Dramaturgy Coordinator, David Lane dramaturgy@kcactf5.org
Dramaturgy Initiatives
The role of the dramaturg is the most collaborative of the roles in theatre, the most collaborative of the arts. As such, dramaturgs work closely with all theatre makers. The Dramaturgy Initiatives of KCACTF Region 5 include opportunities to showcase your work from you home institutions as well as engage at the festival with fellow artists to create new work. We encourage all dramaturgs to initiate artistic relationships across disciplinary and institutional lines. The connection between playwrighting and dramaturgy is vital and close, and we encourage dramaturgs to also explore the playwrighting opportunities with Region 5.
Student dramaturgs can participate in Dramaturgy Initiatives at the Region 5 Festival in three events: the Dramaturgy Fellowships Program, the Dramaturgy National Award, and the Dramaturgy Regional Award. Students can participate in both the Fellowship and one of the Award events but must choose between the national and regional category when submitting dramaturgical projects (protocols).
Questions? Contact our Region 5 Dramaturgy Coordinator David Lane at dramaturgy@kcactf5.org
Student dramaturgs can participate in Dramaturgy Initiatives at the Region 5 Festival in three events: the Dramaturgy Fellowships Program, the Dramaturgy National Award, and the Dramaturgy Regional Award. Students can participate in both the Fellowship and one of the Award events but must choose between the national and regional category when submitting dramaturgical projects (protocols).
Questions? Contact our Region 5 Dramaturgy Coordinator David Lane at dramaturgy@kcactf5.org
Dramaturgy Fellowships
This program is intended for students interested in the practice of new play dramaturgy. The role of the dramaturg in new work is unique and challenging, demanding the best of our collaborative work in supporting playwrights in bringing their plays to life. Dramaturgs accepted as fellows will work with a student playwright, director, and actors throughout the week of the festival to produce a concert reading of an assigned 10-minute play.
OVERVIEW
Dramaturgy Fellows will serve as Dramaturg for a concert reading of one or two new ten-minute plays chosen from among the finalists for the National Playwriting Program Region 5 Ten-Minute Play Festival.
"Concert reading" will be defined as having no sets, props or costumes; actors will stand-up and sit-down only to indicate entrances and exits, and one actor will be cast to read stage directions, if necessary.
The concert reading format will allow the director and actors to focus on character development, language, subtext, rhythm, and pacing to bring the text alive for the playwright and for the audience. Further, the dramaturg and playwright will have the opportunity to concentrate on the structure, language, and context of the play as the week progresses.
EXPECTATIONS ABOUT DRAMATURGICAL RELATIONSHIPS
POTENTIAL DRAMATURGY FELLOWSHIP MEETING AND REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Sunday: 10-Minute Play Orientation
Monday - Wednesday: Rehearsal 9 am - 12 pm
Thursday: 10-Minute Play Festival Performance & Response Session
Before and during the regional festival, Dramaturgy Fellows will:
OVERVIEW
Dramaturgy Fellows will serve as Dramaturg for a concert reading of one or two new ten-minute plays chosen from among the finalists for the National Playwriting Program Region 5 Ten-Minute Play Festival.
"Concert reading" will be defined as having no sets, props or costumes; actors will stand-up and sit-down only to indicate entrances and exits, and one actor will be cast to read stage directions, if necessary.
The concert reading format will allow the director and actors to focus on character development, language, subtext, rhythm, and pacing to bring the text alive for the playwright and for the audience. Further, the dramaturg and playwright will have the opportunity to concentrate on the structure, language, and context of the play as the week progresses.
EXPECTATIONS ABOUT DRAMATURGICAL RELATIONSHIPS
- The role of the dramaturg is to be an advocate for the play. In the process of advocating for the play, a dramaturg must know the play extremely well and understand what the playwright wants for the play.
- While dramaturgs can and do perform research regarding the context of the play for the director, actors, and playwright, it is not their only responsibility.
- As a Dramaturg of new plays, your role is that of a first audience for the play. Your feedback to the playwright and director is vital and helps them to understand how the play is and is not communicating to the audience.
- Generally, dramaturgs do not communicate directly with actors. Ideas about performance should be filtered through the playwright and director so that actors can focus their work.
- Remember that asking questions is often the best way to understand more about what the playwright wants for the play. Dramaturgs should refrain from telling any team member what they need to do with or for the play, rather they should become a mirror reflecting what they see and hear as clearly and usefully as possible.
- Finally, the research and analysis that you do for these plays should help build bridges of understanding between the entire team: actors, director, and playwright.
POTENTIAL DRAMATURGY FELLOWSHIP MEETING AND REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
Sunday: 10-Minute Play Orientation
Monday - Wednesday: Rehearsal 9 am - 12 pm
Thursday: 10-Minute Play Festival Performance & Response Session
Before and during the regional festival, Dramaturgy Fellows will:
- Prepare an analysis and research packet for each play prior to the festival (details about this packet will be supplied when Fellows are accepted into the program).
- Take part in the casting process, working collaboratively with the playwright and the director.
- Rehearse the play in the assigned space and specified hours with each team.
- Work collaboratively with the student playwrights and maintain a focus on text analysis.
- Confirm your intent to attend the entire Region 5 Festival.
- List your previous dramaturgical and playwrighting experience.
- Explain why you would like to participate in this program.
Entry for this event is now closed.
Student Dramaturgy Awards
The LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award is designed to recognize contributions by student dramaturgs to the conception, development, and production of theatre with dramaturgical work that participates fully and uniquely in the collaborative act of making theatre and in promoting social discourse around the theatrical event.
The Student Dramaturgy Award is divided into two general categories:
The Student Dramaturgy Award is divided into two general categories:
- The LMDA/KCACTF Student Dramaturgy Award (also referred to as the National Award)
- The Region 5 ATHE Student Dramaturgy Award (also referred to as the Regional Award).
The National Award
Eligibility:
You are eligible for the National Award if you served as the dramaturg for a production or workshop during Festival 55 (January through December of 2022) and your school participates in KCACTF (the production does not have to have been a participating or associate entry).
Moving on to the National Festival:
If you are selected as the recipient of the Region 5 National Award during our regional festival in January 2023, your work will be evaluated alongside the other seven National Award recipients. As the result of that evaluation, four of the eight National Awardees will be invited to participate in the National Festival in April at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. If you are passed on to the National Festival you will be required to submit a PDF version of your protocol.
The Regional Award
Eligibility:
You are eligible for the Regional Award if you served as the dramaturg for a realized or unrealized production or created a class project and your school participates in KCACTF (i.e. your school has entered at least one show as a participating or associate entry in Festival 55, January – December 2022). The Regional Award winner will receive regional recognition during the Awards Ceremony, January 2023.
Submit your digital protocol by January 13, 2023.
The Digital Protocol Includes:
Eligibility:
You are eligible for the National Award if you served as the dramaturg for a production or workshop during Festival 55 (January through December of 2022) and your school participates in KCACTF (the production does not have to have been a participating or associate entry).
- To enter, you must be either an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at least part-time (6 semester hours) at the time of the creation/completion of the project that is being submitted for the award.
- A faculty mentor (preferably the director of the production you dramaturged) at your school must be able to vouch for your work on the project and must provide a letter of nomination on your behalf (please include this letter in your Digital Protocol).
Moving on to the National Festival:
If you are selected as the recipient of the Region 5 National Award during our regional festival in January 2023, your work will be evaluated alongside the other seven National Award recipients. As the result of that evaluation, four of the eight National Awardees will be invited to participate in the National Festival in April at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. If you are passed on to the National Festival you will be required to submit a PDF version of your protocol.
The Regional Award
Eligibility:
You are eligible for the Regional Award if you served as the dramaturg for a realized or unrealized production or created a class project and your school participates in KCACTF (i.e. your school has entered at least one show as a participating or associate entry in Festival 55, January – December 2022). The Regional Award winner will receive regional recognition during the Awards Ceremony, January 2023.
- To enter, you must be either an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at least part-time (6 semester hours) at the time of the creation/completion of the project that is being submitted for the award.
- A faculty mentor (preferably the professor for the class if it is a class project) at your school must be able to vouch for your work on the project and must provide a letter of nomination on your behalf (please include this letter in your Digital Protocol).
Submit your digital protocol by January 13, 2023.
The Digital Protocol Includes:
- A title page, identifying the dramaturg, the project, and the school. Include your address, phone number, email address, and date of the project.
- Two statements written by the dramaturg, one describing the breadth and scope of the project and its challenges, the other detailing the process from start to finish.
- A letter of nomination from a faculty member.
- As much documentation of process as possible. Unrealized projects should reflect thoroughness in forethought and planning rather than documentation of the production process (since these projects are usually unrealized). Realized projects should reflect thoroughness in forethought and planning as well as documentation of the production process.
- All materials that seem relevant, but do not exceed 100 pages. This may include information from websites created; questions asked during the process; and information gathered for individual packets. We are not interested in you scanning everything that you researched, but in your analysis and compilation of materials researched.
- All materials must be in .pdf, .doc, and .docx format only.
- You must hand-deliver your project at the regional festival on Sunday or Monday of the festival. Your projects will be displayed in the Design-Technologies-Management Expo area of the festival. Check-in times are subject to change. Consult the coordinator if you have any questions.
- The exhibition space for each project at the Region 5 Festival will be a vertical format of 48 inches by 48 inches, which equates to the minimum allocation suggested by the Kennedy Center of 16 square feet.
- Stands for the display of protocol binders are available on a first come/first serve basis.
- All dramaturgical displays must be labeled with the play title, playwright, and the student dramaturg’s name.
- Wherever possible the name of the designer's college or university should NOT be visible on the front of any materials. The entrant is responsible for setting up and hanging his/her materials, and for arranging for materials to get to the festival and be returned.
- The regional festival, its hosts and volunteers are not responsible for items lost or stolen from the display area or its environs.
- You are required to attend any workshops dealing specifically with dramaturgy. Consult the festival schedule for information on times and locations.
- All entries will receive an oral response from one or more Festival Special Guest Respondent(s) with expertise in Dramaturgy based on the criteria found on the national website (see: “Award Criteria” at https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/opportunities-for-artists/pre-professional-artist-training/kcactf/dramaturgy/.) You MUST be physically present during the respondents’ oral feedback. The response session is tentatively scheduled for Festival Tuesday, and is subject to change based on the festival schedule.
Entry for this event is now closed.
Remember that in order to participate in this event you must register for the festival.
Region 5 Events
Digital Lobby Displays
Once again we are welcoming submissions in the digital lobby display category. In recent years, more and more theatres have been using digital displays in their lobbies as a form of audience outreach. In our response to the need to maintain safety and distance many theatres (and theatre departments) have been creating virtual lobby displays – taking the digital display folx have been developing around the country and bringing it online.
In response to this trend we are inviting dramaturgs to submit a digital lobby display for a regional award. Submissions should include: Eight dramaturgical slides formatted in Google Slides. Be sure to remove the name of your home institution from all materials.
To enter, you must be either an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at least part-time (6 semester hours) at the time of the creation/completion of the project that is being submitted for the award.
In response to this trend we are inviting dramaturgs to submit a digital lobby display for a regional award. Submissions should include: Eight dramaturgical slides formatted in Google Slides. Be sure to remove the name of your home institution from all materials.
To enter, you must be either an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at least part-time (6 semester hours) at the time of the creation/completion of the project that is being submitted for the award.
Entry for this event is now closed.
Please remember, in order to participate in this event you must register for the festival.