The Dramaturgs’ Network Inaugural Symposium

REPORT FROM THE NETWORK’S INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE 18th OF MARCH AT THE ALBERY THEATRE
by David Lane

Welcome to the first Dramaturgs Network newsletter. As many of you know, our first symposium was held recently at the Albery Theatre in London, attended by a wide range of professional representatives from theatres and creative organisations from London and beyond. The symposium was intended to be not only a forum for a debate concerning the dramaturg’s role in the theatre making process but also a chance for the Network to receive constructive feedback from our future collaborators and members. It was a rare opportunity to gather dramaturgs, academics, directors, writers and literary managers together to share their opinions on dramaturgy in an intellectually stimulating environment.

Despite both our speakers, Ben Payne and Elizabeth Clarke-Melville, being unable to attend through illness and an ever-unreliable public transport system, the afternoon was a resounding success as preconceptions, definitions, and the uncertainty surrounding ‘dramaturgy’ and the title ‘dramaturg’ received a focused exploration. The article that follows is both a summary of the comments and ideas raised at the symposium and our response to that feedback, in areas such as definition, the dramaturg in British theatre, a dramaturg’s specific skills, the European dramaturg, the need for a grass roots approach to promoting UK dramaturgs, and the future of the Network itself.

Our Name

Some of you who attended the symposium may have already noticed one change to the Network in response to the afternoon’s issues - that of our name, ‘Dramaturgy Network’ which has been replaced in favour of ‘Dramaturgs Network’. Reasons for this will be elaborated upon below, but it is primarily to allow us to promote ourselves quite clearly as a Network of and for dramaturgs, echoing the founding aims of the organisation: to promote, support and develop the profession of the dramaturg in the UK.

Definition

Attempting to define in concrete terms the work of the dramaturg will always be problematic within a profession that inherently includes the practice of ‘dramaturgy’ as part of the creative process. A finished piece of theatre will always be the final product of any number of dramaturgies and dramaturgical practices that serve an artistic realisation, from a writer’s second draft to the final correction of a performer’s costume; theatre is alive and well as the manifestation of a multitude of dramaturgies, in itself an exponent of successful dramaturgy. So if this is already the case, why the need for a dramaturg?

The ability to refine existing theatre practice could perhaps be one suggestion, but making distinct the existence of dramaturgy from the profession of a dramaturg is made harder still within a theatre culture that has yet to fully accept the role of a dramaturg as essential to the creative process. Part of the Network’s aim is to establish a collaborative role between dramaturgs and theatre companies, initiating a dialogue that will allow a stronger element of trust to evolve between the dramaturg and the director, writer or designer. This is the key strength of a collaborative approach; the process within any single theatre company’s production should serve to inform their dramaturg’s role. But despite the many skills a dramaturg will bring to the creation of theatre, not every company may find them of use. What are the possible reasons for this attitude, and how can a Dramaturg’s Network hope to generate interest and demonstrate our value?

British Theatre and the Dramaturg

The suspicion that too often surrounds the dramaturg in the British theatre could be seen to stem from a theatre culture which seems overprotective of its titles, perpetuating a notion of exclusivity where decisions in the process become the premise of established individuals such as director, designer or writer. The relationship between the director and dramaturg has been described in the past with a rather negative vocabulary; directors are nervous about how far dramaturgs ‘interfere’ with the process, ‘undermine’ their roles or whose views ‘clash’ with their interpretation of the drama. Dramaturgs may be perceived as interrogators, but a more appropriate understanding would advocate their diplomatic questioning role, presenting views throughout the process that can challenge those of the director whilst honouring his or her final dramatic objectives.

This is a common misconception, that the dramaturg is out to ‘replace’ existing creative roles, undermining an established and often highly successful approach to producing good quality drama. This attitude frames the dramaturg as an oppositional force by the subtle implication of a ‘them and us’ situation, but the dramaturg in rehearsal will operate as a collaborator, or as was suggested at the symposium, a ‘reader’ of what is realised on stage. The dramaturg is an artistic academic who is free to probe, question, and ultimately assist in manoeuvring all elements of the process towards the required artistic vision through the application of a theoretical perspective; the ability to ‘read’ and constructively respond to the drama.

Intellectual Ideas

A place for an intellectual approach in the theatre is required to add a vital fourth dimension to the creative process, supporting a contextual approach that is long overdue, where both production research and audience research commences long before a creative team even meets. Therefore, by presenting such findings from the outset, the dramaturg supports the initial creation of the dramatic objectives without substituting anybody’s role. Indeed, they have not only formed a fundamental role of their own but more importantly have introduced the concept of translating research practically into the dramatic production. This can endow theatre with a level of immediacy and contemporary relevance unique to the intended audience, a function that theatre must assume to ensure a healthy future. Receiving houses that suffer from a lack of awareness of their theatre’s artistic relationship with an audience could benefit enormously from this approach, employing a dramaturg to help create an appropriate context for their artistic output.

It may be argued that presenting research to a production team is the role of the assistant director, and one of which they are perfectly capable, but how early does this process begin? A dramaturg is an architect, providing the foundations for the drama before it is realised as a theatrical presence. They can then negotiate their level of critical involvement with the director and creative team, and as a continuing presence throughout rehearsal fulfil their questioning role to maximum effect with every element of the production, ‘reading’ the totality of the process not with an ‘objective’ eye but an all-encompassing theoretical eye, applying themselves beyond an exclusive relationship with writer or director.

Dramaturgs Abroad

Dramaturgs in continental theatre have a more established position that begins to approach these ideals, largely due to a greater awareness, respect, improved training and different creative methods that obviously find the dramaturg of tremendous benefit. As a Network in the future we aim to not only promote the work of dramaturgs through existing practices in the U.K. - such as the development of writers via a ‘literary dramaturgy’ - but also raise a consciousness of the importance surrounding undervalued and underused practices beneath the banner of ‘rehearsal dramaturgy’ or ‘floor dramaturgy’, again by operating within existing creative practices and (as illustrated above) often substantially in advance of the rehearsal period.

The Network does not want to simply ‘import’ European ideas of dramaturgy but instead develop a theatre culture where dramaturgs will enhance British theatre practice; continental dramaturgs may display a very effective role but their practices remain specific to a different theatre culture. There will be the need for a period of adjustment, but by raising awareness of the dramaturg at a grass roots level, such as University degree programmes, drama schools, and independently run ventures such as the Young Directors at the Young Vic, we can begin to mould a new level of appreciation and improved training for dramaturgs which can only strengthen the creative infrastructure of theatre in this country.

Beyond New Writing

Current awareness of the dramaturg often begins from an appreciation of their work in developing new writing, as Ben Payne has achieved at Birmingham Rep. Whether a literary manager is a dramaturg or not may depend on their involvement; if they advocate and partake in the nurturing of new writing, they are working in a dramaturgical capacity. More and more frequently literary managers are also wishing to push the boundaries of their role into the rehearsal space, supporting a style of dramaturgy that is at once both ‘floor’ and ‘literary’. It is not for the Network to define in absolute terms what an individual must do to be recognised as a dramaturg, but certainly the merging of these two areas may be of great benefit if we are to develop a culture of the theoretical or ‘academic’ dramaturg from the existing literary definition. The dramaturg in the devised process can similarly draw on a variety of experiences both literary and practical, and assist in supporting or guiding the development of the drama. When combined with a training that emphasises the importance of research and theoretical elements, one can see how the dramaturg becomes a necessity rather than a luxury.

Grass Roots Approach

In an under-resourced profession that does not currently rely heavily on the dramaturg, it is unsurprising that we are termed as ‘luxuries’. The grass roots approach needs to be reflected in an awareness among theatre management, so that provisions can be made where necessary to support the inclusion of a dramaturg. At present the distribution of production funds is unlikely to cover the cost of having a dramaturg on board, and such financial constraints steer the Network towards the provision of freelance opportunities, where theatres have the option to approach dramaturgs on their own terms. Paradoxically, this may involve targeting smaller companies on the fringes of mainstream regional and London theatre, younger and more receptive companies who could benefit greatly from the practical artistic and academic support a dramaturg can offer, but may not be in a position to offer a full contract. Exactly what shape such services take will depend on the feedback we receive from both our future member dramaturgs and all those on the Network mailing list, for it is imperative that we position ourselves as a complementary requirement for the theatre, rather than a luxury.

Future Opportunities

There is a need for a practical approach from the Network to promote dramaturgs that lies beyond simply aligning ourselves with existing theatres and waiting for a response; if the theatre culture does not exist, we need to construct it ourselves. A suitable vehicle for promoting the dramaturg may be a festival of new writing or devised work, where dramaturgs are assigned to individual projects and allow writers or directors to make decisions about how we can fit into their process. Introducing the presence of the dramaturg at an early stage, on an equal footing and allowing that opportunity to occur is the first step in building a greater reliance and appreciation of the dramaturg’s role within a development process.

However, progressing beyond a building-based approach may also be preferable, for the Network can provide support and promotion for dramaturgs nation-wide. By having a presence at other professional symposiums, touring workshops or lectures to educational or vocational theatre institutions, marketing ourselves in national arts press and acting as a central body that can join dramaturgs and theatres together, the Network can promote the profession by making dramaturgs a collective success all over the country. Our success will be dependent on the help, encouragement, critical responses and generosity from the institutions and theatre professionals we have contacted, from those who are willing to give us their advice and their time to help realise our goals.

The Future

Drawing up the constitution of the Network is the first of many challenges, for it will be this first constitution that can help to guide us in our choice of services for theatre companies, writers, directors, and primarily member dramaturgs, developing as the organisation grows. Our key aim is to provide internal support between member dramaturgs that will allow us to share a diversity of skills and approaches to all aspects of our practice, giving solidarity to our profession and using the Network to educate one another.

We are hoping to begin the development of our grass-roots approach very soon, launching with lectures and workshops in September, and eagerly anticipate any responses from education programmes or vocational training centres that might be interested in hosting a workshop and joining us as an institutional member.

Our next symposium must be presented in a regional venue, supporting our intention to be recognised as a national Network of dramaturgs, and we would therefore love to hear from theatres or theatre companies in the regions, as well as in London, who wish to play an active part in the development of the Network.

The website, http://www.dramaturgy.co.uk , is a crucial tool for demonstrating our accessibility both in the U.K. and beyond, but is also currently under development. The site will eventually house member’s CVs, a bulletin and notice board, a library of archive scripts, a full copy of our constitution and clear information explaining the services and intentions of the Network.

We are proposing the creation of action groups that will focus on developing all the sections above towards a definite plan of action, and the Network is very eager to hear from anyone who is interested in offering advice and support in these areas. The Dramaturgs Network constitution, education outreach programmes, internal support, writers and directors services, website development and grass-roots approach requires assistance and support to launch into the consciousness of British theatre with a lasting impact, in the long term leading to the recognition of the dramaturg’s profession by Equity, and the concretisation of our profession within the U.K. theatre culture. Our first symposium was an opportunity to present these ideas and discuss our role, and through receiving your feedback and support and assimilating it within the Network, we can begin to realise the collaborative approach we have advocated.

David Lane, March 2002

DRAMATURGS NETWORK

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