While the term “dramaturge” can mean many different things depending on where you are, and who you are working with, there are certain things every dramaturge should do in order to assist their playwright in the most effective and inspiring way possible.
Read the Script, Then Read it Again
One of the most crucial aspects of being a dramaturge is that you are familiar and comfortable enough with the script that you can freely and openly discuss it with your playwright. You do not want to be flipping through pages trying to find a certain scene that your playwright is worried about in order to re-read it and judge whether it “works” or not – you need to know the scenes well enough that you can answer questions and offer feedback from memory.
Offer Your Perspective
It’s important to remember that everyone reads differently, and what you see in a script may be very different from what your playwright intended to write. However, this difference in interpretation may not be a bad thing – in fact, it is more likely that your vision can help the playwright see how many layers are in their work, and choose what they want to expand upon.
Perhaps you have a scientific or literary background which allows you to see a specific analogy or image in the script that the playwright did not realize was present – something like this can set the playwright on a new path and add more substance to their work. The more varying perspectives and backgrounds a script can appeal to, the better for the production, as it will make for a larger and more diverse audience.
Help Gather Information
Another way that you as a dramaturge can assist your playwright is by helping him or her to gather factual and background information on the topic they are using for their script. If the playwright is focusing on finishing a draft, you can use your time researching the historical context of the script so that they can add it in to their next draft. Or if you come across a piece of information or a text that seems significant that your playwright is not familiar with, it could help them understand more about what they are writing.
Similarly, your playwright may present you with a draft of their script and ask you to verify some of the information they have written into it. This is where your research will help you – now you can go back through your notes and make sure that there are no glaring factual errors or anachronisms in the script.
Be There, but Keep Your Distance
While you want to be sure that you are available to your playwright when they need your assistance or feedback, you also need to keep in mind that writing can be a very solitary practice. You may need to give your playwright days, even weeks without getting together before you have another draft to work on. So make sure that you are open with your playwright – let them know that even though you may not be meeting regularly, you are still available to them when they need you next.
And most importantly, make sure that your playwright knows that he or she can come to you if and when they have gotten stuck with something and hit a writing wall – at times like that, discussion can often be the best solution, even if it just means bouncing ideas back and forth.
Andrea Beca - Andrea has a BA (distinction) in English and Creative Writing from the University of Alberta, and an MLitt (distinction) in Dramaturgy and ...
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