Carnegie Mellon University's Dramaturgy Program offers a wide range of courses specifically designed for our students, and exclusive to our curriculum.
Dramaturgy 1 : Approaches to Dramatic Text. The first-year student here learns nine critical theoretical models, and the philosophies behind them, for application to reading dramatic texts to find their many possibilities and challenges on the way towards a vibrant and relevant production, and also begins building the base of forming their own artistic identities as scholars and dramaturgs (W. Arons).
Dramaturgy 1: History and Practice. Here the first-year student learns the global history of dramaturgy, surveys various approaches to dramaturgical methods, and learns in a hands-on manner what a dramaturg actually does in the theatre. Students learn techniques for writing reviews, production histories, program notes, outreach materials, and scholarly critiques (M. Chemers).
Dramaturgy 3: Adaptation. The student studies the many challenges of adapting classical or foreign texts into production scripts, and adapts one of his or her own (M. Chemers).
Dramaturgy 4: Theatre Historiography. Students learn the ins and outs of researching our shared cultural past and present, argue various historiographic theories and problems, and learn the artistic science of performance reconstruction (M. Chemers).
Dramaturgy 5: Devised and Documentary Theatre. Here, the student learns the powerful role that a dramaturg plays in working with productions that do not begin with a script, but develop it out of a collaborative, investigative process. The dramaturg also studies methods for creating Living Newspapers and working with cutting-edge multimedia and internet tools for performance (W. Arons).
Dramaturgy 6: Advanced Topics in Dramaturgy. In this seminar the advanced student is immersed in the social philosophy of performance - why do we do it? What do we hope to gain? How does the dramaturg's mission advance a cultural, social, or political agenda? The student leaves with the skills of a scholar and an ability to do unlimited research on his or her own (W. Arons).
Future Stages. A course taught jointly by Directing, Design, and Dramaturgy under the vision of Marianne Weems (former dramaturg of the Wooster Group), this class generates devised theatre and produces astonishing short pieces that mingle ancient myths with cutting-edge technology, including live internet performance and other electronic media. The future of dramaturgy?
New Play Development. A course taught by renowned City Theatre dramaturg Carlyn Aquiline, this class pairs student dramaturg with professional playwrights to learn the dramaturg's most delicate and important task - cultivating newly-crafted plays for production.
Playwriting for Dramaturgs. In this class taught by students of our prestigious Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting program, dramaturgs develop their skills as playwrights and collaborators.
Four-Year Integrated Production Coursework. As the students progress through the program, they become more deeply involved with the stellar production work of the School, consistently rated as one of the top two or three undergraduate conservatories in the United States. Dramaturgs do research that bring plays to life, help directors articulate, expand, and enrich their visions, give guidance to designers and actors, and interface with the public. We give seminars to other students and local organizations, including area high and middle schools, and give talkbacks after specific shows. We write program notes and build lobby displays for each show, and produce a series of podcasts downloadable here:
http://www.cfa.cmu.edu/labA6.php?sub_page=media.
Dramaturgy 1 : Approaches to Dramatic Text. The first-year student here learns nine critical theoretical models, and the philosophies behind them, for application to reading dramatic texts to find their many possibilities and challenges on the way towards a vibrant and relevant production, and also begins building the base of forming their own artistic identities as scholars and dramaturgs (W. Arons).
Dramaturgy 1: History and Practice. Here the first-year student learns the global history of dramaturgy, surveys various approaches to dramaturgical methods, and learns in a hands-on manner what a dramaturg actually does in the theatre. Students learn techniques for writing reviews, production histories, program notes, outreach materials, and scholarly critiques (M. Chemers).
Dramaturgy 3: Adaptation. The student studies the many challenges of adapting classical or foreign texts into production scripts, and adapts one of his or her own (M. Chemers).
Dramaturgy 4: Theatre Historiography. Students learn the ins and outs of researching our shared cultural past and present, argue various historiographic theories and problems, and learn the artistic science of performance reconstruction (M. Chemers).
Dramaturgy 5: Devised and Documentary Theatre. Here, the student learns the powerful role that a dramaturg plays in working with productions that do not begin with a script, but develop it out of a collaborative, investigative process. The dramaturg also studies methods for creating Living Newspapers and working with cutting-edge multimedia and internet tools for performance (W. Arons).
Dramaturgy 6: Advanced Topics in Dramaturgy. In this seminar the advanced student is immersed in the social philosophy of performance - why do we do it? What do we hope to gain? How does the dramaturg's mission advance a cultural, social, or political agenda? The student leaves with the skills of a scholar and an ability to do unlimited research on his or her own (W. Arons).
Future Stages. A course taught jointly by Directing, Design, and Dramaturgy under the vision of Marianne Weems (former dramaturg of the Wooster Group), this class generates devised theatre and produces astonishing short pieces that mingle ancient myths with cutting-edge technology, including live internet performance and other electronic media. The future of dramaturgy?
New Play Development. A course taught by renowned City Theatre dramaturg Carlyn Aquiline, this class pairs student dramaturg with professional playwrights to learn the dramaturg's most delicate and important task - cultivating newly-crafted plays for production.
Playwriting for Dramaturgs. In this class taught by students of our prestigious Master of Fine Arts in Playwriting program, dramaturgs develop their skills as playwrights and collaborators.
Four-Year Integrated Production Coursework. As the students progress through the program, they become more deeply involved with the stellar production work of the School, consistently rated as one of the top two or three undergraduate conservatories in the United States. Dramaturgs do research that bring plays to life, help directors articulate, expand, and enrich their visions, give guidance to designers and actors, and interface with the public. We give seminars to other students and local organizations, including area high and middle schools, and give talkbacks after specific shows. We write program notes and build lobby displays for each show, and produce a series of podcasts downloadable here:
http://www.cfa.cmu.edu/labA6.php?sub_page=media.
