Dramaturg Roles Explained: How to Become a Dramaturg

A dramaturg is a literary adviser who provides vital research and information for theater productions and opera companies. The role of a dramaturg varies with each theater or opera company. However, their primary task is to provide theater artists and production team members with textual analysis of a play or opera’s story and theme, as well as information on production history, the author of the play, and any previous adaptations. Their research gives context to the production and ensures its quality and accuracy.

While the term's etymology finds its roots in the Greek word, “dramatourgía,” German critic Gotthold Ephraim Lessing popularized the term “dramaturgie” and defined the role of the dramaturg in his collection of essays on theater, Hamburg Dramaturgy, written between 1767 and 1769.

A dramaturg assists in the behind-the-scenes production processes to help the play’s text come alive for audience members. The core responsibilities of a dramaturg include:

1. 1. Advising: Dramaturgs serve as advisors during the playwriting process, contributing research and helping to address roadblocks in the creative process that hinder the new work, such as questions about plot logic or historical accuracy for playwrights, composers, and librettists.
2. 2. Collaborating: The dramaturg collaborates with the production team on the play development. They meet regularly with the director to discuss concepts and designs for the production before the first rehearsal and help impart the director’s vision to the rest of the production team.
3. 3. Providing context: Dramaturgs provide clarity and context for the production. They inform the director about interpretations of the play or opera, explain character history and motivation to actors during the rehearsal process, and lend historical and cultural accuracy to the design team.
4. 4. Researching: Studying source materials is a vital component of a dramaturg’s job. They read the play alongside other primary documents and materials associated with the world of the play, including texts about the subject matter and time frame, to provide insight into the cultural and historical context of the story. They also provide information for the production’s advertising and outreach materials, such as lobby displays and program notes.

Follow these steps to pursue a career as a dramaturg:

1. 1. Get an education. Most candidates for a dramaturg position hold a bachelor’s degree in theater or literature. Your job as a dramaturg involves extensive research on many topics, from history and culture to art and sociology, so develop research skills in your undergraduate or graduate education.
2. 2. Gain experience. Theater or opera companies look for dramaturgs with extensive experience with productions. Many dramaturgs earn their first credits with their school’s drama department or a local repertory theater before moving on to a literary advisor apprenticeship. Freelance work on new plays on a project-by-project basis is typically the first paid work for most dramaturgists.
3. 3. Join professional organizations and network. In addition to their role in the creative process, full-time dramaturgs often host public talkback sessions for the theater; attend these local events, and network with your peers. You may pursue membership in professional organizations like the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA), a nonprofit that connects dramaturgs with productions.

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