Dramaturge
Encyclopedia
A dramaturge or dramaturg is a professional position within a theatre
or opera
company that deals mainly with research and development of plays or operas. Its modern-day function was originated by the innovations of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, an 18th-century German
playwright
, philosopher, and theorist about theatre.
One of the dramaturg's contributions is to categorize and discuss the various types and kinds of plays, their interconnectedness and their styles. The responsibilities of dramaturg vary from one theatre company to the next. They might include the hiring of actors, the development of a season of plays with a sense of coherence among them, assistance with and editing of new plays by resident or guest playwrights, the creation of programs or accompanying educational services, helping the director with rehearsals, and serving as elucidator of history or spokesperson for deceased or otherwise absent playwrights. At larger theatres, a casting director hires the actors, a literary manager helps with play selection and editing/workshopping, and the dramaturg works on the historical and cultural research into the play and its setting. A dramaturg will create a workbook for the director and actors (usually these are different) and work extensively with the director prior to the first rehearsal.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
or opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
company that deals mainly with research and development of plays or operas. Its modern-day function was originated by the innovations of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, an 18th-century German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, philosopher, and theorist about theatre.
One of the dramaturg's contributions is to categorize and discuss the various types and kinds of plays, their interconnectedness and their styles. The responsibilities of dramaturg vary from one theatre company to the next. They might include the hiring of actors, the development of a season of plays with a sense of coherence among them, assistance with and editing of new plays by resident or guest playwrights, the creation of programs or accompanying educational services, helping the director with rehearsals, and serving as elucidator of history or spokesperson for deceased or otherwise absent playwrights. At larger theatres, a casting director hires the actors, a literary manager helps with play selection and editing/workshopping, and the dramaturg works on the historical and cultural research into the play and its setting. A dramaturg will create a workbook for the director and actors (usually these are different) and work extensively with the director prior to the first rehearsal.
External links
- Mark S.P. Turvin, "Dramaturg", Goldfish Publishers
- Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas, Official Website of professional organization in North America