©2001, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.
Edited by Geoff Proehl, Univ. of Puget Sound
- Section I: Production Dramaturgy
- Section II: New Play Development
- Section III: On the Relationship between Script and Performance
- Section IV: General Resources
- Section V: Online Resources
©2001, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas.
Since 1993, the University Caucus of LMDA has put together a bibliography of materials on dramaturgy and literary management. That bibliography was eventually published in Dramaturgy in American Theater: A Source Book (Harcourt Brace, 1997). Since 1997, the UCaucus has also maintained a supplement to this bibliography, updating it each year. The supplement included new resources since 1997 and earlier writings not previously noted.
This year, the original bibliography has been revised to include the supplement.
If you have additions or corrections to this resource, please send them to Geoff Proehl (Theater, Univ. of Puget Sound, 1500 N. Warner, Tacoma, WA 98416; gproehl@ups.edu). Thanks to members of LMDA who have suggested titles for inclusion here, particularly Marie Mendenhall.
This bibliography owes much to earlier bibliographies by Rosemarie Bank (1983) and Laurence Shyer (1978), both cited below.
The online version of this bibliography is available at LMDA's national web site (www.lmda.org) and at dramaturgy northwest (www.ups.edu/professionalorgs/dramaturgy).
From the June 1954 edition of Theatre Arts:
"A new service for playwrights, the "Dramaturge," has been initiated by the Claire Leonard Agency of New York City. Director James Light, who worked with the original Provincetown Players as well as on Broadway and abroad, gives, for a fee, a thorough analysis of plays together with recommendations for improvements."
Section I: Production Dramaturgy
Bank, Rosemarie. "Shaping the Script: Commission Produces a Bibliography of Dramaturgy." Theatre News (Jan./Feb. 1983): 124.
---. "Interpreters, Dramaturgs, and Process Critics: A New Configuration for American Theatre." The 1980 Winners. Ed. Roger Gross (a monograph published by the U.C.T.A. Program in Theory and Criticism of the American Theatre Assn.), 1981. 11- 16.
Barba, Eugenio and Nicola Savarese. "Dramaturgy." A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of the Performer. Trans. Richard Fowler. New York: Routledge, 1991. 68-73.
Bennetts, Leslie. "Stage Conference Asks What Is a Dramaturge?" New York Times 23 June 1983, sec. C: 15.
Bentley, Eric. "Stark Young." Theater 14.1 (1982): 47-53.
Berc, Shelly. "Theatre in Boston: Lee Bruer's Lulu." Theater 12.3 (1981): 69-77.
Bharucha, Rustom, Janice Paran, Laurence Shyer and Joel Schechter. "Directors, Dramaturgs, and War in Poland: An Interview with Jan Kott." Theater 14.2 (1983): 27-31.
Bly, Mark. "JoAnne Akalaitis's Leon and Lena (and lenz): A Log from the Dramaturg." Theater 21.1-2 (Winter 1989/Spring 1990): 81-95.
Bly, Mark, Ed. The Production Notebooks. Vol. I. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1996: Christopher Baker, Shelby Jiggetts, Jim Lewis, and Paul Walsh contriburtors.
Bly, Mark. The Production Notebooks. Vol. II. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 2001: John Dias, Lise Ann Johnson, Corey Madden, and Katherine Profeta contributors.
Booth, Susan V. "Dramaturg in Search of an Axis." American Theatre September 1990: 62-63.
Canadian Theatre Review: Practicing Canadian Dramaturgy. 87 (Summer, 1996):
Flaherty, Kathleen and Deborah Hurford, "Journeys Without Maps: Dramaturgy of the Post-Modern" Gilbert, Sky, "Dramaturgy for Radical Theatre"
White, Bob, "The ATP Experience"
Cardullo, Bert, Ed. What Is Dramaturgy? New York: Peter Lang, 1995.
Castagno, Paul C. "Informing the New Dramaturgy: Critical Theory to Creative Process." Theatre Topics 3.1 (1993): 1-6.
Copelin, David, "Dogma, Dreams, and Dramaturgy," Theater. 28.3 (1998): 64-70.
---. "Ten Dramaturgical Myths." Call Board (Theatre Communications Center of the Bay Area) June 1989: 5-9.
Danmar, Alan. "Profiles of the American Dramaturg: A Survey of the Use of Dramaturgs in Theatres throughout the United States," 1990: unpublished; available from author.
Davis, Ken and William Hutchings. "Playing a New Role: The English Professor as Dramaturg." College English 46 (1984): 560-69.
De Marinis, Marco. "Dramaturgy of the Spectator." The Drama Review 31.2 (1987): 100-114.
"Dramaturgy and Physics: panel discussion moderated by James Leverett with James C. Nicola, Richard Dresser, Morgan Jenness, and Tim Sanford." Journal of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation 5.1 (1991): 4-21.
Ellwood, William R. "Preliminary Notes on the German Dramaturg and American Theater." Modern Drama 13.3 (1970): 254-258.
Grimes, William. "A Power Behind the Play Emerges Into the Light." The New York Times 2 Feb. 1997: Arts and Leisure.
Hay, Peter. "American Dramaturgy: A Critical Reappraisal." Performing Arts Journal 7.3 (1983): 7-24.
---. "Dramaturgy: Requiem for an Unborn Profession." Canadian Theatre Review 8 (1975): 43-46.
Helbo, Andre, et al. Approaching Theatre. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1991. 174-84.
Hornby, Richard. The End of Acting: A Radical View. New York: Appaluse, 1992. 246-247.
Lutterbie, John, "The Politics of Dramaturgy"
Austin, Gayle, "Feminism and Dramaturgy: Musings on Multiple Meanings"
Haedicke, Susan Chandler, "Dramaturgy in Community-Based Theater"
Ramirez, Elizabeth, "Chicanas/Latinas in Performance on the American Stage: Current Trends & Practices"
Kuftinec, Sonja, "Playing with the Borders: Dramaturging Ethnicity in Bosnia"
Kindelan, Nancy. Shadows of Realism: Dramaturgy and the Theories of Practices of Modernism. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1996.
Koeger, Alicia Kae. "Dramaturgical Criticism: A Case Study of The Gospel at Colonus. Theatre Topics. 7.1 (March 1997): 23-35.
Kott, Jan. "The Dramaturg." New Theatre Quarterly 6.21 (1990): 3-4.
Kugler, DD. "Dramaturgical Allegiance," Canadian Caucus Newsletter (July, 2000): 1.
Levine, Mindy. "How Does a Literary Manager Manage?" Theatre Times Feb. 1983.
Loup, Alfred J. "Vienna's Burgtheater in the 1970's." Theatre Journal 32 (1980): 55-70.
Maes, Nancy. "Drama-what? Dramaturg--the behind-scenes interpreter." Chicago Tribune 23 May 1986, sec. 7: 5+.
Mazer, Cary M. "Offstage Presence: What’s a dramaturg to do? More than meets the eyes." City Paper 11-18 January 2001.
McKenna, Maryn. "The Dramaturg: Towards a Job Description." Dramatics April 1987: 28-31.
Pavis, Patrice. Languages of the Stage: Essays in Semiology of Theatre. New York: Performing Arts Journal, 1982. 27-28, 98, 100.
Price, Antony. "The Freedom of the German Repertoire." Modern Drama 13.3 (1970): 237-246.
Proehl, Geoffrey S. "Rehearsing Dramaturgy: Olivia’s Moment." Theatre Topics 9.2 (1999): 197-202.
Schechter, Joel. "American Dramaturgs." The Drama Review 20.2 (1976): 88-92.
---. "Heiner Muller and Other East German Dramaturgs." yale/theatre 8.2 and 3 (1977): 152-54.
---. "Lessing, Jugglers, and Dramaturgs." yale/theatre 7.1 (1975/1976): 94-103.
Shyer, Laurence. "Playreaders, Dramaturgs and Literary Managers: A Bibliography." Theater 10.1 (1978): 60-61.
---. "Writers, Dramaturgs, and Texts." Robert Wilson and His Collaborators. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1989. 87-152
Skopnik, Gunter. "An Unusual Person--Der Dramaturg--Une Institution Proprement Allemande" World Theatre 9.3 (1960): 233-238.
Slavic and East European Arts 4.1 (1986). Issue devoted to dramaturgy in Russia and Eastern bloc nations; E.J. Czerwinski and Nicholas Rzhevsky, Eds.; partial list of articles:
"The Dramaturg and Dramaturgy" "The Role of the Dramaturg in Contemporary Romanian Theatre"
"The Dramaturg in Yugoslavia"
"Dramaturgs in Czechoslovakia"
"Dramaturgs in Hungary"
"The Dramaturg in the Theatres of Bulgaria"
"Responsibilities and Functions of the Dramaturg in West Germany"
"The Power and Impotence of the Dramaturg: The Image of a Profession and Its Problematic Nature"
"A Note on Soviet Dramaturgs"
"Soviet Dramaturgy Today"
"The Program as Performance Text"
"Jozef Szajna's Replika: Expanding the Scope of Dramaturgy"
"The American View: The Future for Dramaturgs on U.S. Campuses"
Sobieski, Lynn Ann. "The Crisis in West German Dramaturgy." DA 47.12 (1987): 4239A. New York U.
Theater 10.1 (1978); Issue devoted to dramaturgy; Joel Schechter, Ed.:
"America's First Literary Manager: John Corbin at the New Theatre" "Dramaturgs in America: Eleven Statements"
"Dramaturgy at A.C.T.: An Interview with Dennis Powers and William Ball of the American Conservatory Theatre"
"Literary Management at the National Theatre, London: An Interview with John Russell Brown"
"Literary Management at the RSC Warehouse, London: An Interview with Walter Donohue"
"The Role of the Dramaturg in European Theatre"
"Dramaturgy in Berlin: An Interview with Ernst Wendt"
"Dramaturgy in Stuttgart: An Interview with Hermann Beil"
"Brecht and Other Dramaturgs"
Shyer, Laurence, "Playreaders, Dramaturgs and Literary Managers: Bibliography"
Theater 17.3 (1986). Issue devoted to dramaturgy; Mark Bly, Special Ed.:
"American Production Dramaturgs: An Introduction and Seven Interviews" "Dramaturgy at the Eureka: An Interview with Oskar Eustis"
"Dramaturgy at the Mark Taper Forum: An Interview with Russell Vandenbroucke"
"Dramaturgy at the Magic and the O'Neill: An Interview with Martin Esslin"
"Dramaturgy at Second Stage and the Phoenix: An Interview with Anne Cattaneo"
"Dramaturgy at Large: An Interview with Arthur Ballet"
"Dramaturgy at the Yale Rep: An Interview with Gitta Honegger"
"Dramaturgy at the Brooklyn Academy of Music: An Interview with Richard Nelson"
"Dramaturgy at the Guthrie: An Interview with Mark Bly"
"Dramaturgy at the Court and Wisdom Bridge"
"A Note on Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of America"
"On the Necessary Non-Sense of Production Dramaturgy"
- "Fragments of "The intersubjective encyclopedia of contemporary theatre," parts 1-4
- Jans, Erwin, "Speaking about silence"
- Feral, Josette, "Towards a theory of fluid groupings"
- Interview with Jan Kott, "Purged of all falseness"
- Cufer, Edna and Emil Hvratin, "The politics of space"
- Rafalowicz, Mira, "On pub and kitchen dramaturgy"
- Van Kerkhoven, Marianne "Looking without pencil in hand"
- Interview with Norman Frisch, "Just deal with it!"
- Interview with Elisabeth LeCompte, "A library of cultural detritus"
- Interview with Robert Lepage, "Theatre as a meeting point of arts"
- Interview with BAK-Truppen, "Dinner with BAK-Truppen"
- Maayan, David, "The passive spectator does not exist"
- Interview with Jan Loris Lamers, "A continuing dialogue"
- Interview with Alexander Kluge, "The resistance forced upon us by reality"
Theatre Symposium: A Journal of the Southeastern Theatre Conference 3 (1995): "The Voice of the Dramaturg." Paul Castagno, Ed.; issued devoted to dramaturgy: list of articles to be included in next version of this guide.
Tynan, Kenneth. "A Rehearsal Logbook." The Sound of Two Hands Clapping. London: Jonathan Cape, 1975. 119-26.
Wolff-Wilkinson, Lila. "Comments on Process: Production Dramaturgy as the Core of the Liberal Arts Theatre Program." Theatre Topics 3.1 (1993): 1-6.
Zipes, Jack. "John Lahr, Critic-at-Guthrie Theatre Rehearsals." Variety 16 Oct. 1968, 2.
---. "Utopia as the Past Conserved: An Interview with Peter Stein and Dieter Sturm of the Schaubuhne am Halleschen Ufer." Theater 9.1 (1977): 50-57.
Note: Related theoretically to dramaturgy is "dramaturgism," a form of sociological analysis that views social interaction in dramatic and theatrical terms. The approach may have some applications to dramaturgical work in the theatre. For an overview of "dramaturgism," see Dennis Brissett and Charles Edgley, eds., Life as Theatre: A Dramaturgical Sourcebook (Hawthorne, New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 1990) 1-46. For an overview and a comprehensive bibliography, see Art Borreca, "Political Dramaturgy: A Dramaturg's (Re)View," The Drama Review (1993).
Section II: New Play Development
Allison, Ralph. "England's National Theatre: An Interview with Kenneth Tynan." Performance 1 (1972): 82-86.
Anderson, Douglas. "The Dream Machine: Thirty Years of New Play Development in America." The Drama Review 32.3 (1988): 55-84.
Ballet, Arthur. "Fifteen Years of Reading New Plays: Reflection on the Closing of the Office for Advance Drama Research." Theater 9.2 (1978): 41-4.
---. "Playwrights for Tomorrow: the Work of the Office for Advanced Drama Research." Theatre Quarterly 8.29 (1978): 12-28.
Bryden, Ronald. "'Dear Miss Farthingale, Thank You for Your Tragedy. . .'" New York Times 7 Dec. 1975, sec. 2: 1.
Cattaneo, Anne. "Backtalk: Institutionalizing the Blind Date, The Theatre and the Playwright." Performing Arts Journal 8.3: 100-104.
Cohen, Edward M. Working on a New Play: A Play Development Handbook for Actors, Directors, and Playwrights. New York: Prentice Hall, 1988.
Cook, Judith. "John Russell Brown: Head of Script Department." The National Theatre. London: Harrap, 1976. 67-72.
Copelin, David. Practical Playwriting. Boston: The Writer, Inc., 1998.
Daniels, Barry, ed. Joseph Chaikin & Sam Shepard: Letters and Texts, 1972-1984. New York: New American Library, 1989.
Esslin, Martin. "Giving Playwrights Experience." West Coast Plays 2 (1978): 213-16.
---, et al. "Playwrights' Polemic: A Shortage of Themes." West Coast Plays 10 (1981): 73-100.
Gibson, William. The Seesaw Log: A Chronicle of the Stage Production, with the Text. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1959.
Granville-Barker, Harley. The Exemplary Theatre. London: Sidwick & Jackson Ltd., 1922. 185-92.
---. A National Theatre. London: Sidwick and Jackson, 1930. 40-42.
Hay, Peter. "Canadians at the O'Neill." Canadian Theatre Review 21 (1979): 17-26.
King, W.D. "Dramaturgical Text and Historical Record in the New Theatre: The Case of Rumstic Road." Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism 7.2 (1992): 71-88.
Kugler, DD. "Learning to Hate the Bingo Scenario." Canadian Theatre Review: The Process Issue. 97 (Winter, 1998): 48-51.
Lahr, John. "Green Room: I Lost It at the Theatre." Plays and Players 20.4 (1973): 12-13.
Leverett, James. "Dramaturgs and Literary Managers: A Major Conference to Define the Role." Theatre Communications 2 (1981).
Matetzschk, Judy. "New Play Dramaturgy Takes Focus at IUPUI Youth Theatre Playwriting Contest." LMDA Review 5.1: 1+.
McNamara, Brooks. "The Shubert Brothers and the 'Box-Office' Play.'" LMDA Review 5.1: 1-5.
Mednick, Murray. "The Playwright as Author." Newsletter: The Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theatre, Inc. 1.3 (1992): 7+.
Morrow, Lee Alan and Frank Pike. Creating Theater: The Professionals' Approach to New Plays. New York: Vintage Books, 1986.
Newsletter: The Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theatre, Inc. (address: 9478 West Olympic Blvd., Suite 308, Beverly Hills, CA 90212).
Parabasis: Special Focus Dramaturgy. 5.2 (1998). Mead Hunter, Ed.:
Bilderback, Walter, "Double Duty" Davidson, Bryan, Ed. "Resource Guide: Twelve Tall Dramaturgs"
Durling, Roger Arturo, "Slouching Toward Rapprochement"
"Q & A: As a Dramaturg, at what stages in a script's life are you most useful to the playwright?"
"Q & A: As a Playwright, when do you find it useful to work with a dramaturg?"
Carpenter, Bridget, "Collaboration: Fractured Notes from the Field"
Rush, David. "Talking Back: A Model for Postperformance Discussion of New Plays." Theatre Topics 10.1 (March, 2000): 53-63.
Tynan, Kenneth. "The Critic Comes Full Circle." Theatre Quarterly 1.2 (1971): 37-48.
Wellman, Mac. "The Theatre of Good Intentions." Performing Arts Journal 24 8.3 (1984): 59-70.
White, George. "The O'Neill Experience: A Practical Experiment in Helping New Writers." Theatre Quarterly 4.15 (1974): 32-53.
---. National Playwrights' Conference: 1965-1969. A Report to the Rockefeller Foundation.
Windheim, Bennett I. "Tales from the Scripts: Conversations with Literary Managers." Back Stage: The Performing Arts Weekly 14 Aug. 1992: 1, 18-21.
Zipes, Jack. "The Mark Taper Forum's New Play Program." West Coast Plays 1 (1977): 141-49.
Evans, Greg. "Dramaturg seeks ‘Rent’ share." Variety 2-8 Dec. 1996.
---. "Noises Off: Supporting Roles." Variety 7-13 Apr.1997
Grimes, William. "A Power Behind the Play Emerges Into the Light." New York Times 2 Feb. 1997.
---. "On Stage, and Off." New York Times 29 Nov. 1996.
Guart, Al. "Prof seeks $40M in ‘Rent’ money." New York Post 26 Nov. 1996.
Haley, Gretchen: See Section I. above.
Heller, Karen. "The Drama behind Rent." Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday Magazine 1 June 1997.
"Lawsuits." Entertainment Weekly 6 Dec. 1996.
"Rent Due, or Paid in Full?" Newsweek: available in the red edition of the LMDA Source Book
Rose, Lloyd. "Whose Art Is It, Anyway?" Washington Post: available in the red edition of the LMDA Source Book
Simonson, Robert. "‘Rent Dramaturg Sues Larson Estate." Back Stage 6-12 Dec. 1996.
Solomon, Alisa. "How About Money? Rent Dramaturgy Files Lawsuit." The Village Voice 3 Dec. 1996: 48-49.
Stearns, David Patrick. "Broadway’s Blues." USA Today 27 Nov. 1996.
Thomson, Lynn M. "Commentary: . . . and an Artist Is an Artist Is an Artist." American Theatre. Sept. 1998: 8-9.
Turegano, Preston. "Rent adviser wants credit, check." The San Diego Union-Tribune 4 Dec. 1996: Lifestyle.
Wright, Doug, et al. "Commentary: An Author Is an Author Is an Author." American Theater Jul.-Aug. 1998: 6-7.
See also: www.dramaturgy.net
Section III: On The Relationship Between Script And Performance
Ball, David. Backwards and Forwards: a Technical Manual for Reading Plays. Carbondale: Univ. of Illinois Press, 1983.
Barthes, Roland. "From Work to Text." Textual Strategies: Perspectives in Post-Structuralist Criticism. Ed. Josu‚ V. Harari. Ithaca: Cornell, 1979. 73-81.
Beckerman, Bernard. Dynamics of Drama. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1970.
Carlson, Marvin. "Theatrical Performance: Illustration, Translation, Fulfillment, or Supplement?" Theatre Journal 37 (1985): 5- 11.
Clay, James H. and Daniel Krempel. "How Does a Play Mean?" and "The Process of Interpretation." The Theatrical Image. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967.
Field, Syd. Screenplay: the Foundation of Screenwriting. New York: Dell Pub. Co., 1982.
Kott, Jan. Shakespeare, Our Contemporary. Trans. Boleslaw Taborski. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1974.
---. The Gender of Rosalind, Interpretations: Shakespeare, Buchner, Gautier. Trans. Jadwiga Kosicka and Mark Rosenzweig. Evanston: Northestern U Press, 1992.
Helbo, Andre‚ et al. "Pedagogics of Theatre: Analysis of the text; Analysis of the Performance." Approaching Theatre. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1991. 135-64.
Hornby, Richard. Script into Performance: A Structuralist View of Play Production. Austin: U of Texas, 1977.
Milhous, Judith and Robert D. Hume. Producible Interpretation: Eight English Plays, 1675-1707. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1985. 3-34.
Scanlan, David. Reading Drama. Mountain View, Ca.: Mayfield, 1988.
Schechner, Richard. "Drama, Script, Theater, and Performance." Performance Theory. Rev. Ed. New York: Routledge, 1988. 68- 105.
Scolnicov, Hannah and Peter Holland. The Play Out of Context. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989.
Styan, J.L. The Shakespeare Revolution: Criticism and Performance in the Twentieth Century. London: Cambridge UP, 1977.
Thomas, James. Script Analysis for Actors, Directors and Designers. Boston: Focal Press, 1992.
Veltrusky, Jiri. "Dramatic Text as a Component of Theatre." Semiotics of Art: Prague School Contributions. Ed. Ladislav Matejka and Irwin Titunik. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1976, 94-117.
Weber, Carl. "On Theatre Directing." Master Teachers of Theatre: Observations on Teaching Theatre. Ed. Burnet M. Hopgood. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1988. 119-58.
Williams, Raymond. "Argument: Text and Performance." Drama in Performance. Rev. Ed. New York: Basic Books, 1968. 172-191.
Canadian Caucus Newsletter, Brian Quirt, Ed.
The Groundling: Published by the Dramaturgs at Stony Brook, Michael X. Zelenak, Ed.
The LMDA Guide to Dramaturgy Programs: available online at www.lmda.org.
The LMDA Review: various editors; some back issues available online as www.lmda.org.
The LMDA Script Exchange: founding editor, Lynn Thomson; current editor, Sonya Sobieski: some issues available online at www.lmda.org.
The LMDA Source Book: Resources on the Teaching of Dramaturgy: 1992, Vol. I, Susan Jonas, Ed.; 1997, Vol. II., Lee Devin and Susan Jonas, Eds.: Vol. II available online at www.lmda.org.
Meserve, Mollie Ann, ed. The Playwright's Companion: A Practical Guide to Script Opportunities in the U.S.A. New York: Feedback Theatrebooks, most recent edition.
Osborn, M. Elizabeth, ed. Dramatists Sourcebook: Complete Opportunities for Playwrights, Translators, Composers, Lyricists, and Librettists. New York: Theatre Communications Group, most recent edition.
Theatre Directory. New York: Theatre Communications Group, most recent edition.
Theatre Profile. New York: Theatre Communications Group, most recent edition.
Web Sites: Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas: www.lmda.org.
Other Sites:
Alex Gross's Home Page: http://language.home.sprynet.com/ Dramaturgy Northwest: www.ups.edu/professionalorgs/dramaturgy.
The Dramaturgy Pages: www.dramaturgy.net/dramaturgy.
Listservs: The LMDA Discussion List
Here are some of the basics of belonging to a list server mailing list such as the Discussion List.
"unsubscribe discussion@dramaturgy.net";
"subscribe discussion-digest@dramaturgy.net" (don’t include the quotes and put each phrase on a separate line.
Copyright © 2008 Last update: Monday, June 24, 2002