The Case for a Dramaturg
What exactly a dramaturg “is” has continued to to confuse and evade me throughout my university education, in large part because it seems to be so many things. Paula Danckert describes dramaturgy as the “study of the wide and various ingredients that define what the theatre is; a kind of astronomical view of all the parts in relation to each other” (Danckert, 1), while Katalin Trencsényi spends an entire chapter of her book Dramaturgy in the Making listing the verbs that could be associated with a dramaturg’s duty. The complexity of the role, has made it almost impossible to comprehend, until I experienced European theatre where the difference of an accredited dramaturg was startling.
Algonquin Highway, put on at the Toronto Fringe, directly following Canada150 and all the controversy that came with it, seemed a play perfectly poised to discuss the issues of indigenous rights that have recently been brought to the public eye. However, the play seemed to fall into a trap Sky Gilbert associates with North American theatre where the show is approached as containing “four elements: plot, character, dialogue, and theme” (Gilbert, 3). These elements are thought to have to appear in the production in equal measure and thus hasty additions will be made to shows to maintain a balance. Gilbert discusses how he has “seen many a play in many a Canadian theatre which pauses to extemporize on its ‘theme,’ or which boasts an obviously extraneous monologue in which an actor fills out the missing details of his character” (Gilbert, 3) and this same mindset could be seen in Highway. Rather than focusing on a single subject and approaching that subject with any sort of nuance, Highway attempted to fit in every political issue, with seemingly no research or foundation, while covering as many bland theatrical methods (monologues, expositonal dialogue, “shocking” revelations) to ultimately achieve nothing. When one of the characters comes downstage to monologue at the audience, sitting in a dim blue light, and pouring out an overwhelming number of hardships, the only purpose seems to be the “filling out of character” rather than any necessary development to the overburdened story.
Above all else, Algonquin Highway had no purpose. Dramaturgy is “… the ongoing pursuit of what, why, where and how theatre is made worldwide” (Dankhert, 1) and had those questions been asked of this fringe production, I cannot imagine that any answer could be provided. Such shows as Castorf’s spectacle, or Ibsen Huis on the other hand, rooted themselves in political and cultural issues. And The Great Tamer, an entirely movement-based piece inspired by the story of the body of young boy found in the woods interwove many themes and references to the earth, death and discovery. Never was there a moment that didn’t seem necessary, and every twisted depiction, beautiful piece of imagery, and arresting movement worked to further the story and the themes. As well as meticulous research and accuracy, the plays at the Festival d’Avignon, found relevance, and showcased for me, just what a dramaturg can contribute.
Sources
Danckert, Paula. “The Role of the Dramaturg at the National Arts Centre.” NAC, 3 Sept. 2012.
Die Kabale der Scheinheiligen. Das Leben des Herrn de Molière. By Frank Castorf et al. Dir. Frank Castorf, Volksbühne, 13 Jul. 2017, Exhibition Centre, Avignon.
Gilbert, Sky. “Dramaturgy for Radical Theatre.” Canadian Theatre Review, vol 87, 1996, pp. 25-27.
Patrice, Pavis. “Theatre Analysis: Some Questions and a Questionnaire.” New Theatre Quarterly, vol 1.2, 1985, pp. 208-212.
Trencsényi, Katalin. Dramaturgy in the Making: A User's Guide for Theatre Practitioners, Bloomsbury Methuen Drama, 2015.
