Production History
Venue: Apollo Theatre
Location: London, England
Run dates: 2006
Producing agent or Producer: Stanhope Productions
Director: Adrian Noble
Designers: Peter McKintosh (set design), Deidre Clancy (costume design), Peter Mumford (lighting design)
Actors in lead roles: Rosamund Pike (Alma), Chris Carmack (John)
This particular production seems interesting because all of the lead actors background is mainly in television. They didn't have much experience on the stage yet judging by the reviews they did a pretty outstanding job.
Venue: The Paper Mill Playhouse
Location: Millburn, New Jersey
Run Dates: Jan. 10-Feb. 11 2007
Production: Hartford Stage
Director: Michael Wilson
Designers: Tony Straiges (scenic design), Rui Rita (lighting design), David C. Woolard (costume design) and John Gromada (sound design and original music).
Actors in lead roles: Amanda Plummer (Alma), Kevin Anderson (john)
In researching through the pictures of this production I found it surprising that the Alma character (Amanda Plummer), appeared much older than what the character is usually portrayed as.
Venue: Music Box Theatre
Location: New York, New York
Run dates: Oct. 6, 1948-Jan. 1, 1949
Produced and Directed by: Margo Jones
Designers: Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner; Lighting Design by Jo Mielziner; Costume Design by Rose Bogdanoff; Assistant to Mr. Mielziner: John Harvey
Actors in lead roles: Tod Andrews (john), Margaret Phillips (Alma)
This was the original production of Summer and Smoke.
Venue: Criterion Center Stage Right
Location: New York, New York
Run dates: Sept. 5, 1996-Oct. 20, 1996
Directer: David Warren
Producer: The Roundabout Theatre Company
Designers: Derek McLane (set designer), Martin Pakledinaz (costume design), Brian MacDevitt (lighting design), John Gromada (sound)
Actors in lead roles: Harry Hamlin (John), Mary McDonnell (Alma)
This particular theatre company is very prestigious by having three permanent theatres as well as having 122 Tony nominated productions.
Venue: Port City Playhouse
Location: Alexandria, Virginia
Run dates: June 2006
Producer: Don Neal Williams
Director: Rosemary Hartman
Designers: William Buchanan
Actors in lead roles: Maggie Keele (Alma), Richard Isaacs (John)
The Port City Playhouse was establishe in 1977.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Space:
The form of transportation of the 1910's.
This is a photograph of an actual historical house in Mississippi. This is what I envision Alma and her family’s home looking like.
http://www.photovault.com/show.php?cat=Cities/Midwest/sMississippi?tg=CMSVolume01/CMSV01P04_16
This would be the perfect style home for John and his fathers’ practice. The office is located in the front of the house and the bedrooms are all upstairs. I like the contrast between John and Alma’s home because he has bold features such as the columns, the black shutters and the large scale in size. Alma’s’ on the other hand is small with delicate and detailed features.
http://www.photovault.com/show.php?cat=Cities/Midwest/sMississippi?tg=CMSVolume01/CMSV01P05_01
This is what the rectory would look like. All of the towns meetings and gatherings are located here.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2278/2355135640_358bd16615.jpg?v=0
The form of transportation of the 1910's.
Something Alma would most likely wear.
http://www.kittyprint.com/KTP/Images/Fashion/1902Lady.jpg
Shoes that were popular between 1910 and 1915.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mendoukuse/Firefly1/photo#5152274359264120946
This painting captures the beauty of Mississippi and its natural resources.
http://www.southernbyways.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/night-on-the-mississippi-zoom.jpg
The blues were just becoming popular at this time period and many references were made about it throughout the play.
Dainty and beautiful enough to be the fountain where Alma and John spent a lot of time together.
Most of the play takes place outside at night. This picture displays almost a ghostly, as well as a Smokey feel.
http://www.books-about-california.com/Pages/Palace_of_Fine_Arts/Palace_of_Fine_Arts_text.html
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sound:
Lyrics to "Yellow Dog Blues" (featured in the play)
Lyrics to "Yellow Dog Blues" (featured in the play)
Since Susan Johnson lost her jockey Lee,
there's been much excitement, more to be.
You can hear her moanin' night and morn,
"Wonder where my easy rider's gone.".
Cablegrams come of sympathy,
telegrams go of inquiry.
Letters come from Alabam'
and everywhere that Uncle Sam
has even a rural delivery.
All day the phone rings,
but it's not for me.
At last good tidings
fill our hearts with glee.
This message comes from Tennessee.
Chorus
Dear Sue your easy rider struck this burg today
On a southbound rattler side-door Pullman car.
I seen him and he was on the hog.
Easy rider, got to stay away
So he had to vamp it but the hike ain't far.
He's gone where the Southern cross the Yellow Dog.
Second Verse
I know the Yellow Dog district like a book,
I know the route that rider took;
Every cross tie, bayou, burg, and bog.
Way down where the Southern cross the Dog.
Money don't exactly grow on trees;
on cotton stalks it grows with ease.
No racehorse, racetrack, no grandstand
is like old Beck and buckshot land
Down where the Southern cross the Dog.
Every kitchen there is like a cabaret;
Boll weevil works
while the people play
The Yellow Dog Rag
all the livelong day.
(This particular song was one that John Buchanan requested at the Moon Lake Casino.)http://www.jumbojimbo.com/lyrics.php?songid=5830
This song is available on you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl4UMmk9KlYTo purchase: http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?prodid=CSO339.2&si=ccity-prod&store=Music
$13.99
Santiago Waltz
(This song was featured in the play during the fourth of July celebration. The band played this as Alma and John were star gazing.)
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/sheetmusic/b/b04/b0430/b0430-2-150dpi.htmlAlexander's Ragtime Band (lyrics by Irving Berlin)
(Lyrics to a very popular dancing song in 1911.)
http://ingeb.org/songs/alexande.htmlTo purchase:
http://payplay.fm/suekeller12/wma/2
$7.77
Arnold Schoenberg, String Quartet #2, op.10
(A very popular song that could be played in the background at the rectory meetings.)
This song is available to be heard at you tube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhTtfTQc90g
To purchase:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Arnold+Schoenberg,+String+Quartet+%232,+op.10&btnG=Search+Products&show=dd&cid=14701872638647429806
$5.00-$71.00
Alban Berg Op.6
Three Pieces / 1914-5 / Orchestra
(Appropriate to the times and could be payed at any of the social gatherings.)
http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/berg_works.html
To purchase:http://search.a1books.com/cgi-bin/mktSearch?act=showDesc&code=gbase&rel=1&ITEM_CODE=028941978127
$24.25
Time
The Progressive Era actually started long before 1900 and continues in many ways to the present time, for American has been in the business of reform from its earliest existence as a nation. Yet the Progressive Ear as designated by historians—roughly 1900 to 1916—was a “just in time” phenomenon. Had Progressivism for some reason not gotten off the ground, the country could well have seen far more violence and upheaval than actually happened. By the end of the 19th Century much of America was a tinderbox. Cities were crowded with millions of immigrants, working conditions were appalling, and corruption darkened politics from the local level to the highest institutions in the land. Some thing had to be done, and it was. Although the progressive reformers did not fix everything, there was little that escaped their fury. With input from the “muckrakers”—journalists such as Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens and others—and under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt and many other political and business leaders, the nation began to clean up its act. By 1916 hundreds of national, state and local laws had begun to make the cities cleaner and healthier, the workplace safer, and businessmen more honest and considerate of their workers and customers. Much was done out of what has been called “enlightened self-interest,” which for some meant doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. But whatever the motives of the reformers, progress was made, and not a moment too soon.
http://www.sagehistory.net/progressive/index.html
Important Mississippi Events between 1900-1916:
1903 - A new capitol building, constructed at a cost of $1 million, is dedicated in Jackson.
1907-The boll weevil arrives in Mississippi, destroying most of the state's cotton crop.
1908 - Mississippi adopts statewide prohibition.
1910 - Mississippi Normal College, now the University of Southern Mississippi, is organized.
1916 - The Mississippi State Sanatorium for Tuberculosis is established.
Governor Theodore Bilbo establishes the state's first Highway Commission.
http://www.shgresources.com/ms/timeline/
Alma's religious views on faith played a large role in all of her decision making. She prayed often and didn't agree with any forms of immoral behavior. She was considered a spinster since she was over the typical marrying age. She had never engaged in any sexual encounters since her beliefs prohibited her to do so without being married. John on the other hand was not influenced by religion at all. He was a very skilled physician that had the tendency of being a flirt. Most of the money he earned went directly to gambling at the nearest casino. He in a way degraded women because of his lack of respect and his actions. Art was one thing that he and Alma valued. They both enjoyed various works whether it be through paintings, sculpture, entertainment or books.
The Progressive Era actually started long before 1900 and continues in many ways to the present time, for American has been in the business of reform from its earliest existence as a nation. Yet the Progressive Ear as designated by historians—roughly 1900 to 1916—was a “just in time” phenomenon. Had Progressivism for some reason not gotten off the ground, the country could well have seen far more violence and upheaval than actually happened. By the end of the 19th Century much of America was a tinderbox. Cities were crowded with millions of immigrants, working conditions were appalling, and corruption darkened politics from the local level to the highest institutions in the land. Some thing had to be done, and it was. Although the progressive reformers did not fix everything, there was little that escaped their fury. With input from the “muckrakers”—journalists such as Ida Tarbell, Lincoln Steffens and others—and under the leadership of Theodore Roosevelt and many other political and business leaders, the nation began to clean up its act. By 1916 hundreds of national, state and local laws had begun to make the cities cleaner and healthier, the workplace safer, and businessmen more honest and considerate of their workers and customers. Much was done out of what has been called “enlightened self-interest,” which for some meant doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. But whatever the motives of the reformers, progress was made, and not a moment too soon.
http://www.sagehistory.net/progressive/index.html
Important Mississippi Events between 1900-1916:
1903 - A new capitol building, constructed at a cost of $1 million, is dedicated in Jackson.
1907-The boll weevil arrives in Mississippi, destroying most of the state's cotton crop.
1908 - Mississippi adopts statewide prohibition.
1910 - Mississippi Normal College, now the University of Southern Mississippi, is organized.
1916 - The Mississippi State Sanatorium for Tuberculosis is established.
Governor Theodore Bilbo establishes the state's first Highway Commission.
http://www.shgresources.com/ms/timeline/
Alma's religious views on faith played a large role in all of her decision making. She prayed often and didn't agree with any forms of immoral behavior. She was considered a spinster since she was over the typical marrying age. She had never engaged in any sexual encounters since her beliefs prohibited her to do so without being married. John on the other hand was not influenced by religion at all. He was a very skilled physician that had the tendency of being a flirt. Most of the money he earned went directly to gambling at the nearest casino. He in a way degraded women because of his lack of respect and his actions. Art was one thing that he and Alma valued. They both enjoyed various works whether it be through paintings, sculpture, entertainment or books.
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Facts: Characters and Casting
Alma: female, Caucasian, early 30's. the fragile, lonely, and oversensitive daughter of a minister. She often nervously rings her hands. The caregiver to her mother.
John: male, Caucasian, late 30's. A physician who resents following his fathers lead. A lively character who enjoys the nightlife.
Rev. Winemiller: male, Caucasian, 50's. A reverend, Alma's father.
Mrs. Winemiller: female, Caucasian, 50's. Very childish, has to be taken care of by Alma. Requires a lot of care and attention.
Dr. Buchanan: male, Caucasian, 50's. A respected physician. The father of John.
Rosa Gonzales: female, Hispanic, 20's. John's on again off again girlfriend.
Papa Gonzales: male, Hispanic, late 40's. Owner of the Moon Lake Casino. The father of Rosa Gonzales.
Nellie Ewell: female, Caucasian, early twenties. A music student of Alma's. Later becomes John's bride.
Mrs. Bassett: female, Caucasian, elderly. The town gossip. Attends all the rectory meetings.
Roger Doremus: male, Caucasian, mid 30's. plays the French horn. Attends all rectory meetings.
Mr. Kramer: male, Caucasian, 40's. Small in stature.
Rosemary: female, Caucasian, elderly. Very bossy. Member of the rectory meetings.
Vernon: male, Caucasian, 50's. Attends the town meetings. Recites and writes his own verse plays.
Dusty: male, Caucasian, 20's, waiter.
I personally would like to see this play with all races in the cast, but unfortunately historically, I don't think it would work. The play takes place in Mississippi between the turn of the century and 1916. I think it would be unlikely to have John Buchanan and his father as black physicians in those days. I think that Rosa and her father could be either Caucasian or Hispanic. The Dusty character who plays the waiter could be any race. I think all of the people who attend the town meetings would most likely be Caucasian since they were viewed as having the same social class and standing.
The Facts: Exegesis
Middy blouse- (pg.15) a loosely fitting blouse with a sailor collar worn by women and children.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middy
Promethean figure- (pg.21) Greek Mythology Relating to or suggestive of Prometheus.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Promethean
(Ancient Greek: "forethought") is a Titan known for his wily intelligence, who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to mortals for their use. He was then punished for his crime by Zeus. His myth has been treated by a number of ancient sources, in which Prometheus is credited with (or blamed for) playing a pivotal role in the early history of humankind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus
Doppelganger- (pg. 31) a ghostly counterpart of a person; a ghostly double of a living person.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/doppelganger
Imp- (pg.34) a mythological being similar to a fairy or demon, frequently described in folklore and superstition. The word derives from the term ympe, used to denote a young grafted tree. Imps are usually described as mischievous more than seriously threatening, and as lesser beings rather than more important supernatural beings. The attendants of the devil are sometimes described as imps. They are usually described as lively and having small stature.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp
Malaria- (pg.35) Malaria is one of the world's most common diseases, caused by a parasite that is transmitted to humans by a female mosquito's bite. The discovery of this parasite in mosquitoes earned the British scientist Ronald Ross the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1902. In 1907, Alphonse Laveran received the prize for his findings that the parasite was present in human blood.
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/malaria/
Plume- (pg.41) a prominent bird feather often used as an ornament.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plume
laconic- (pg.44) A "laconic phrase" is a very concise or terse statement, named after Laconia, a polis of ancient Greece (and region of modern Greece) surrounding the city of Sparta proper. In common usage, Sparta referred both to Lacedaemon and Sparta. Similarly, a laconism is a figure of speech in which someone uses very few words to express an idea, keeping with the Spartan reputation for austerity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laconic
Bastille Day- (pg.53) Americans have The 4th of July; the French have Bastille Day. On July 14, 1789, an outraged group of Parisians stormed the Bastille, a fortress and prison in France where prisoners of influence were held, in hopes of capturing ammunition. For the peasant class, the Bastille stood as a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of the aristocratic government - controlled mostly by nobility and clergy. This important event marked the entry of the popular class into the French Revolution. The French recognize Bastille Day as the end of the monarchy and beginning of the modern republic. The lasting significance of the event was in its recognition that power could be held by ordinary citizens, not in the King or in God.
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/99bastilleday.html
Rectory- (pg.68) Depending on denomination, local custom, and the status of the minister, the building inhabited (or formerly inhabited) by the leader of a local Christian church can be referred to by one of several names. In Roman Catholic churches it is often called a rectory, sometimes a presbytery. Traditionally, Catholic rectories housed several priests from a parish, as opposed to other denominations where the church leader is often married and raising children.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectory
“Yellow Dog Blues”- (pg. 73) - the song that W. C. Handy was to “compose” later as “The yellow Dog Blues”. In 1903 Handy has related how he heard a lean, raggedy, black guitarist in Tutwiler’s railroad depot, singing of going to where the ‘Southern cross the Yellow Dog”. Writers have speculated the origin of this nickname for over five decades. The picture becomes even less clear as at least two railroads seem to be involved; the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley (Y.&M.V.) and the Yazoo Delta (Y.D.)
http://www.earlyblues.com/Yellow%20Dog.htm
Cyclorama- (PG.87) a cyclorama is a cylindrical panoramic painting designed to provide a viewer, standing in the middle of the cylinder, with a 360° view of the painting. The intended effect is that the viewer would feel as if they were standing in the center of a historic event or famous place — surrounded by the panoramic image.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclorama
Burma- (pg.88) of or relating to Myanmar (formerly Burma) or its people, language, or culture.
http://www.answers.com/topic/burmese?nr=1&lsc=true
Joyeux Noel- (pg.111) How Merry Christmas is said in France, Quebec, Louisiana, Switzerland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holiday_greetings
Weathercock- (pg.112) a weathervane, especially one in the form of a rooster.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/weathercock
Derby- (pg.122) a stiff felt hat with a round crown and a narrow, curved brim.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/derby
Red Goose Shoes- (pg.124) The Red Goose Shoe Company of St. Louis, Missouri, began selling shoes to pioneer families headed west in 1869. The company's name was originally Gieseke-D'Oench-Hayes, after its founders, but when the company became advertising conscious in the early 1900's, they changed the name. Gieseke is German slang for "goose" so the goose image came naturally. The red color came later when, during the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904, some stock boys painted the goose on the cartons red. The head of the company liked the idea, and so Red Goose Shoes was trademarked in 1906.
http://www.dallashistory.org/cgi-bin/webbbs_config.pl?noframes;read=32753
Spinster- (pg.24) a woman who has remained single beyond the conventional age for marrying.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spinsterish
Palmetto- (pg.32) Any of several small, mostly tropical palms having fan-shaped leaves, especially one of the genus Sabal, such as S. palmetto of the southeast United States. Also called sabal.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/palmetto
Byronic- (pg.53) British poet acclaimed as one of the leading figures of the romantic movement. The "Byronic hero"—lonely , rebellious, and brooding—first appeared in Manfred (1817). Among his other works are Childe Harold (1812-1818), The Prisoner of Chillon (1816), and the epic satire Don Juan (1819-1824). Byron was notorious for his love affairs and unconventional lifestyle. He died while working to secure Greek independence from the Turks.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/byronic+
William Blake- (pg.58) visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827).
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Facts: Basics
Title: Summer & Smoke
Author: Tennessee Williams
Language/Translator: English
Year of Original Publication: 1948
Genre/Length/Structure: Drama, full length, part one with six scenes, part two with six scenes
Agency Controlling License: Dramatists Play Service
Royalty Fee: Book/item: $7.50. $75 per performance. SPECIAL NOTE: A CD (#4345CD) with cue sheet containing the original music composed by Paul Bowles for the New York production of this play is available through the Play Service for $60.00, plus shipping. The nonprofessional fee for the use of this music is $15.00 per performance.
Cast Breakdown: 8 men, 6 women: 14 total
Time and Setting: Set in Mississippi from the turn of the century through 1916.
Bio of Author: Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), better known as Tennessee Williams, was a major American playwright who received many of the top theatrical awards. He moved to New Orleans in 1939 and changed his name to "Tennessee," the state of his father's birth. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for A Streetcar Named Desire in 1948 and for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1955. In addition, The Glass Menagerie (1945) and The Night of the Iguana (1961) received New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards. His 1952 play The Rose Tattoo received the Tony Award for best play.
Plot Summary: A play that is profoundly affecting, SUMMER AND SMOKE is a simple love story of a somewhat puritanical Southern girl and an unpuritanical young doctor. Each is basically attracted to the other but because of their divergent attitudes toward life, each over the course of years is driven away from the other. Not until the end does the doctor realize that the girl's high idealism is ultimately right, and while she is still in love with him, it turns out that neither time nor circumstances will allow the two to come together. Because of the explicit details provided by the author’s production notes, the stage directions, and the diagram of the set design, nonprofessionals should have no difficulty in mounting the play effectively.
http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=1805
Friday, July 11, 2008
Graduate Degree Programs
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242-1396
MFA Program in Dramaturgy
A minimum of sixty-four semester-hours of coursework in dramaturgy, theatre history, and dramatic literature/theory/criticism. Admission for the Dramaturgy MFA is highly selective. The program currently enrolls three students for the degree and expects to maintain enrollment at this level. The program seeks mature students with a strong background in theatre history, theory, literature and/or related fields, well-developed analytical and writing skills, a demonstrated ability in collaborating with artists, and a vision of how he/she might ultimately serve the American theatre as a dramaturg in the future.
http://www.uiowa.edu/~theatre/programs/grad-dramaturgy.html
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University has two main campuses, one in downtown Chicago and one in Schaumburg, Illinois. Roosevelt’s campus is within walking distance of world-renowned arts institutions such as the Goodman Theatre, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Lyric Opera.
http://www.roosevelt.edu/catalog05/pag-thea.htm
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
3 years
Virginia Commonwealth University is the largest university in Virginia and ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 32,000 students in 205 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and humanities.
http://www.vcu.edu/about/
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
MFA of playwriting and dramaturgy
Ohio State University
Master of Arts in Theatre Studies. 2 years. At The Ohio State University, the emphasis is on all aspects of the theatre - from performance and cutting-edge technology and historical reconstruction. Known for its focus on experimentation and new works, OSU Theatre offers education and conservatory-style training to artists, scholars and teachers.
http://theatre.osu.edu/1_academics/level_3_academics/degree/areas.htm
California State University
Long Beach
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242-1396
MFA Program in Dramaturgy
A minimum of sixty-four semester-hours of coursework in dramaturgy, theatre history, and dramatic literature/theory/criticism. Admission for the Dramaturgy MFA is highly selective. The program currently enrolls three students for the degree and expects to maintain enrollment at this level. The program seeks mature students with a strong background in theatre history, theory, literature and/or related fields, well-developed analytical and writing skills, a demonstrated ability in collaborating with artists, and a vision of how he/she might ultimately serve the American theatre as a dramaturg in the future.
http://www.uiowa.edu/~theatre/programs/grad-dramaturgy.html
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University has two main campuses, one in downtown Chicago and one in Schaumburg, Illinois. Roosevelt’s campus is within walking distance of world-renowned arts institutions such as the Goodman Theatre, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Art Institute of Chicago, and the Lyric Opera.
http://www.roosevelt.edu/catalog05/pag-thea.htm
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
3 years
Virginia Commonwealth University is the largest university in Virginia and ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 32,000 students in 205 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and humanities.
http://www.vcu.edu/about/
Towson University
Towsontown Ct Towson, MD 21204, USster of Fine Arts in theater
Required Courses (43 credits)
The Towson University Master of Fine Arts in Theatre is dedicated to creating a fluid, alternative environment to support the development of the total theatre maker. The program is designed to foster self-directed processes that will challenge, expand and develop each participant's artistic vision. This vision is explored in terms of its context as well as its skillful application of craft.
http://grad.towson.edu/program/master/thea-mfa/
University Ottawa
Ottawa ON Canada
2year
MFA Theatre theory & dramaturgy
Theatre is a fundamental and always pertinent mode of expression of Canada's cultural identities, whether Francophone or Anglophone. As a multidisciplinary art form, theatre includes playwriting, acting, directing, as well as the various technical specializations that allow for its practice. As a living art form, it embraces theoretical modes of thinking, and is nourished by multiple historical traditions. Contemporary practice is defined by these very dynamics. Theatre, more than ever, is the crossroad of formal and aesthetic research.
http://www.theatre.uottawa.ca/eng/study-theatre.html
Mary Baldwin College
Staunton, VA
2 years
MFA of fine Arts
Dramaturgy, the art of writing for the theatre, is the discipline which unites scholarship and stagecraft. Dramaturgs use their knowledge of the Early Modern social, historical, and cultural context to contribute to choices made by actors, directors and designers in rehearsal and in production. The dramaturgy emphasis leaves little room for elective classes. The program advises MLitt dramaturgy students to begin taking MFA required courses during the two MLitt years because some of the required courses are offered every other year.
http://www.mbc.edu/shakespeare/about.asp
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, New York
Sixty credits are required for the degree. Dramaturgy: Applicants must offer at least 18 credits or the equivalent in theater and/or dramatic literature courses, submit at least three samples of formal essays or papers, and submit a statement of professional goals. If possible, applicants should arrange to be interviewed by the Theater Department.
http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/pub/
Hunter College
Manhattan
MFA of art. Founded in 1870, Hunter is also one of the oldest public colleges in the country. Currently, 21,000 students attend the College, pursuing both undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 170 different programs of study. With the myriad opportunities found in New York City, and world-renowned faculty to guide them, Hunter’s students embark upon their bright and illustrious futures and begin to achieve their version of the American Dream!
http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/abouthunter/index.shtml
Concordia University
Canada
BFA of playwriting. The Theatre Department inspires and prepares students to enter Canada’s rapidly evolving performing arts culture. Creativity, imagination, and critical thinking are essential to students exploring a wide range of past and present approaches to theatre by combining traditional and innovative research under the guidance of faculty members active on the local, national and international theatre scenes.
http://finearts.concordia.ca/HTML/theatre.htm
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
MFA of playwriting and dramaturgy
Ohio State University
Master of Arts in Theatre Studies. 2 years. At The Ohio State University, the emphasis is on all aspects of the theatre - from performance and cutting-edge technology and historical reconstruction. Known for its focus on experimentation and new works, OSU Theatre offers education and conservatory-style training to artists, scholars and teachers.
http://theatre.osu.edu/1_academics/level_3_academics/degree/areas.htm
California State University
Long Beach
MFA degree in Theatre Arts.
Dramaturgy as a Profession:
Not-for-profit theatres (LORT) that employ resident dramaturgs (and/or literary managers):
1. City Theatre Company
1300 Bingham St , Pittsburgh , PA 15203
LORT: yes
Category: D
Carlyn Aquiline, Literary Manager/Dramaturg
2. Alliance Theatre
Robert W Woodruff Arts Center , 1280 Peachtree St N.E. , Atlanta , GA 30309
LORT: yes
Category: B & D
Celise Kalke, Artistic Associate/Dramaturg
3. CENTERSTAGE
700 N Calvert St , Baltimore , MD 21202
LORT: yes
Category: B & C
Gavin Witt, Resident Dramaturg
4. City Theatre Company
1300 Bingham St , Pittsburgh , PA 15203
LORT: yes
Category: D
Carlyn Aquiline, Literary Manager/Dramaturg
5. The Human Race Theatre Company
126 N Main St, #300 , Dayton , OH 45402-1766
LORT: no
Category: D
Diane Conrad Merchant, Dramaturg
6. Northlight Theatre
North Shore Center , 9501 Skokie Blvd , Skokie , IL 60077
LORT: yes
Category: C
Gavin Witt, Dramaturg/Literary Manager
7. Geva Theatre Center
75 Woodbury Blvd , Rochester , NY 14607
LORT: yes
Category: B & D
Marge Betley, Literary Manager/Resident
8. Dallas Theater Center
3636 Turtle Creek Blvd , Dallas , TX 75219-5598
LORT:
Category:
Allison Horsley, Dramaturg/Literary Manager
9. Court Theatre
5535 S Ellis Ave , Chicago , IL 60637
Lort: yes
Category: D
Celise Kalke, Resident Dramaturg
10. McCarter Theatre Center
91 University Pl , Princeton , NJ 08540
LORT: yes
Category: B+ & B
Janice Paran, Dramaturg & Director of Play Development
5.
Not-for-profit theatres (LORT) that employ resident dramaturgs (and/or literary managers):
1. City Theatre Company
1300 Bingham St , Pittsburgh , PA 15203
LORT: yes
Category: D
Carlyn Aquiline, Literary Manager/Dramaturg
2. Alliance Theatre
Robert W Woodruff Arts Center , 1280 Peachtree St N.E. , Atlanta , GA 30309
LORT: yes
Category: B & D
Celise Kalke, Artistic Associate/Dramaturg
3. CENTERSTAGE
700 N Calvert St , Baltimore , MD 21202
LORT: yes
Category: B & C
Gavin Witt, Resident Dramaturg
4. City Theatre Company
1300 Bingham St , Pittsburgh , PA 15203
LORT: yes
Category: D
Carlyn Aquiline, Literary Manager/Dramaturg
5. The Human Race Theatre Company
126 N Main St, #300 , Dayton , OH 45402-1766
LORT: no
Category: D
Diane Conrad Merchant, Dramaturg
6. Northlight Theatre
North Shore Center , 9501 Skokie Blvd , Skokie , IL 60077
LORT: yes
Category: C
Gavin Witt, Dramaturg/Literary Manager
7. Geva Theatre Center
75 Woodbury Blvd , Rochester , NY 14607
LORT: yes
Category: B & D
Marge Betley, Literary Manager/Resident
8. Dallas Theater Center
3636 Turtle Creek Blvd , Dallas , TX 75219-5598
LORT:
Category:
Allison Horsley, Dramaturg/Literary Manager
9. Court Theatre
5535 S Ellis Ave , Chicago , IL 60637
Lort: yes
Category: D
Celise Kalke, Resident Dramaturg
10. McCarter Theatre Center
91 University Pl , Princeton , NJ 08540
LORT: yes
Category: B+ & B
Janice Paran, Dramaturg & Director of Play Development
5.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
What is dramaturgy?
Best Online Definition:
Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. Some dramatists combine writing and dramaturgy when creating a drama. Others work with a specialist, called a dramaturge, to adapt a work to the stage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturgy
Best Dictionary Definition:
The art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical representation.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dramaturgy
Most Notable or Unusual Definition:
Shaping a story or like elements into a form that can be acted. Dramaturgy gives the work or the performance a structure. More than actual writing, a dramaturg's work can often be defined as designing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturgy
Historical Context:
The art or technique of dramatic composition or theatrical representation. In this sense English dramaturgy and French dramaturgie are both borrowed from German Dramaturgie, a word used by the German dramatist and critic Gotthold Lessing in an influential series of essays entitled Hamburgische Dramaturgie (The Hamburg Dramaturgy), published from 1767 to 1769. The word is from the Greek dramatourgía, "a dramatic composition" or "action of a play."
http://www.goldfishpublishers.com/DramaturgEssay.html
Job Description:
The responsibilities of dramaturg vary from one theater company to the next, but they typically include the hiring of actors, the development of a season of plays with a sense of the coherence among them, the assistance with and editing of new plays by resident or guest playwrights, the creation of programs or accompanying educational services, and even helping the director with rehearsals, and serving as elucidator of history or spokesperson for deceased or otherwise absent playwrights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturge
A thorough text/story analysis. Historical research of various sorts. Attendance at some preproduction meetings. Flexibility.
http://www.dramaturgy.net/dramaturgy/what/Job.html
The intersection of dramatic structure, playwriting, play analysis, criticism, and theatre history. A dramaturg needs to be well-versed in all of these areas, as the job description of a dramaturg varies from theatre company to theatre company and project to project.
http://www.joesalvatore.com/a-dramaturgy.html
My Own Definition:
An indepth study of all aspects of a play.
Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. Some dramatists combine writing and dramaturgy when creating a drama. Others work with a specialist, called a dramaturge, to adapt a work to the stage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturgy
Best Dictionary Definition:
The art or technique of dramatic composition and theatrical representation.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dramaturgy
Most Notable or Unusual Definition:
Shaping a story or like elements into a form that can be acted. Dramaturgy gives the work or the performance a structure. More than actual writing, a dramaturg's work can often be defined as designing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturgy
Historical Context:
The art or technique of dramatic composition or theatrical representation. In this sense English dramaturgy and French dramaturgie are both borrowed from German Dramaturgie, a word used by the German dramatist and critic Gotthold Lessing in an influential series of essays entitled Hamburgische Dramaturgie (The Hamburg Dramaturgy), published from 1767 to 1769. The word is from the Greek dramatourgía, "a dramatic composition" or "action of a play."
http://www.goldfishpublishers.com/DramaturgEssay.html
Job Description:
The responsibilities of dramaturg vary from one theater company to the next, but they typically include the hiring of actors, the development of a season of plays with a sense of the coherence among them, the assistance with and editing of new plays by resident or guest playwrights, the creation of programs or accompanying educational services, and even helping the director with rehearsals, and serving as elucidator of history or spokesperson for deceased or otherwise absent playwrights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dramaturge
A thorough text/story analysis. Historical research of various sorts. Attendance at some preproduction meetings. Flexibility.
http://www.dramaturgy.net/dramaturgy/what/Job.html
The intersection of dramatic structure, playwriting, play analysis, criticism, and theatre history. A dramaturg needs to be well-versed in all of these areas, as the job description of a dramaturg varies from theatre company to theatre company and project to project.
http://www.joesalvatore.com/a-dramaturgy.html
My Own Definition:
An indepth study of all aspects of a play.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Inspiration
may God bless and keep you always, may your wishes all come true, may you always do for others and let others do for you......
-Bob Dylan
-Bob Dylan
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