Part I

A little bit about me. I have, at the time of writing, served as the official dramaturg for 5 productions: Solve for Castrato* by Margie Pignataro; Wonderland in Alice by Margie Pignataro; The Time of Your Life by William Saroyan; We Won't Pay! We Won't Pay! by Dario Fo; and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. I am scheduled to serve as the dramaturg for Dr. Jonathan Marks' production of The Underpants by Carl Sternheim as adapted by Steve Martin in the coming Fall of 2009.

I have, however, found that dramaturgy is what I have been doing despite my non-knowledge of the concept. My peers have, for several years, sought out my advice and opinion about their scripts, performances, productions, and other creative activities. This, I have found, is one part of dramaturgy.

Now, perhaps this part is presumed as a natural part of dramaturgy. While I now have both an undergraduate degree in Theatre as well as a Master's degree in Theatre Art, peers have long valued my opinion(s) about their work. Did I have some special skill that led my opinion to be worth something? Do I have some superior knowledge that let my opinion to be valuable?

First, let me dispel the degree myth. While I now have a Master's degree it has always been peers seeking this opinion/advice. So, while I was an undergraduate it was other undergraduates. While a graduate it was (and still is) other graduates. So it is not my degree(s) alone which make my opinion valuable. What is it then?

I have a theory about this. It's very simple: I tell the truth. I am honest about my opinion of the work itself. What does that mean?

It's time for an example. I'm assuming that you've been around actors and or the theatre, but if you haven't I'll fill you in: actors (young ones especially) are in constant need of kind words and support. What this ends up leading to is an environment where truth isn't valued as highly as guarding other people's ego's and feelings. It has always been my opinion that those who cannot take constructive criticism are not meant for the field. Improvement tends to be based on hearing, understanding, acknowledging, and correcting what you have done poorly or wrong outright.

Why do I think this is my “secret power?” If someone brings their script or scene or performance to you and you have a reputation for being honest that means that they value honesty and that they seek .improvement. These are the people who will continue to work in the field, and so will you.

A quick note about this. I have left something very important out: you have to be willing to take constructive criticism as well. While telling the truth as you see it is very valuable in its own right, you need to understand that constantly learning about the art of theatre is required for your opinion to be valuable and true. You don't have to know everything, you just have to be willing to seek out knowledge about the things you don't know. This concludes Part 1 of the dramaturgy blog.

Part 2 will tackle preparatory work for serving as dramaturg on a production.

Until next time,

KYLE

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Dramaturgy 101 - Part Zero

I've decided to write a multi-piece article about my dramaturgical process.

What's that you say? Your dramaturgical process. Why would I want to read about your dramaturgical process?

• Dramaturgy is contested territory in terms of a strict definition.

• Each dramaturg's process will inevitably be different, and therefore useful for:

  • Someone looking for how someone could approach dramaturgy if they've never done it before.

  • A director intrigued by the idea of dramaturgy and wanting answers about what a dramaturg might do during the course of a production.

  • A working dramaturg interested in finding new ideas, applications, processes, or anything else having to do with someone else's definition of dramaturgy (inevitably implied within their process.

• I learned that I've been a student of dramaturgy ever since my first involvement with the theatre and if you're reading this initial post in the series than you'll probably find that you are interested in many of the same things that make you a dramaturg without appearing in any program or carrying the title to your name.

What will follow in this series are my ideas about dramaturgy “so far.” I stress the “so far” because it is evident to me that the field of dramaturgy is a broad one. I do not claim, in any way, to have all of the knowledge about the field and its potentials. In fact, I claim the opposite: I do not have all the knowledge. If this is enough to drive you away from reading further then dramaturgy is not for you. Devoting yourself to a problem which, perhaps, has no single correct answer, seems to be at the very heart of dramaturgy as it is devoted to the service of an ever evolving collaborational artistic craft. If, however, you're still interested, read on. I hope that you do.

Looking for love?

Well, you might find it in acting class. While the jury is still out on the viability of relationships between actors (you read the tabloids, right?) I know many people who have made it work.

Bottom line: be nice to your scene partner and your fellow acting students.

 

See this snippet from a CNN.com article:

Los Angeles, California

"He sat next to me in my acting class. Our instructor paired us up for a scene, so we exchanged numbers to rehearse. He kept sending me flirty texts and asked me out that weekend.

Our first date was a picnic dinner in Griffith Park and a visit to the Griffith Observatory. We had an amazing view of downtown Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign. We kissed under the stars and were surrounded by city lights. It was so romantic and felt like it was straight out of a movie." --Adrienne Tilden

The Title Game

This blog, despite it's best attempts to remain solely about theatre in/and education, seems to frequently segue into commentary about ethical work. Perhaps this stems from my time working in the business world. It was in the business world that I frequently found unbelievable behavior stemming from unethical practices and belief systems which troubled me to my core. Part of my decision to return to graduate school and pursue theatre was because I simply could no longer morally exist in the business world.

Was I good at my job? Yes.
Was I paid more than I am now? Absolutely.
Am I happier now? Yes.

This, of course, extends beyond the subject of theatre in/and education, but also encompasses it. Part of what makes successful people successful is their insatiable drive to better themselves and others. Success does not take the easy way out but works hard. Successful people almost always work harder than they have to when they're not receiving benefits. One of my professors said, specifically about the theatre, that if you're going to wait to do good work until you get paid you'll:

1. Never do good work
2. Never get paid

While this seems like a downer (and for those who want to be lazy it is) what I'm really saying is that you've got to find something you're passionate enough about to just do regardless of pay. Do work that you like doing because you like doing it.

If you need some "monetary" inspiration I've started using HourGuard which is a free program that tracks the time your work on tasks and "pays" you an hourly wage. So, since I'm working on a full length play during the summer I've been using the program to track how long (and when) I write each day. I've decided to "pay" myself $10/hour. A low rate to be sure, but at the end of the writing process I'll have an idea of:

• How long it took me to write a play
• When I'm most productive during the day (mornings, evenings, afternoons)
• Which days I'm most productive (weekdays, weekends)
• And how much my play is "worth" to me

If, at the end of the writing period, I value the product more than my "salary" then I'm an artist rather than a profiteer. I already do value the partial product more than I value my pay. So far I've written for 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 37 seconds. I've been "paid" $26.76 for my writing. However, I've produced 30 pages of material. I've learned that when I really sit down to write (at least a 1st draft) I can churn out better than 1 page/minute. Or (in exact terms) every 5 minutes and 26 seconds I churn out 1 page of written material. And for that 1 page I am paid $0.09 (nine cents). Good to know.

At any rate, below is some inspirational speaking from the current president to current graduates. The message, however, applies to everyone.

Do good.

Playwriting Book Review

The Playwright's Guidebook by Stuart Spencer

Stuart Spencer teaches at Sarah Lawrence College. A brief biography of Spencer and a listing of classes he currently teaches (with synopsis) are available here:

http://www.slc.edu/undergraduate/theatre/faculty.php

A list of his plays (many available as a free .pdf download) are available here:

http://www.stuartsspencer.com/plays.html

Spencer also offers private consultation over the phone for playwrights of all levels of experience here:

http://www.stuartsspencer.com/consultation.html

This book is organized into four main parts: Structure, Creative Process, Problems, and Advice. A fifth part is an appendix which includes some recommended plays, images, and additional exercises. The book begins with a description of the "wright " part of playwright. This sets the tone of the book in the sense that the author views playwriting as work: hard work. Yet, he says, the concepts are so simple.

The general structure of the book is a chapter describing a concept (many Aristotelian) followed by a series of exercises to be performed by the reader in order to practice and perfect an understanding of that particular skill for eventual use in a large work. Spencer is very interested in structure and spends large portion of the book proving why structure is important followed by teaching how that structure is understood and utilized.

Spencer also advocates reading plays as a central component honing the abilities to be able to write for the theatre effectively. The book is thorough, clear, and an entire course could easily be modeled from its structure and exercises.

Graduating: More Paper/More Ink/More Important

So, in a slight deviation from the norm (so far) on this blog, I must reflect on my recent graduation.

Yesterday I received a Master of Arts in Theatre Art.

The ceremony as much smaller than the undergraduate ceremonies today (so big that they are split up). Hands were shook despite the swine flu scare of 2009. People dressed in funny ways. Names were read aloud. People cheered, laughed, cried, hugged, etc.

I must remind myself, however, that this is no small thing. While the ceremony may be ridiculous and the costumes particularly pompous and the spectacle of it all a little overdone... the fact remains that something meaningful has been accomplished. So, if you're thinking about not attending one of these things: you should. You've done something and should be publicly recognized. You should also be willing to be recognized.

While this may seem like a meaningless parade of academics (and, to an extent, it is) there is meaning to it all, somewhere. Don't miss out because you don't see it now.

So, after obtaining another degree (and still working on 1 more) I urge you to do great things, and not be shy of the public rewards. A handshake, a smile, a hug. One of the most difficult things to do is to take a compliment. (Especially as an actor). I used to always say "...but what did I do wrong?" instead of saying "thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it."

I hope that this degree signals greater benefit to others. Greater learning to those I teach, greater happiness to my family, and greater hope through art. I love art. I hope you love art too. If people don't love art I hope that I can help them love art.

More Paper/More Ink/More Important (potentially).

Let's live up to our potential.

Links, Papers, and Conclusions

Occasionally I post things elsewhere which are relevant.

This is one of those occasions. 

Basically it is the idea that most people aren't going to work as hard as you will. If that's true then you're in a good place. If that's not true then you need to work harder to get there.

 

I'm often amazed at how much students have learned by the end of the semester. When you learn a great deal you can't help but talk about it. Reflection is such an important aspect of learning. Those that reflect effectively are able to retain more readily. The nuances are revealed. They were always there but upon reflection they become more clear. This is very important. Not to mention that if you've written something down you will be able to refer to it later. I very much encourage my students (if ever they stumble upon this blog) to keep the writings and reflections that meant the most to them over the past semester or year. In a way, you've synopsized the course for yourself. You will look back on your former you and remember your former you doing things and feeling things because you wrote it down when you felt it.

Seriously... keep them. I still have my acting journals from my freshman year of College in Minnesota. The note from 9/11 is extremely poignant. As a freshman I was cast as the lead on the mainstage my first semester. I reflected about the nature of art, doubting its importance in relation to broad sweeping "real life" events. Yet, when I look back on that me I realize that he was just beginning his journey in theatre. His journey in art. I can tell you today that art is important. I've learned a great deal since then.

 

To conclude, then, let me encourage everyone to continue to work diligently over the summer months. It's very easy to return to the former way of doing things. Being lazy and unproductive. You've learned so much. I've learned so much. Why wouldn't we continue to learn?

Go find a stupid book about cats at some huge retailer and perform a monologue.

 

You should probably all write a play too.

Playwriting Book Review

Playwriting: Brief & Brilliant by Julie Jensen

Jensen’s authority on the subject comes from previous experience in the field of playwriting and largely takes the form of awards, residencies, and production in the United States and abroad. She is currently the resident playwright at the Salt Lake Acting Company. A list of her plays, productions, commissions, awards, and prizes can be found here:

http://www.saltlakeactingcompany.org/rpjensen.html

The author operates from the viewpoint that playwriting books are mired in details and requirements to a detriment. Jensen's solution to this is to write an extremely concise book about playwriting which simply touches on concepts (sometimes in less than a page). The book takes on the six elements defined by Aristotle as well as re-writing, play development, writer's block, and marketing.

Being organized by topic which is then briefly defined makes the book valuable for someone interested in actually writing rather than actively understanding. The book can be thought of as an inspirational energy drink. The book provides an extremely quick dose of positivity and succinct advice in the middle of writing. This is also a downside of the book as its relative simplicity leaves much to be desired. This limits the overall usefulness of the book to Spark Notes status rather than Bible status. This is not, in other words, the Holy Grail of playwriting texts.

The end of a semester

I was very impressed by the work my students achieved for their final scenes for the course. They had one, and truly only one criteria for choosing their scenes: they had to believe they could fail. While this criteria seems ridiculous and absurd it produced some amazing results.

This, of course, points to greater truths about life in general. The decision to do something completely knowing that you could fail is, I think, an attribute. Something truly great has been achieved even in making the attempt. This is not an easy thing to do.

Sometimes I think about how truly insane it was for my wife and I to get married and immediately move 1000 miles away from any family to a new part of the country to enter a grad program: for theatre. People thought we were crazy then and I presume they still think we are crazy now. We did it, though, and we are much better off because of it. I'll refrain from listing the practical and life skills I've learned over the past three years but lets just say that they aren't all in theatre.

Life is encountering and experiencing the unexpected. People simply surprise you. The course I just finished teaching focused on Stanislavski, a man who arguably created the larger style of acting we popularly recognize and encounter in America today. This man sought truth on stage in the theatre. This unexpected encounter and experience are part of that process. To choose to do something you could fail at, in front of your peers, is a marvelously crazy decision.

And yet, we learn. We become more human. We identify with new or more powerful emotions in a strong way. We also learn to trust ourselves a bit more than we used to.

Trust yourself. Try. Work. Do.