"August: Osage County" dramaturgy.

I noticed that "August: Osage County" is one of the few commercial productions on Broadway that actually has a dramaturg.
What does everyone think about dramaturgy in general, or on Broadway? It seems like it's still a very new concept in America.
Thoughts?

I think the role of the dramaturg is severely underlooked in the Broadway Theatre. Why are dramaturgs only used for new works?

What difference do you think dramaturgy makes for productions? A Dramaturg was used for August and it has been greatly successful. Do you think the show would be as successful without one? Do you think other shows would benefit from dramaturgy?

The term dramaturg is a hard one to define, especially in America where the profession is very new. A production dramaturg is one who works on a specific show and is there to research information for the cast and crew, answer questions (historical and textual) for the director, create lobby displays, write program notes, assist in educational outreach, etc. A resident dramaturg might serve as a literary manager by reading new scripts sent to the theatre, choosing the season, reading many adaptations of different texts to choose which one to read, etc.

In the case of August, the Dramaturg probably spent a lot of time researching drug use/addiction as well as working with the playwright on re-writes, etc. and dealing with other historical aspects of the play. The cast would also be provided with this information.

From what I've heard, Dramaturgs deal with the subject matter at hand, especially when considering history or science involved.

For example, for Copenhagen, a dramaturg helped the actors understand just exactly what they were talking about with respect to fission, etc.
Jimmi Simpson worked with a dramaturg on THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION to help him understand all the scientific concepts that his character mastered.

It works the same way with history.
A dramaturg might familiarize actors with the typical way of life of an Oklahoma family and might help with mannerisms, accents, etc.
They're used for Shakespeare plays to help understand meaning and motivation, because most of the language is dated.
They're also used in period pieces to give actors and directors a sense of what would be appropriate to that time period as far as blocking or inflection goes. (For example, someone living at the time of the Scopes Monkey Trial in INHERIT THE WIND would not articulate rage the same way that someone does now.)

I mean, at least that's my own interpretation.

Dramaturgy relates a lot to the literary/dramatic structure of a play.

A dramaturg can assist the playwright in structuring things to make the story clear.

They are very important in regional theatres, where they answer questions that about the history of the texts. You can't call up Euripides and ask what he meant by a certain line. A dramaturg becomes an invaluable resource to a director.

They also can be very helpful in terms of style. They will learn everything about similar shows, to know what worked and what didn't in past productions with a similar aesthetic.

The best directors and playwrights are usually trained in dramturgy and dramatic criticism, and they do it for themselves when they need to.

I work as a dramaturg with several professional theatres in my city, and you guys have done a great job defining it. A dramaturg must know everything about everything- they are a show's own personal historian, fact-checker, and consultant.

I've been asked to do duties ranging from giving the directors notes on how a scene or production is working so far in rehearsals, research specific genres or styles (most recently Brecht and epic theatre), and give actors brief workshops on acting techniques. It's not an easy job, but very rewarding! :) A dramaturg must be VERY good at research and finding sources. I would almost classify a dramaturg as a director to the director- which- as I'm sure you all can guess is a lot of fun.

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Updated On: 3/26/08 at 09:51 PM

Whatever people helped to get that script to where it is--Broadway needs more of them.

Back in the days, producers sometimes acted as dramaturgs. Saint Subber comes to mind. The playwright had to be cajoled, convinced, or bribed into seeing where the script might need revisions and focus. All of this would happen before rehearsals started.

Somebody acted in this capacity on virtually every play even if it was a spouse. They would have to gain the playwright's trust which is something Subber was good at. He is mentioned in several bios (McCullers, Capote) as being the 'dramaturg' although the term wasn't used.

In the best of all possible worlds, directors would do this, however in the commercial environment nowadays, directors are so overbooked that they might open one show on Thursday and start rehearsals on another Monday.

Our A list directors may do 6 shows a season: Doug Hughes, Dan Sullivan, Mark Lamos, Mark Brokaw come to mind although there are plenty of others. There is little hands-on, minds-on prep time.

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In the case of AUGUST and people saying "shouldn't the playwright be doing thier own research..." Tracy Letts is from Oklahoma... very close to if not in Osage County. I think he knows what he's talking about. The dramaturg is there to assist, be another set of eyes that are not looking at the piece in an artistic way like an assistant director...

Also, at Steppenwolf in particular, the dramaturg conducts post show discussions

Any show could use a dramaturg...

I think it's interesting that some people seem to question the usage/ importance of a dramaturg. I think the presence of a dramaturg is clearly evident in the quality of production that is produced. August is performing wonderfully and enjoyed by many, which is due in part I think to a dramaturg who helped shape that production. When shows are not living up to their potential or appear to be misguided, I think this is when a the importance of having a dramaturg can be clearly understood. In terms of August dramaturgy specifically I am interested to see what people think. In regards to there website, you can witness firsthand some dramaturgy work including the pill raid and interactive features avaliable to visitors of the site.

But it would be the same people every year. Cataneo, Roundabout and MTC's people...

This is true, but it really is up to the dramaturg to assert themselves as necessary to a theatre company. My frist jobs I did were for nonprofit theatres, and I got paid very little, if nothing at all. However, gradually as the word spreads, directors begin to see that a dramaturg is a very integral part of a modern production. The occupation has grown exponentially in recent years, and as the demands upon the director continue to grow, I believe will become even more necessary.

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