Dramaturgy Reflection 1

My intention is to introduce Dramaturgy to my Theatre Production class when we return from the break. This lesson will culminate in the creation of Research Packets, costume design, prop design, set design and critical analysis of our UIL One Act play.

We spent the majority of first semester working on UIL Theatrical Design that had a Dramaturgy component to it, but I did not introduce this concept with the word “Dramaturgy” attached.

We have reviewed Dramatic Structure (Freytag) and done historical research for Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express adapted by Ken Ludwig. In first semester’s assignments, students were given clear instruction on what and how to research the time period and set design elements for the play. I’m excited to introduce the research packets and let them choose their own topic. I’m most interested to see if anyone chooses a topic that I hadn’t considered the importance of.

I have always taught Dramaturgy to my students, but I often do most of that work myself for the shows we produce simply because I really enjoy it. This year, I have decided to let my students take on part of the research load for our UIL One Act Play, The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson.

The play is set in 1793 during the French Revolution and one of the characters in the play is Marie Antoinette. I’m not sure what my set design or costume design for this show will look like and I’m hoping that one (or more) of my students will come up with a concept or idea that will inspire me to examine further.

I’m most interested in the reference images that they choose as I am a very visual person and often draw the most inspiration from this type of research.

Despite the fact that this is my most advanced class, I’m not sure that I can expect the quality of work that I have gotten in the past. Many in this group were completely remote all or most of the school year last year. I’m learning that, despite their drive and passion, they lack many basic writing and communication skills.

I may need to add an oral presentation component to this assignment as many of these students express themselves much easier and more effectively in this way than with their writing.

This class is also much smaller than it has been in past years. At its height, this class had 18 students in it. This year, there are only 5. This has severely limited the amount and type of work that we are able to do. This is due both to the fact that we did not build our program as normal last year because of remote studies, virtual performances and a general fear of gatherings, but also because of issues with the master schedule and the number of honors classes offered in the afternoon on our campus. The students that take Theatre Production are often honors students, but this year, we are limited to non-honors students only.

-December 2021