What Is Dramaturgy? 5 Examples of Dramaturgy

Dramaturgy is the study and practice of using dramatic composition to represent a scene on stage in performances, world-building, and historical contexts. The etymology of “dramaturgy” comes from the Greek word “dramatourgía,” meaning “action of a play.” Theater historians believe that the philosopher and scholar Gotthold Ephraim Lessing was the first dramaturg: The Enlightenment-era writer first used the term in the Hamburgische Dramaturgie (“The Hamburg Dramaturgy”), a series of essays he wrote on dramatic theory in the 1760s.

In a work of drama, film, and storytelling, dramaturgs research the given period of a story, who its players would have been, and the social climate of the time. This historical context strengthens a play’s development, the actor’s relationship with the text, and its relationship with the audience.

Dramaturgy is an in-depth study of the work that playwrights, screenwriters, and directors create. Writers and directors may take on the role of the dramaturg themselves if they possess enough know-how and experience. The social sciences also apply a sociological perspective to dramaturgy, likening human interaction in everyday life to theatrical performance.

Dramaturgs have an interdisciplinary job in which they help open up and clarify the world of a production from different perspectives.

• Study dramatic productions: Production dramaturgs study dramatic productions such as musicals, operas, and plays to represent and contextualize the given story in a way that makes historical and dramatic sense. A dramaturg has extensive theater history knowledge and experience building narrative structures and analyzing dramatic literature.
• Perform script analysis: Dramaturgs can provide key script analysis for playwrights, musical theater writers, producers, and directors to help identify the most (and least) exciting parts of the narrative. They also suggest ways to improve the structure, clarify the timeline or setting of a piece, and help logically develop the story.
• Conduct research: An expert’s dramaturgical analysis may also include research for directors, production teams, or costume designers for historical accuracy, making sure that details such as language, clothing, or behavior accurately match the specific period.

Sociologist Erving Goffman developed a sociological theory applying dramaturgy as a theatrical metaphor for human beings in the world.

• Human behavior: Goffman’s sociological, dramaturgical approach likens human behavior in real life to a continuous play, and every person is an actor. Goffman first introduced his dramaturgical theory in his 1959 text The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.
• Symbolic interactionism: Goffman posits that you are set on a stage from the day you are born and that your symbolic interactions with other people (and vice versa) determine your roles—who you are and how you behave. Humans use impression management to attempt to control how they are seen and regarded through appearances, manners of interacting, and behavior.
• Front stage vs. backstage: Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy divides human life into front stage and backstage activity. The front stage is where you live out your normal, public life—working at your job, going to dinner, and aspects of social life. The backstage, or off stage, is the private area where you can be your true self without managing others’ impressions or expectations. The backstage is where you practice your future performances on the front stage for all to see and work to refine others’ perceptions of you.

Dramaturgic interactions unfold both in the entertainment world and in everyday life. Here are some examples of dramaturgy that you might see in the real world, in which the same people inhabit different roles or behaviors in related situations.

1. 1. In the classroom: A professor giving a lecture to dozens of students is giving a front-stage dramaturgical performance. They will likely present themselves in professional attire to give the appearance of a qualified, trustworthy individual. The professor creates their lesson plan and prepares their lecture when they are backstage, in the privacy of their own office, or wearing pajamas at home.
2. 2. During an interview: A person interviewing for a job will use the backstage to prepare for their interaction with the hiring manager. They may rehearse practice answers, what not to say, or work on their anxious behaviors to influence a desired impression. Their front-stage behavior will be markedly different from their rehearsed backstage practice to inform how the hiring manager perceives them, which may leave a better impression.
3. 3. While babysitting: A babysitter may dress casually and behave more childishly to make the child they are supervising feel more comfortable. The adults who babysit children may not play with toy trains or dolls in their private life, but they will pretend like they do to control the child’s impression of them and create a pleasant social interaction.
4. 4. During athletic competitions: Athletes may have a perfectly confident front-stage persona, making the audience feel like they are effortlessly defying gravity. However, they may be anxious backstage, repeatedly going over their moves and mantras to put on the best performance.

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