Dramaturgy

The contextual and research-based lifeblood of any production, the dramaturg’s work exists in any number of guises and functions, which include workshop support in new play development; pre-production research preparation; company enrichment; pre- and post-show audience engagement; data collection; and community outreach, amongst many others. Today, traditional modes of dramaturgy expand into and adapt technological innovation, new approaches to text, and fresh foundations for methods of production support, all based on a core value of seeking a deeper understanding of the work at hand.

Deadline Feb 2, 2025

Event

Program Participation Eligibility

To be eligible, students must be:

• Undergraduate and graduate students who work specifically as the dramaturg on a production or workshop, or who submit work created for a dramaturgy class are eligible to participate. If the project is a workshop or production, the student must be credited as the dramaturg. 

• Attending an institution that has entered either an associate or participating production during the year in which the nomination occurs; and 

• A bona fide student at the time of the Regional Festival. (Students need not be enrolled full-time, but we encourage students to attend the Regional Festival to represent their project.)

Dramaturgy Coordinators

Region 6 - Caili Crow caili.s.crow@gmail.com

National Dramaturgy Advisor - Diane Brewer db57@evansville.edu

Dramaturgy at the National Festival

Regional fellowship recipients will receive membership in LMDA.

Each of the eight regional award-recipients will submit their project for review by a National Selection Panel, convened by the Kennedy Center, who will choose the most promising four student dramaturgs to receive an all-expense paid residency at the National Festival at the Kennedy Center in mid-April, and multi-day workshops with leading artists in both production and new play dramaturgy.

The recipients of the National LMDA/KCACTF Fellowships will receive a one-year membership in ATHE, a one-year membership in LMDA. Students will also be considered for such learning opportunities as fellowships at the O'Neill Playwrights' Conference, The Playwrights' Center in Minneapolis, and the Kennedy Center/National New Play Network MFA Playwrights' Workshop.

How to Participate

How to Participate

• Join the national conversation in LMDA/KCACTF-sponsored online workshops with professional dramaturgs.

• Fill out this application form.

Application Form Details

On the application, you will:

• Provide contact and eligibility details.

• Send a Reference Form to a faculty member or other professional collaborator who has agreed to speak about your work on the project.

• Write short reflective statements (150-250 words) addressing three of the following questions:

  1. How did you approach the work of researching and analyzing the play?

  2. What moments of joy did you experience during this process?

  3. How did you adjust your goals in response to project needs?

  4. How did you overcome challenges that arose during the process?

  5. How did you navigate the relationship between your individual work and that of the rehearsals and/or design conferences?

• Select, organize, and upload the materials that best represent your process and/or dramaturgical sensibility. These items may include emails, pictures of your display, screenshots of webpages, presentations, content shared with project participants or instructor, and/or videos.)

  • Please Note: Although we have set a limit of 100 pages for these uploaded documents, we encourage you to focus on the quality and not quantity of the materials you select.

• Write an introduction to the materials you have uploaded, briefly explaining why you created them for this project (150-250 words).

• Write a brief statement (150-250 words) answering one of the following questions:

  • Takeaways:How has this project helped you understand how to improve your dramaturgical work? What aspects of your work will you bring into your next project?

  • Uniqueness:Where are you in this work? If someone else had dramaturged this production, how would it have been different?

  • Impact: How did your individual participation affect the whole? (To address this aspect of your work, we encourage you to invite statements from collaborators who can speak to your intangible contributions.)

  • Dramaturgical Vision: How does this project fit into your overall creative work and plans for the future?

• Confirm your intent to attend your Regional Festival, where you will display, present, and receive feedback about your work.

• If applicable, briefly tell us about an aspect of your work that you haven’t yet explained in your previous answers.

Feedback Process

At each Regional Festival, students will participate in conversations with professional dramaturgs, members of LMDA who live in each region, and other qualified Respondents about the following elements of their work:

Creativity: What is unique or innovative about your approach to the work? Where is your dramaturgical sensibility visible?

Collaboration: How did the perspectives of your collaborators affect the choices you made throughout the process?

Contextualization: How did the play itself guide your research and analysis?

Self-Awareness: How does your ability to self-reflect help position you for continued dramaturgical work?