Dramaturgy, in its many forms, is a fundamental and indispensable
element of contemporary theatre. In its earliest definition, the word
itself means a comprehensive theory of "play making." Although it
initially grew out of theatre, contemporary dramaturgy has made enormous
advances in recent years, and it now permeates all kinds of narrative
forms and structures: from opera to performance art; from dance and
multimedia to filmmaking and robotics.
In our global, mediated context of multinational group collaborations
that dissolve traditional divisions of roles as well as unbend
previously intransigent rules of time and space, the dramaturg is also
the ultimate globalist: intercultural mediator, information and research
manager, media content analyst, interdisciplinary negotiator, social
media strategist.
This collection focuses on contemporary dramaturgical practice, bringing
together contributions not only from academics but also from prominent
working dramaturgs. The inclusion of both means a strong level of
engagement with current issues in dramaturgy, from the impact of social
media to the ongoing centrality of interdisciplinary and intermedial
processes.
The contributions survey the field through eight main lenses:
- world dramaturgy and global perspective
- dramaturgy as function, verb and skill
- dramaturgical leadership and season planning
- production dramaturgy in translation
- adaptation and new play development
- interdisciplinary dramaturgy
- play analysis in postdramatic and new media dramaturgy
- social media and audience outreach.
Magda Romanska is Visiting Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and
Literatures at Harvard University, Associate Professor of Theatre and
Dramaturgy at Emerson College, and Dramaturg for Boston Lyric Opera. Her
books include The Post-Traumatic Theatre of Grotowski and Kantor
(2012), Boguslaw Schaeffer: An Anthology (2012), and Comedy: An
Anthology of Theory and Criticism (2014).
