There remains in theatre (not enormously, but it’s there none-the-less) a tension between playwrights and dramaturgs. A tenion that has it’s roots in the fact that see the dramaturg as just another person to interfere with their script and to try and change things.

In 2009’s Writ Large report, they found that:

In the Theatre Assessment, writers were found to be generally positive about the support and encouragement for new writing, but raised concerns about […] an increased interventionism by dramaturgs and producers in the writing process. […]

A writer noted in the margin of his questionnaire, ‘How many dramaturgs does it take to change a light bulb?’, and answered, ‘Does it have to be a light bulb?’  He captures the equivocal response we discovered to what seems to be a trend towards increasing intervention in the script.

It is understandable that playwrights would habour some concerns for the integrity and content of their plays, however this dismissal of the dramaturg’s services – in my opinion – seems to stem from a lack of understanding of what exactly the role of the dramaturg actually involves. In reality the dramaturg is on hand to enhance the performability of the production. They can provide research and information of a historical or cultural context in order to help create the world of the play as acurately as possible. They might work alongside the set and lighting design teams in order to determine how much of the playwrights’ desired aesthetic is achievable and how. Yes, it may be so, that sometimes a playwright has an element to their play that is simply not performable – doable within the productions means. In these situations it may be within the dramaturgs requirements to think of (or ask the playwright to think of) another way of presenting that idea. Whilst some playwrightswill simply accept this as fact others may be more reluctant to “interference” and influence from another party.

There seems to be a lack of confidence on the playwrights part, with the amount of control they really have over their own scripts. Something that I think will only benefit from continued working and cooperation with dramaturgs and further realisation of how they can assist and enhance a playwrights work.