Question: I have been doing film and television script development work, but my real love is theater. A friend recently told me about a job called a Dramaturg, which he said uses some of the same skills that I use in my current job. Can you tell me more about this job?
— Phillip

Response: I consulted with Scott Horstein, M.F.A., who recently completed a graduate degree in this field, to find out more and here is what I learned.

Dramaturgs are theater artists who specialize in analyzing, developing, and finding production opportunities for legitimate theater scripts. All theater artists engage in these activities (collectively known as "dramaturgy") to a greater or lesser extent, but dramaturgs devote themselves to dramaturgy exclusively.

When a theater mounts a production of a play, it may employ the dramaturg to consult with the director on how to stage the script. The dramaturg is charged with being the production's resident expert on the world the play comes out of, and on what story the playwright is trying to tell about that world.

Through formal analysis, extensive research, and discussion, the dramaturg helps the director tease out the implied guidelines within the script of how the story wants to be told.

The dramaturg shapes research findings into juicy bites easily digestible by director and cast alike. As an expert on the script and its sources, the dramaturg frequently writes production notes for the program and leads post-show discussions with the audience.

When the play is a new one and the playwright is present for a workshop or rehearsal process, the dramaturg may work with the playwright on the continued evolution of the script. This frequently involves a conversation with the playwright that can last over many weeks and even months.

The dramaturg works on a freelance basis or as part of the theater's resident staff. If part of the theater's resident staff, the dramaturg may also serve as the resident Literary Manager.

Literary managers pursue new scripts to program at their theaters and build relationships with playwrights and agents. Literary managers at large regional theaters read hundreds of scripts each year and write "coverage" (a synopsis of each script with commentary on the story and the writer's skills).

The literary manager works closely with the head of the institution, the Artistic Director, to choose plays for theater's upcoming season and to commission writers to write plays exclusively for the theater.

Dramaturgs and literary managers also support the life of their institutions by authoring subscriber newsletter articles about the theater's play, by writing grant proposals, and by participating in discussions about press and marketing.

The kind of structural analysis and interpersonal skills required for dramaturgy relate to other fields such as television and film development, literary talent agencies, library science, publishing, and web design work, though most of these fields require additional specialized education and training.

Employment Outlook:
This is a small, specialized field. Competition is keen, with dozens of applicants sometimes applying for a single job. Many freelance dramaturgs also work in academia.

Dramaturgs are employed almost exclusively in not-for-profit theaters, which comprise the majority of professional theaters. Increasingly, theaters are realizing the value of dramaturgy, particularly to the sensitive process of new play development. Many non-profit theaters in the country have dramaturgs or literary managers on staff, but perhaps only 100 or so of these theaters can afford to pay dramaturgs a full-time salary.

Salary Range:
Salary for full-time positions range from approximately $20,000 per year for an entry-level Literary Associate to $75,000 per year for an extremely established senior Dramaturg, though the large majority of staff dramaturgs and literary managers earn at the low end of that range.

Freelance pay ranges from pro bono work at many small theaters to $2,500 for a major production at a major regional theater (approximately six weeks' work). Dramaturgical and literary staff tend to receive basic benefits packages.

Training Options:
Volunteer freelance dramaturgs and literary managers at small theaters generally have a college degree, often in Theater or Literature, though the particular degree is less important than having sufficient theater experience and a gift for script analysis. Some freelance dramaturgs may have graduate degrees in any of the various theater disciplines, such as acting or directing.

Paid staff dramaturgs tend to have a graduate degree, either an MA in Theater with a focus in dramaturgy, an MFA in Dramaturgy, or a PhD in Theater. The PhD in Theater provides the additional advantage of eligibility for full-time faculty positions at colleges. The following universities offer graduate programs appropriate for dramaturgs:
University of California at San Diego Theatre and Dance
in conjunction with the Department of Drama
at the University of California, Irvine (PhD program)
www-theatre.ucsd.edu/

The American Repertory Theatre Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard University (MFA program)
www.fas.harvard.edu/~art/institute

Brooklyn College Department of Theatre (MFA program)
www.depthome.brooklyn.cuny.edu/theater

Catholic University -- Washington, D.C. (MA program)
arts-sciences.cua.edu/drama/

Columbia University -- New York City (MFA program)
www.columbia.edu/cu/arts/theatre

Stanford University Palo Alto, California (PhD program)
www.stanford.edu/dept/drama

State University of New York (SUNY) Stonybrook (MA and MFA programs)
www.sunysb.edu/theatrearts/

University of Massachusetts at Amherst (MFA program)
www.umass.edu/theater

Villanova University Pennsylvania (MA program)
www.theatre.villanova.edu

Yale School of Drama Department of Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism
(MFA and DFA program. DFA is roughly equivalent to PhD)
www.yale.edu/drama
Internships:
Many theaters with dramaturgical or literary staff offer internships, which are either unpaid or paid a stipend. Interns typically help evaluate scripts, maintain correspondence with agents and playwrights, aid with research, and observe rehearsals at the theater.

Job Resources:
ArtSEARCH: The National Employment Bulletin for the Arts
355 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
www.tcg.org
Published by TCG (Theater Communications Group), Art SEARCH is the major job list for not-for-profit performing arts organizations and university departments in the United States.

Professional Resources:
Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA)
PO Box 728
Village Station
New York, NY 10014
(212)561-0315
LMDA2000@AOL.COM
www.lmda.org
This is the major professional association for dramaturgs and literary managers, with most members from the United States and Canada. It offers its members access to a lively listserve on advocacy and professional issues and career opportunities, a bi-annual newsletter, an annual conference, and other services.
Association for Theater in Higher Education (ATHE)
P.O. Box 69
Downers Grove, IL 60515
1-888-284-3737
1-630-964-1940
1-630-964-1941 (fax)
info@athe.org
www.athe.org
This association, though primarily for theater academics and educators, also has a Dramaturgy Focus Group devoted to the pedagogy and advancement of dramaturgy as field and profession. It offers a listserve and annual conference.

Additional Resources:
Jonas, Susan, Geoff Proehl, and Michael Lupu, eds. Dramaturgy in the American Theater: A Source Book. Harcourt Brace College Publishers: San Diego, 1997.

Brown, Lenora Inez. "You Can't Tell a Dramaturg by Her Title." American Theater, January 2001: 22-28+.

— • —  
Susan W. Miller, M.A., is a National Certified Career Counselor, a Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist and holds diplomate status on the American Board of Vocational Experts. She heads California Career Services, a private practice career counseling firm in Los Angeles.

You may e-mail questions to swmcareer@aol.com.