day.

Brought materials for company into rehearsal, made some readings available online and brought in books and collections of images to look through at break and after rehearsal.

Stayed around after rehearsal for informal discussions with actors.

Week 3:

Drafted the program note.

Week 4:

Actor field trip.

Designer check-ins to check on continuity.

Designed lobby display.

Week 5:

Attended run-throughs and gave more specific notes and made note of particular things to watch for.

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Week 6:

During technical rehearsals I watched for continuity and flow. Continued to meet with director.

Load-in for lobby and designed talkbacks.

Week 7:

Performances and the facilitated talkbacks.

Exercises

The purpose of these exercises is to practice creating some of the pieces of the materials that go to a production team.

To begin, select three plays for which you can access the script, including a well-known classic, a contemporary piece, and one with controversial subject matter. Use each play to work through the various elements of the standard casebook, paying particular attention to how they change with the different texts.

To develop the materials of the casebook, do the following exercises to refine the work with the following prompts. Be sure to have a specific audience in mind and gear each exercise to that audience.

The Materials of the Dramaturgy

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Scavenger Hunts

They are scavenger hunts because they are a search for specific information; however, the reason is not immediately evident in the question. The function of these hunts is to refine your research skills. These hunts will help to practice constructing content based on who it is for.

Determine how the content would be used in the production to guide the information gathered, and for each one, answer for (1) actor, (2) designer, (3) director, and (4) audience. The form and content should both change at least somewhat depending on the recipient.