This reflective journal encompasses different forms of theatre making and its place in the process. I have been exposed to a multitude of different settings in which a dramaturg works, and have reflected upon these experiences to help develop my approach to practice within this area. From these experiences I have reflected upon opportunities in which to gain employment and offer my expertise as a freelancer, to use my practice within the professional industry.

Throughout my placement I have identified three strands that I feel are relevant to the observations I have made on professionals within their practice. The first strand being work with new writers. I shadowed a dramaturg working and nurturing the practice of new writers and assisting them in finding their voice within the stories they would like to tell. Second, work with new writing. I was lucky enough to be able to read new writing as a part of my placement hours and sit in on meetings. With this opportunity I gathered experience in observing a dramaturg in their approach to feedback. Through the asking of questions and analysis of the written script the dramaturg was able to help improve the playwright’s approach to storytelling. Therefore, making their vision for the play more cohesive and effective, whilst nurturing the playwrights process to ensure a high quality of work. There were even opportunities to offer my own feedback and use my dramaturgical knowledge gained through the course to provide the writer with notes. And the last strand, work with no words. I chose to focus on this element after observing a rehearsal of Interplay Theatre’s new sensory show. The play being specifically made to tour special educational needs schools, for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities and autism. This rehearsal process helped me interrogate and reflect upon a dramaturg’s ability to help tell visual stories when words are not prevalent. This opened my eyes to the way stories are told using the five senses available to us.

I was aware throughout the lectures delivered in the Dramaturgy and Dramatic Writing module that working with writers would be prevalent in the professional life of a dramaturg. From working with playwrights to generate concepts of a show and find the core question they want to interrogate and ask within the writing of the piece, to looking over their submitted drafts in preparation for a full production. With this in mind the dramaturg must ensure that not only the writer, but everyone involved within the producing of the work, is aware of the demands of the script on the creative and technical process.

“Script reading is a solitary activity. But reading in preparation for an upcoming theatrical production requires keeping in mind the creative team, the audience, and the community. The production dramaturg’s task is to gain a solid understanding of the script. They prepare in advance in order to assist the creative team, wherever and however that is needed.” (Hamilton and Chon, 2022).

Within this placement I was lucky enough to be able to observe Matthew May and their approach to being a Literary Manager at the Hull theatre company Middle Child. Middle Child are a theatre committed to showcasing new work from writers within East Yorkshire and telling stories that are important to the local community. They have recently opened a new theatre space that will go on to showcase the many projects they commission as part of their work. A large part of the Literary Manager’s role at Middle Child includes compiling and offering commissions to local writers as part of their Fresh Ink new writing festival. This opportunity often gives new emerging writers their first opportunity at being commissioned for a piece of writing.

My first day on placement with Middle Child and my first day of placement hours throughout the whole process, I observed Matthew preparing a young writer to produce a thirty-minute commission. Observing Matthew at work made me realise the immense challenge of not only being a dramaturg for new work, but also assisting and mentoring a writer that was new to commissioned writing. The care and attention that was given to ensuring the writer was nurtured and felt capable within the task they had been given, was obvious to see from the very first meeting. Matthew facilitated a conversation regarding the liaising process, including details of the various deadlines associated with the writing of the commissioned piece. The writer was asked what Middle Child could do to help in terms of meeting these targets and checking in with the process. These questions were met with uncertainty, due to as stated above, this opportunity being the writers first commissioned script opportunity. It was evident to me in the moment that Matthew had to be sensitive to the writers needs, but also suggest ways that writers have worked with him before. By doing this Matthew was ensuring how best Middle Child could help this emerging talent, forge a path that was going to support them in creating their first commission, in what was an uncertain and new experience for the artist.

“One of the key contributions a dramaturg can make is discovering and advocating new voices and talent to be heard in the field.” (Hamilton and Chon, 2022)

This particular day of observing highlighted to me that the role of the dramaturg would encompass the support and coaching of a new writer. I found this element of dramaturgy fascinating and began to question the dramaturgs’ role within this particular element of the profession. This interaction helped me realise that support and assistance is something that I can offer, in terms of freelance services and employment. Through the potential working with playwrights and dramaturgs, I had thought about how it could be beneficial to gather devices and techniques when it comes to writing dramatically. Collating these and presenting a variety of different approaches to a new writer in their early career could prove beneficial to how they personally organise their creative practice. There is also opportunity to work with writers, for who these traditional methods do not work. Together developing new ways and strategies to support their artistry. Through getting to know a writer and their thought process, I supposed it may be possible to suggest and adapt methods I had gathered from already established writers. Coaching new artists to find a language or technique that would suit their personality and therefore influence their process effectively. I believe this work is needed more than ever, with the rise in awareness of neurodiversity diagnoses that may make neurotypical or traditional avenues prove inaccessible. Theatres have a responsibility to platform new writers of varied and different life experience and nurture their voices so that new and vital stories can be told. By making the existing processes accessible and person centred this helps to enable viewpoints and diverse life experience that have not been promoted before to be encouraged and given opportunity.  This placement highlighted the work needed not just to support the writing itself, but how a dramaturg can be responsible for the overall practice and progression of the writer within the industry. This has helped me reflect on the importance of the work of dramaturgs within this particular field and how professionals within this role have a lasting impact over the writers we may see being staged in our futures.

I saw Matthew demonstrating this within his role with a particular meeting with a young writer who was successful in winning a prize with their written play. It occurred within the meeting however that they were unsure of the next steps and were looking to Middle Child in seeking advice and direction. Matthew was incredibly generous in this process and gave advice and assured the artist they were doing all the correct things. The writer was clearly unsure of what they could ask of Matthew but through the meeting, he coached the individual to think of a specific ‘ask’, that wasn’t “will you produce and stage my play?” She managed to use this advice and invite Matthew to a scratch night in which scenes of her play were to be performed, as well as asking if he would be able to read her play and provide any feedback. This experience of observing this meeting emphasised the importance of the dramaturg as a coach for new and emerging artists. Providing the writer with insight into how the theatre industry works and how it can be helpful to ask if theatre companies will support you in smaller ways. It also highlighted that there are emerging artists not aware of this practice of asking for support. On reflection this made me think of the way dramaturgs could be used to coach and strengthen writers in their confidence to know what to ask for, in terms of backing to help produce their projects even in small ways. This led me to think about the immense responsibility amongst dramaturgs to fulfil their duty, detailed by Hamilton and Chon in the earlier quote, regarding the advocacy of new talent. How dramaturgs can have a profound effect with the advice given to introduce emerging artists into the inner workings of the industry.  

The experience of observing this meeting also led me to thinking about the risks associated with theatre’s commissioning of writers who had never been commissioned before. With tight budgets and the need for more diverse stories that are varied from the theatre that has preceded, I thought of how dramaturgs who have worked with writers in this coaching process, can find ways to communicate with theatres and advocate for the writer and the scheduling of their work. The dramaturg could act as a spokesperson showing the process of working with the emerging writer in question and mitigate any concerns or worries regarding the potential scheduling of their work. The use of dramaturgs within this method could benefit the producing of new work within the theatre landscape and see an increase in emerging and early career artists being platformed within larger institutions. This could also help bring diverse voices to the forefront and attract a more diverse theatre audience from that of the norm. Reflecting on these possibilities however, it will take self-aware and careful thought from dramaturgs using their literary skills, in order to enact change within the theatre landscape. This is something that with thoughtful and cautious planning amongst peers can, I believe, be possible to create a lasting and sorely needed change throughout the arts sector.

In addition to observing the process of supporting new artists into fruition. I was able to shadow and observe a dramaturg, meeting with established writers, to bring work they had written into the next stages of development. This has offered me insight into the process a dramaturg must navigate when communicating with a writer, whilst offering advice and different avenues to explore to assist the playwright in improving the viability of the script for the stage.

“The active dramaturg has a process for approaching the development of new work that is both fixed and flexible. Open questions fuel an active process rooted in observations (gleaned from reflections) that respond to how the play realizes its critical elements.” (Brown, 2015).

Working with York Theatre Royal allowed me to observe how a dramaturg works in a larger scale and long-established theatre and how they are placed within the organisation to guide new writing into development. On my day shadowing the work of Resident Artist Misha Duncan Barry, who provides a writing and dramaturgy skillset, within the theatre’s artist support programme. I encountered how a dramaturg offers feedback to a writer on their written script.

The day began talking to a writer who had been co-commissioned by the theatre’s creative engagement department, in addition to two other theatres, to write a script with a running time of forty-five minutes for young people attending the youth theatre.  The work required to be developed with an emphasis on co creation between artist and participants who would be aged between eleven and fourteen. This brief was stipulated to address the lack of plays for this age group in the existing body of work, catered to young people’s performance. This particular meeting was arranged to discuss the treatment that the writer had provided for the piece. This treatment laid out the overall concept with certain key details of the plot narrative, that the writer wanted to explore. This document had been sent out to all participating theatres for the relevant youth theatre directors and participants to provide notes upon. This document was developed with young people in workshops to ensure that their ideas and creative voice were at the forefront of the vision of the play, as this was a condition the commission was required to honour. In sending this out to the participating theatres this ensured that the different groups of young people’s ideas had been honoured.

From my observations of Misha’s work, I have reflected upon the immense usefulness a dramaturg can offer in the process of a co-commission. Due to multiple theatres being involved, there were differing and varying viewpoints being offered. The dramaturg was able to assist and facilitate the feedback procedure which proved vital in streamlining the process. The dramaturg was used as a central point of contact, in which to collect these opinions and form it into constructive and helpful notes for the writer which did not overwhelm or apply pressure. The use of a dramaturg meant that the writer themselves did not have to use already precious time speaking to each director, where the possibility of receiving contradictory suggestions and advice for how the script could move forward. It also allowed for the young people’s comments to be advocated for by the dramaturg and communicate their opinions efficiently and in a way that was understandable. The presence of this efficient method helped the feedback being offered have a dramaturgical lens. Assuring the writer that the notes given were of importance to the overall development of the script and encompassed all opinions and themes the feedback stated. This benefitted all of the organisations involved in the project by having a singular spokesperson in which their concerns and comments were delivered. 

Through witnessing this process, it has highlighted to me, the benefit of having a facilitation skillset within a dramaturgy practice and how this can assist, particularly where co commissioned pieces sit within the theatre industry. With arts budgets continuing to be tight and funds are being used to enhance the offer that theatres can produce, I would expect the prevalence of co-commissioning of work to continue. Using a central dramaturg when co-commissioning a piece can, like in the instance above, be an asset to the artists process in developing the work and also be a support to the institutions who’s funding makes the work possible. This also provides a writer with a spokesperson that isn’t the direct commissioners of the piece making the way feedback is offered a low pressure and efficient method.

Within this particular day observing, I also shadowed a meeting with a writer who had been developing a play with the hope of being programmed to present at the Venues North members meeting. Venues North are a collection of theatres and theatre companies that are committed to the development and promotion of new writing and new emerging artists. The organisation invites members to meet three times per year and companies are invited to bring an artist they are working with to present a project. The presentation is designed to introduce the artist to other northern venues who may find the project is a good fit for the work they produce. This support could be staging of the piece, to funding, venue resources or for a research and development process. Once again, I was witness to the dramaturg coaching and advising the writer of how to approach this opportunity and showcase not only the best parts of the script they had written, but also how to approach a presentation in which the writer was asking for support. Specifically, this project was asking for a funded research and development process, with the addition of time spent with a sound designer. The artist wanted to explore how this element could help inform the project and experiment with an idea that the writer wanted to see was viable for the piece going forward in its evolution.

On my reflections for this particular day, I thought about the importance of how a dramaturg can operate within a larger and established theatre to help produce works in house. I also continued to think on the dramaturg’s role as advocate for emerging artists in theatres where the importance of making commercially viable work is present. Once again reflecting on the process of the dramaturg facilitating conversations between creatives, regarding the development and critique of work. With the dramaturg deciding on the best way to communicate those conversations to the individual who it concerns. Theatres use a dramaturg’s skillset in order to be able to efficiently provide feedback to artists in charge of producing work for their stages. I noticed how this was useful when it came to the co-commissioned project with a variety of different affecting factors to the creation of the project. Including the various stakeholders whose opinions and comments were needed, to ensure the production of an excellent standard of work.

Throughout this day I was offered the opportunity to give my own feedback on work the writers had produced, this led me to think about the need to develop my process of providing notes. I need to begin to create a framework that I can use in my professional practice that ensures the feedback I give is helpful and supportive of a writer’s talent. This framework must be dynamic to support the artists vision, access needs and personal preference when it comes to receiving notes. This goes towards improving the viability of the script in a way that is supportive of the artist. On reflection of my notes process during that day, I may have let excitement regarding a piece of work cross the line of where that feedback becomes unhelpful to a writer. I need to in future look at how my enthusiasm for a piece could cloud my judgement when it comes to helping the writer improve their storytelling. Using this framework that I am developing that structures thoughts and questions to ask, will help my critical lens when making comments on work that excites me.

As part of my placement hours, I spent a day observing the rehearsal process for ‘Out of Orbit’ a sensory theatre show, centred around a meteors accidental journey to earth and subsequently how the characters help to get the meteor back to its home. This show had been produced before and underwent a process of research and development to improve the themes in the show, particularly updating the music used within the piece. Sensory Theatre is the creation of performance for children and adults with learning disabilities, autism and other sensory needs using much more than just the spoken word to engage an audience.

“Most conventional forms of theatre rely on seeing and hearing for the performers to communicate with their audiences but because our Sensory Theatre often involves participants whose vision and hearing is impaired, we cannot rely on these sensory channels to communicate and engage everyone. Instead, we need to offer additional, complementary experiences and so keep alternative channels open.” (Webb, 2022).

From observing the company in rehearsal, it occurred to me how artists can tell stories with far more than just the use of words and how a dramaturg can assist with the exploration of devices that could be used. Opening the storytelling to include all of the five senses and many more in addition, leaves a multitude of different possibilities and conversations to be had about what can be used to effectively make theatre. How within those senses, creatives can help the experience of audience members, whose sight and hearing may not be the prominent way of interacting with the world around them. 

Starting the day of observation, I had made parallels between dance dramaturgy and the dramaturgy related to the making of sensory theatre due to the prevalence of movement and physical interaction with the space, characters and audience to tell a story. I had made this comparison as I felt dance dramaturgy also focussed on the depicting of narratives without words. However, throughout the day I realised that making this comparison may have been too simplistic and didn’t encapsulate the multi-faceted approach that Sensory Theatre aims to achieve. Not only is story and narrative communicated through movement but the use of other senses such as sound, smell, touch and a variety of other senses beyond the traditional five that we are taught and give most attention to.

There was a particular moment in the day when the director and cast gave a large amount of time and thought to how best to use a particular sound when trying to represent the start of a meteor shower. The discussions and experimentation around this made me realise the need for a dramaturg to be involved within the rehearsal process but also at earlier stages within the research and development of the piece to assist in the storytelling. Through a dramaturg’s exploration of how sound can tell stories there could have been an opportunity to survey people and gather information on how sounds are perceived. Using this information to identify what the mind is triggered into thinking upon hearing them.

On my observations I identified another opportunity for a dramaturg to be present within the rehearsal and research and development stages of the show’s creation. This related to the researching of different sensory elements relevant to the theme on which the show was based on. Being a show themed on the ideas of space travel, stargazing and science, where the majority of the narrative takes place in an abandoned observatory, there were questions regarding the authenticity of the piece. It was important to the director to ensure that there was an element of truth visualised within the play, particularly with the depiction of what the daily function of observatory equipment entails. Although the director suggested the cast research these and use those findings to create their own examples to use within the piece, I thought this is where a dramaturg could help assist in this process. By finding examples and presenting these findings to the director and cast this could assist the rehearsal process by giving the director more opportunity to how these examples could be physically explored in the space. The director also poised questions regarding the smells associated with space and how to use these within the piece.  

Through my variety of placements, I have examined where the dramaturg fits within the professional industry and the different formats of their professional use. Firstly, through my membership of the dramaturg’s network I have seen how professionals within this sector network and expertise are sought after, through the posting of job adverts. This network is vital to ensuring there is an active way of advertising freelance work to professionals with the skills needed, to develop scripts and/or provide their expertise within rehearsal or research and development. I have shadowed dramaturgs who are embedded within the organisation itself, with job titles such as Literary Manager, to develop new and existing artists in the work they produce. Such as attending Venues North meetings to expand knowledge of artists operating in the area and how I could assist in the process of enabling their work. From these placement experiences I have witnessed how this role can influence the work produced by the theatre, contributing to the identity of the institution and their approach to creating work.

In conclusion These experiences throughout my placements have highlighted to me how as I begin a professional career as a dramaturg. I need to give thought on how I market myself as a freelancer that can be useful to the development of new work. I have thought about how my past work within health and social care can assist me going forward. Particularly thinking about how these past experiences can aide the creation of new work exploring stories and lived experience other wise not explored before. I have also considered how my career as a facilitator can work alongside being a dramaturg and inform it. Using my skills, I can look at ways to lead discussion and from this create feedback to aid the creative process. Using my expertise within my practice to assist with the running of rehearsals and devising processes, in which new work can be produced. In addition, my work within the charity sector has exposed me to the writing of grant applications and enlightened me in the ways funders ask for evidence in regards to projects and the impact they attempt to make. I can use these transferrable skills when applying for grant funding from organisations such as the Arts Council.

The opportunity to observe dramaturgs working in the field has highlighted the existing opportunities in which dramaturgs can offer their professional expertise. This has helped me reflect further on what more a dramaturg could do within these institutions, to ensure artists and new work are effectively supported into the industry. Examining how this can be explored further with greater emphasis on how dramaturgs can make change within the industry. Through observing a rehearsal, in which a formal dramaturg was not present, gave me insight into how I can use my dramaturgical skillset in creating theatre that is specific and tailored to a specific audience. My experiences have helped me identify where dramaturgs exist in the theatre landscape and how they can create opportunity to enrich and further examine the role within the creation of thought-provoking theatre.

Bibliography:

Brown, L. I. (2015) New Play Development. 1st edn. Focus.

Hamilton, A. and Chon, W. B. (2022) Dramaturgy: The Basics. 1st edn. Routledge.

Webb, T. (2022) Sensory Theatre. 1st edn. Routledge.