Dramaturgy in the Making: A User's Guide for Theatre Practitioners

by Katalin Trencsényi, Geoffrey Proehl (Foreword)

Dramaturgy in the Making maps contemporary dramaturgical practices in various settings of theatre-making and dance to reveal the different ways that dramaturgs work today. It provides a thorough survey of three major areas of practice - institutional dramaturgy, production dramaturgy and dance dramaturgy - with each illustrated through a range of case studies that illuminate methodology and which will assist practitioners in developing their own 'dramaturgical toolbox'.

In tracing the development of the role of the dramaturg, the author explores the contribution of Lessing, Brecht and Tynan, foundational figures who shaped the practice. She excavates the historical and theoretical contexts for each strand of the work, uniquely offering a history of dance dramaturgy and its associated theories.

Based on extensive research, the volume features material from the author's interviews with fifty eminent professionals from Europe and North America, including: Robert Blacker, Jack Bradley, DD Kugler, Ruth Little and Hildegard De Vuyst. Through these, a detailed and precise insight is provided into dramaturgical processes at organisations such as the Akram Khan Company, les ballets C de la B (Gent), the National Theatre and the Royal Court (London), the Schaubühne (Berlin) and The Sundance Institute Theatre Lab (Utah), among others.

Dramaturgy in the Making will prove indispensable to anyone working in theatre or wanting to better understand the dramaturgical processes in performance-making today. The book features a foreword by Geoff Proehl, author of Toward a Dramaturgical Sensibility: Landscape and Journey .

Genres: Theatre

352 pages, Hardcover

First published December 4, 2014

Reviews

[Martin J Saxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a hard read, but well worth the effort.

You may understand more than you realise about dramaturgy and this book helps to organise the ideas.

Strong examples and a discursive style make this book an important read for theatre practitioners and students.

[Edward Bromberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and useful.

[Grace Macpherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly informative for anyone interested in how dramaturgy is practiced today.

[Nino Bos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a clear overview of certain aspects of the field. It inspires to find your own practice but isn't as concrete as I would've liked.