dramaturgs
Theater's literary experts
Dramaturgs are theater professionals who serve as resident experts on plays and their contexts.
They research historical background, advise directors on interpretation, help shape scripts during development, and sometimes assist with casting or program notes.
The role varies widely—some dramaturgs focus on new play development, others on classical repertoire.
The dramaturg provided notes on the play's original staging conventions.
Pre-performance practice session
- directorOne who leads
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- talkbackInsolent response
- promptbookAnnotated theatrical script
staging · run-through · preview · ensemble · process
Author of stage dramas
- scriptWritten words for performance
- narrativeAccount of events
- structureArrangement of interconnected parts
- themeCentral recurring concept
adaptation · research · interpretation · arc · revision · genre · storytelling · world-building
rehearsal
Pre-performance practice session
- directorOne who leads
- collaborationJoint intellectual work
- talkbackInsolent response
promptbook · staging · run-through · preview · ensemble · process
playwright
Author of stage dramas
- scriptWritten words for performance
- narrativeAccount of events
- structureArrangement of interconnected parts
theme · adaptation · research · interpretation · arc · revision · genre · storytelling · world-building · annotation
dramaturgsstagehands
Backstage technical workers
technicians · set builders · costume makers · riggers · stage managers
dramaturgsdirectors
Those who lead organizations
artistic directors · producers · showrunners · auteurs · impresarios
dramaturgsplaywrights
Authors of theatrical works
screenwriters · librettists · scriptwriters · authors · composers
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