Course Description
A dramaturg is a theatrical literary advisor, whose responsibilities include play development (including new plays, adaptations, or translations), production research and support, and educational support. Students will learn that set of skills and how to communicate their knowledge productively.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Graduate students will have more extensive and sophisticated reading assignments than the undergraduates have. They will also function as team leaders for group projects to help them develop pedagogical skills. Their final projects will be subject to more stringent supervision and assessment. Graduate students should design and carry out research projects that would be appropriate for thesis or dissertation prospecti, for publication in an academic journal, or for some other suitable form of academic dissemination. They will propose such a project, making use of UGA's archives, with a thorough bibliography of available research in the first third of the term. In the second third, they will conduct their research, and in the final third they will prepare both a brief conference-style presentation, as well as a polished essay.
Athena Title
DRAMATURGY
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course will serve several purposes. First of all, it will teach students how to work with writers to develop producible scripts. Second, it will introduce students to finding the reference and archival materials that directors, designers, and performers need to carry out their work during the production process. Third, it will offer training in researching and writing analytically about aesthetic and historical issues in performance. Finally, it will show students how to create educational materials that support a specific production.
Topical Outline
• Selecting or preparing the text o New play development o Canonical plays o Other plays and concerns, including copyright, translation, etc. • Providing the context (support before and during rehearsals) o Finding contextual materials and information to support a director’s vision o Satisfying the need for cultural materials to help achieve a designer’s vision o Providing usable and useful resources for performers • Working with audiences o Program notes, reviews o Publicity materials, on and off the web o Talkbacks • For graduate students: institutional dramaturgy o Developing artistic policies o Implementing a coherent artistic vision o Reviewing for different audiences
Syllabus