H28.0636 Lecture 4 Credits
Instructor(s): Norman Frisch
Of all the theater arts, Dramaturgy remains one of the most "invisible" - mysterious and misunderstood. When Heinrich Laube, the great 19th-century Viennese director and dramaturg, was asked by his patron Prince Schwarzenberg what a dramaturg really was, Laube could only answer hesitatingly. "Highness, that is what no one could tell you in a few words." This course presents an overview of contemporary dramaturgical practice - in theaters large and small, commercial and experimental, across the Americas and around the world. We will examine various methodologies for researching, conceptualizing, documenting and discussing theatrical events, both scripted and "devised." In addition, over the course of the semester, each student will create and present a dramaturgical "casebook" for a production of his/her own invention. This class should prove valuable both for those interested in working as dramaturgs, and for directors, writers, designers and performers wishing to collaborate with professional dramaturgs in years to come.
