What is dramaturgy?

Ah yes, the million dollar question.

Webster's Dictionary defines dramaturgy as "the art of writing plays or producing them." Simple and to the point, but not quite specific enough for my tastes. And maybe even a little misleading.

Dramaturgy means different things to different people, so the role of a dramaturg, a theatre artist who studies and uses dramaturgy, becomes difficult to articulate. For me, dramaturgy is the intersection of dramatic structure, playwriting, play analysis, criticism, and theatre history. A dramaturg needs to be well-versed in all of these areas, as the job description of a dramaturg varies from theatre company to theatre company and project to project.

Dramaturgs are most often identified as researchers and historians. A dramaturg may work with a director to help develop the concept for a production by gathering research materials about the playwright, the time period when the play was written, and the setting of the play. When I dramaturg a play, I try my best to represent the playwright's intentions, particularly when the playwright is not part of the rehearsal process. When a dramaturg works on a new play and the playwright is in rehearsal, the dramaturg will liase with with director and the playwright to help insure that the play receives the best production possible. This could mean working with the playwright on edits of the play or helping the playwright to defend her or his choices for the play.