Dramaturgy, in its many forms, is a fundamental and indispensable element of contemporary theatre. In its earliest definition, the word itself means a comprehensive theory of "play making." Although it initially grew out of theatre, contemporary dramaturgy has made enormous advances in recent years, and it now permeates all kinds of narrative forms and structures: from opera to performance art; from dance and multimedia to filmmaking and robotics.

In our global, mediated context of multinational group collaborations that dissolve traditional divisions of roles as well as unbend previously intransigent rules of time and space, the dramaturg is also the ultimate globalist: intercultural mediator, information and research manager, media content analyst, interdisciplinary negotiator, social media strategist.

This collection focuses on contemporary dramaturgical practice, bringing together contributions not only from academics but also from prominent working dramaturgs. The inclusion of both means a strong level of engagement with current issues in dramaturgy, from the impact of social media to the ongoing centrality of interdisciplinary and intermedial processes.

The contributions survey the field through eight main lenses:

• world dramaturgy and global perspective
• dramaturgy as function, verb and skill
• dramaturgical leadership and season planning
• production dramaturgy in translation
• adaptation and new play development
• interdisciplinary dramaturgy
• play analysis in postdramatic and new media dramaturgy
• social media and audience outreach.

Magda Romanska is Visiting Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, Associate Professor of Theatre and Dramaturgy at Emerson College, and Dramaturg for Boston Lyric Opera. Her books include The Post-Traumatic Theatre of Grotowski and Kantor (2012), Boguslaw Schaeffer: An Anthology (2012), and Comedy: An Anthology of Theory and Criticism (2014).

Reviews

"Romanska has put together a robust, impressively comprehensive volume that covers the ever-broadening scope of contemporary dramaturgy within a global context... this volume reveals the established, emerging, and imagined ideas of what dramaturgy is and could be... [it] is destined to become a go-to reference for practitioners and students of dramaturgy, along with directors, critics, playwrights, and theater scholars. Highly recommended."

- Choice

"It is not overstating the case to say that this volume will for sure be the book of reference for students, scholars, and dramaturgs in the fields named above if it comes to questions of dramaturgy. The Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy goes far beyond a conventional handbook on dramaturgy as a way to structure a text to be staged. Rather, it claims attention to and evokes interest for the variety of a concept and a profession that not only covers crucial aspects of the field, but also implicitly highlights the richesse of dramaturgy as a field of study and therefore advocates theatre, performance and media studies as important disciplines that have a long history whose end is not in sight."

- Journal of Contemporary Drama in English

"A wide range of working methods in postdramatic theatre outlined in clear terms."

- Theatralia

"A timely gift to the world of contemporary theatre."

- American Theatre

"A singular, vital, and necessary contribution to the field."

- Platform: Postgraduate Journal of Theatre Arts

"An indispensable resource for anyone serious about dramaturgy."

- Contemporary Theatre Review

"The Routledge Companion to Dramaturgy will prove highly useful in theatre and performance practice, education, and scholarship."

- Theatre Survey

"Offers an impressive range of voices and insights into dramaturgical practice."

- Theatre Research International

Book Information
ISBN 9781138946330
Author Magda Romanska
Format Paperback
Page Count 568
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 2100g