Expanding Dramaturgy in Practice

A Series of Quotes Explained

My original craft comes from dramaturgy. I have studied and practiced traditional dramaturgy in theatre for over 12 years. I have been dramaturg in more than 15 productions, I gave dramaturgic introductions on performances, interviewed choreographers and studied dramaturgic subjects. In my career it became clear though that dramaturgy meant more to me than just a traditional craft to perform. Dramaturgy is a mindset, a perspective on how things work and how to move within your surrounding. The cross-over practice of dramaturgy is my main source to study how art-based practice can inspire us outside the making of art. 

Observing the global system followed by zooming into the detailed experiences we have. Many scientists, theorists, artists and dramaturges write about those expanding practices of dramaturgy. The following blog posts honor some of those definitions on dramaturgy. The quotes have inspired me or triggered me to develop my own practice. I'd like to share my search to concretize the ambiguous term of a practice that has so much to give. 

The word text, before referring to a written or spoken, printed or manuscripted text, meant ‘a weaving together’. In this sense, there is no performance which does not have ‘text’. That which concerns the text (the weave) of the performance can be defined as ‘dramaturgy’, that is, drama-ergon, the ‘work of the actions’ in the performance.

(Barba, Eugenio and Savarese, Nicola (eds.): A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The secret art of the performer. London: Routledge, 1991. p. 68).

Weaving Words, Weaving Dreams by Marina Soria

Personal Reflection on Expanding Skills

Dramaturgy in performance compared to a written text as glue for bringing things together. This is very different from the first dramaturgy defined by Lessing limited to the construction of a text in a play. Here text is meant as an interface moving through and connecting all the things that happen in the creation process and led to a final 'text' to communicate. Text is contextualized into the process, the collaboration between people. The text isn't the foundation of a creation to structure a linear storyline. The text could be seen as the outcome, the product of the process that can still change with every show. 

The text is more like a gateway to step into a performed context, regardless of which audience relationship is built with it. The dramaturg oversees the design of that gateway within the artistic concept of the artist. This demands a horizontal approach on all aspects of the process, which the dramaturg is part of. The dramaturg isn't looking from a distance to a story to unfold and direct it the best way possible. The hierarchical implication of this position can't be maintained as such. The weaving movement of actions in work, as in the quote represented, are part of the job of the dramaturg. 

So let's think further for moment. How does this definition contribute to an expanding understanding of dramaturgy? What if you adjust dramaturgy as a perspective to non-art work fields, where could it fit best? What skills can be adjusted and what can it deliver to I would like to propose a twofold and explorative answer here, based on my own practice as example: 

1. On the one hand the concept of dramaturgy as a creation of actions which can be applied of every collaborative process to work towards a result. Skills in analyzing these actions and how they bring a process forward relates to the skill of facilitating group processes and organizational change management for example. The essence of working non-hierarchically together on a common goal, like also represented in scrum management. Mediating and coaching are important features to guide that. 
2. On the other hand the definition of a text as a gateway to enter a live context you could go many directions. As a dramaturg you co-create on the experience for others. In advertising the science of perception and communication is an important resource to build selling stories, to seduce people to act themselves and become part of the gateway of opportunity... to a lifestyle, a product, an experience. As a dramaturg I understand how a story could become important to others and what moves them to engage and commit to it, to become part of it. When creating a brand or corporate identity this reflective knowledge is crucial to position within all that is already there. Understanding communication, psychological understanding of relationships and vulnerability, perception and representation skills of abstract concepts and imagination are useful. 

I'm functioning in these 2 area's and dramaturgy is still my main source for executing different professions. The most important benefit of dramaturgy is that I'm able to learn fast and a lot from different situations. I always find a way to become part of the environment and naturally I take a lead to build new gateways. I don't weave myself into other's business, I commit to weaving environments I'm part of together. In a next blog I go into the drives of performing weaving practice.