#skypesalon with: Dr. Jane Barnette

After some minor technical difficulties on our end, we had a energetic discussion with Dr. Jane Barnette, resident dramaturg at Kennesaw State University. We learned a lot about her interdisciplinary approach, which ranges from feminist studies in Grimm's fairy tales to yoga as pedagogy.

First up in the Skype Salon: Dr. Toby Malone

Toby Malone, Dramaturge at Soulpepper Theatre

We recently launched the Interdisciplinary Dramaturgy "Skype Salons" and our debut guest in the salon was Dr. Toby Malone, dramaturge at Toronto's prestigious Soulpepper Theatre. Toby shared his insights on the Toronto theatre scene, his journey into dramaturgy, and the challenges and rewards of both new play development and classical dramaturgy.

The students weigh in with their responses in the comments; feel free to weigh in as well!

Alums "dramaturg" their careers

Sarah K. Smith, Cyndi LaFrese, Chris Olander, and Kelly Holt

As part of this falls Advanced Topics in Dramaturgy class, which is focused on interdisciplinarity, we had the wonderful opportunity to bring together four alums of theatre programs at the University of Arizona. What follows in the comments section are the students' responses to our discussion with Sarah K. Smith (MA in theatre education/outreach), Cyndi LaFrese (BA in Theatre Arts), Chris Olander (BFA in Acting) and Kelly Holt (BA in Theatre Arts).

Institutional Dramaturgy

In Turner and Behrndt's chapter "The Dramaturg and the Theatre Institution," they discuss how the response to the question "what is a dramaturg?" shifts when in the context of subsidized arts institutions. Depending on the politics at play, the dramaturg can either be seen variously as a censor, a programmer, or an "educationalist".

What do these terms mean to you?

How do you see the dramaturg's role in theatrical or arts institutions?

How do you see your dramaturgical role in theatrical or arts institutions?

A first look at the Ghost Light

As we discussed the first section of Michael Chemers' Ghost Light: An Introductory Handbook for Dramaturgy, we also discussed how our own sensibilities and previous training shaped the lens through which we read the text. Think back to our discussion, and your reading of the text. Select a quotation from the text that you feel captures the sense of your unique perspective, and discuss how this quotation capitalizes on that.

Conceiving the Forms, Practicing Analysis

In "Conceiving the Forms, Play Analysis for Production Dramaturgy," Lee Devin gives you a concise review of the kinds of analysis you probably encountered in Principles of Dramatic Structure. How does his review of the basic terminology begin to help you understand the role of dramatic analysis for a dramaturg? Now take a moment to review the kind of "reverse engineering" of structure that Kevin Becerra examined with you in class on Monday. How do the methods he employed mesh with these traditional structures? How do they differ?

Which entry points into analysis are most comfortable and accessible to you? How do you visualize the structure of a piece?

Critical Generosity, Critical Response

Leah Lowe starts her article, "Toward 'Critical Generosity': Cultivating Student Audiences" with the understanding that "critical generosity requires an audience that is prepared to analyze the meanings that a performance produces and that is, at the same time, receptive to the vision of the world that it puts forth....an active audience that brings to a performance an awareness of itself--of its own spectatorial conventions and critical biases--as well as a commitment to evaluate the performance thoughtfully."

While we have a particularly unique opportunity as a professional training program on a University campus to cultivate student audiences, I feel that cultivating critical generosity in all our audiences is an important and oft neglected aspect of the theatrical process.

Given that, how do you see Lowe's understanding and interpretation of the role of the audience connecting to Liz Lerman's framework for the critical response process? What aspects of criticism do each privilege? What questions arise for you?

Cathy Turner and Synne K. Behrndt's book Dramaturgy and Performance begins with a chapter that lays the foundation for how they approach dramaturgy throughout the text, and asks:

"What is Dramaturgy?"

Much like our experience trying to define the term on the first day of class, they offer a number of ways to respond to that question, whether it be via history, form, content, or context.

Which of these avenues of responses seemed to most fit how you enter into a discussion about what constitutes "dramaturgy"? Which of these avenues is uncharted territory to you? How do these to avenues intersect?

Welcome!

You've found the blog for the University of Arizona's School of Theatre Arts Dramaturgy course. Here you'll find prompts based on the reading we will do for class that will provide you the opportunity to collect and organize your thoughts in preparation for class discussion. In addition, this forum gives you an opportunity to practice a style of critical writing being employed by more and more theatres across the US: the informal yet well-informed (and well written!) blog.

I encourage you to speak your mind here, with the understanding that your fellow students will engage with your thoughts both in this online forum and in the classroom--and keeping in mind that I will occassionally ask professionals and colleagues from the field to comment on the thread--and your work building a critically generous conversation here.

I look forward to our fruitful and creative conversations!