What the Hell is a Dramaturg?

The creative collaborator who shifts between acting as a story analyst, creative collaborator, editor, facilitator, researcher, and a mirror to the creator.

Whenever I tell someone who is not in the film or theatre industry what I do, I either get an awkward nod or the more straightforward ‘What does that even mean?’ There are countless terms to describe my work: dramaturg, script-editor, script consultant, story consultant, script doctor, concept creator (not to be confused with content creator — a whole different ballpark)… but what do all these terms actually mean?

The first dramaturg Between 1729 and 1781, there lived a man in Hamburg named Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, the person who many consider to be the world’s first dramaturg. Lessing studied philology (study of language in historical sources), theology, and philosophy, and had developed an early interest in literature and theatre. He was an Enlightenement Thinker, challenged French Neoclassical theatre rules, and criticizing his own contemporaries for attending theatre out of fashion or curiosity rather than deep emotional and moral engagement (Lessing 1890, Essays 80–82). His path was not straightforward, but the various disciplines he explored eventually came together to form the formal career we now know as dramaturgy.

Bérénice, written by Jean Racine (1670)

While working at the Hamburg National Theatre in 1767, Lessing combined his groundbreaking theatre theory, in order to pave the way for future dramaturgs. In essence, he combined his love for writing, his philosophical, religious and linguistic studies, and his practical theatre and performance knowledge, with a critical approach to stories and its social awareness, and thus created the art of dramaturgy. He was a playwright, philosopher, literary critic, and one of the central thinkers of the Enlightenment in German literature and a foundational voice in modern theatre theory.

So how does that apply to our modern world? Even though theatre is still an important dramatic storytelling medium, it is fair to say that film and TV have shifted into becoming the dominant form today. For the purpose of this essay, I am not including the evolution of short-form digital media, such as TikTok, Instagram reels, and youtube shorts. So in a way, screen-based storytelling grew to its succes, thanks to a level of accessibility that theatre normally does not allow. Scholars note that while theatre is still valued for immediacy and intimacy, the dominant cultural space for storytelling is now film and TV, shaping popular narrative expectations (Mittell 2015, Bordwell 1985).

When the ending credits roll up after a film, one can easily recognize that it took a substantial amount of people to bring this story from a two-hundred page script, to the visual on-screen artistry we got to experience. Though we might not fully understand these countless jobs and their necessity, it is slightly easier to understand the core people who made this film into what it is today — screenwriters who wrote the script, directors who directed the story, actors who performed, and producers who created the conditions that allowed everyone else to do their job. Still, before we get to filming, there is a very long development process, that preceeds the moment we pick up a camera, or even before we consider hiring actors.

Sunset Boulevard, written and directed by Billy Wilders, co-written by Charles Brackett D.M. Marshman Jr. (1950)

In film and television, there are many stages of development, depending on where an artist or production company is in their development process. In some cases, there is only a small shiny glimmer of an idea that will be development into a TV show, in some cases a book inspires the next great blockbuster film, or a true story can be made into a four-part series. There are so many ways in which stories can be developed into another medium. Perhaps the screenwriter approaches a producer with an idea, perhaps a producer approaches a screenwriter with an idea. So where does the dramaturg come into play?

Screenwriters are highly creative people. In some cases they are good at structure or in other instances they are more intuitive creators. Some need a lot of breathing room in order to fully translate an idea from their mind onto the page, and some want to engage in conversation in order to understand the story they are trying to tell. Some require constant feedback and some prefer to be asked select questions in order for their film or play to progress in the right direction. This is where a dramaturg or script editor comes into play. They work alongside the writer, or in some cases the director, to help their story to become its best self.

Barton Fink, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (1991)

In theatre, dramaturgs used to have — and still have — a more hands-on mentality, as they might assist a director in the rehearsal room, helping the director stay on track. They might serve as a “sounding board”, offer feedback on character, plot or pacing, research cultural, historical or thematic context, as well as refining scenes or even assisting actors whilst supporting the entire creative process. In film and television, the dramaturgs take a supporting role long before production. They have a role similar to theatre dramaturgs, in the sense that they refine story structure, characters and pacing, ask the right questions, research context where needed, or simply act as a sounding board for the writer or director.

So dramaturgs make any project better, right…? Well, not really.

8½, written and directed by Federico Fellini, co-written by Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi (1963)

Just like in any industry, the people make the place. We might have a great connection with some, whilst we struggle to collaborate on tasks with another. The same is true for filmmakers, who might need some time finding the right fit for their project. It is comparable to trying to find the right psychologist — sometimes fit matters more than credentials and it is completely normal to “shop around” for a therapist whose personality, expertise and style suit your own. At the end of the day, you want to feel connected to that person who you will most probably spend a lot of time with, going into deep waters. The same is true for writers or directors finding the right dramaturg.

If the fit is right, these collaborations could span over entire careers. Creative work can be incredibly vulnerable, as it often comes from a personal place, where writers and directors are exposed to judgement and a fair amount of uncertainty. Psychologist Brené Brown calls this “creative vulnerability” — the willingness to risk shame, criticism, or failure for the sake of creating something meaningful. Therefore, the right dramaturg can lift an artist up by offering a supportive environment, helping them focus, and guide them towards the best story they could tell. But when the match is not there, it can be detrimental to any story, as it can create doubt, foster negativity around the project, or go in the complete wrong direction.

Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios [Women on the Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown], written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar (1988)

As mentioned, a good match between a writer/director and a dramaturg can lift any project up. In some cases, the dramaturg is present in the first steps of crafting an idea into a story, sometimes they come into it towards the end when the script is there, acting as a story analyst and editor to help find the main problems with the story to make it better, or sometimes they are even present throughout the entire process. Though not always crucial, dramaturgs can play an important role in shaping a story for its intended audience. As long as they assist, without trying to impose how they would do it.

Moving with the tides As dramatic storytelling keeps on changing, a dramaturg keeps on moving and adapting to cater to new theory. However, the essence of story still remains the same. Classical theorists, notably Aristotle, argued that tragedy should have a beginning, middle, and end, arousing pity and fear to produce catharsis (Aristotle 1932). This still applies in todays various media forms. Even though a TV series can be incredibly complex, with an entire football team of characters, hundreds of episodes, and countless acrs over many seasons, the core ideas remain the same. Dramaturgs ensure narrative continuity, monitor emotional arcs and plot clarity, challenge writers on their scripts, and refine story elements.

So… what is a dramaturg? Many things.