Some thoughts on Dramaturgy and the Dramaturg
Is a Dramaturg an Artist, or a researcher, focusing mostly on text and context, with little influence on the artistic values and spirit of the production?
In her work, The Dramaturg as Artistic Instigator (University of Massachusetts, 2012), Megan J. Mcclain proposes that the dramaturg is much more than an historian or human dictionary. The dramaturg is (in my words), "the friend to the production", the person in the room who connects with each other artist and, most importantly asks questions to insure that the art of telling the story is honored. The dramaturg is the artistic instigator. (of course, there is the need for context and correctness. A director friend has always maintained that my job as dramaturg in his rehearsal room is to "fix stupid." Not a bad description!
But in Mcclain's dramaturgical world,
"The dramaturg-as-artistic-instigator is uniquely positioned to access the collaborative potential
of the artistic process and lead thoughtfully through his or her questioning spirit. Questions, as Michael Bigelow Dixon maintains, are 'the most dignified path to revelation because they honor difference, the other, the past, and our search for shared understanding of the collaborative process' (Engleman, Liz, and Michael Bigelow Dixon. “What Makes a Turg Tick: Two Dramaturgs Discuss What They
Like About Their Profession and Why They Do It." Theatre Topics. 13.1 (2003)
Questioning is an active process and an important tool in the hands of an artistic instigator who is skilled enough to innovate, ask, listen, lean in, share ideas in the spirit of artistic generosity, actively co-create, and thus, collaborate. This work requires leaders who risk boldly and use their power to empower others. It suggests that through mutual respect and questioning, we might arrive collectively at the artistic answers we seek, and uncover answers we never could have imagined on our own."
