Dramaturgy and Adaptation

Dramaturgy is the study and craft of how plays and productions are put together, and how they make meaning. A dramaturg is a specialist who supports this work, but dramaturgical thinking, understanding structure, context, and meaning in service of production, belongs to every theatre-maker. This lesson explains dramaturgy and the related practice of adapting existing material for the stage.

What dramaturgy means

The word covers two overlapping senses. Production dramaturgy supports a specific production: researching the play's context, clarifying its structure and meaning, advising the director on interpretation and cuts, preparing background for the company, and sometimes helping shape programs and audience materials. New-writing and devising dramaturgy supports the development of new wor