Liesl Lafferty
Jessie Award Winning Director – Dramaturg – Playwright – CAEA – LMDA – PGC
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Advanced Dramaturgy Panel Discussion - Lecture Notes

Thank you to Susan Proctor, Beate Pettigrew and Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival 2006 for inviting me to participate in this awesome event.

 

One of my favorite examples of dramaturgy is in Woody Allen’s Bullets over Broadway. It is a must see. The movie is a backstage story where our hero, a playwright, is in rehearsal for the production of his new play. The director and actors are secondary characters stereotypically portrayed as having only their own interests at heart. Also in the rehearsal hall is a gangster who is only there as a bodyguard for one of the actresses. He watches the artists struggling from the house in silence for as long as he can. Finally, he can bare it no longer and without even knowing what he is doing, he shouts out some notes. At first, the playwright rejects his ideas, thinking he knows nothing. But, as the gangster speaks he makes so much sense to the playwright, he begins to take note. Soon, the playwright’s is hanging on the gangster’s every word and hungers for more.

All playwrights hunger to be listened to and understood. It is the dramaturg’s job to anything it takes to make that happen.

For any dramaturgical effort, I do my homework. While reviewing any play, I read it straight through the first time. On the second read, I create The Statement of the Play, which outlines all of the basic elements of the play like; structure, character, audience, venue etc. I write out The Treatment of the Play, which breaks down what happens in each scene. And, I write down anything and everything that is unclear in the script and formulate my notes into questions to communicate to the playwright.

Before the workshop, I go over the Statement of the Play and the Treatment, with the playwright. The conversation usually starts with the simplest of questions, “Who I the protagonist? What do they want? How does it end?” That way we are on the same page, so to speak. We have a unified voice in a larger group, and we can formulate goals for the workshop, or the next deadline. I take copies of the Statement and the Treatment to the workshop for everyone.

“How do I communicate with playwrights?”

Years ago, before I even knew the word dramaturg. I was in New York visiting my actress friend. She was all excited because she was in a staged reading of a new play by this group of students from Juilliard and they were rich enough to run the readings, which looked more like a full production to me, for a whole week. I went to see it on the first night and my friend’s performance was flawless as usual, but the piece was horrible. The first act was cooking along great, but the second act was from another play, very dissatisfying. After the final performance, we all met for drinks. I thought my timing was going to be perfect, and I was going to arrive once everyone was there and had already had a drink. Oops, I arrived to an empty bar. The second person to arrive was the playwright. I tried small talk with him, “How about those Yankees?” But, he wanted to talk about the play. I was scared and I said so. I told him he was a complete stranger and I might say something that was going to hard for him to hear. He wanted to hear it. I took a long pause, trying to calm my scramble for the right answer. Then I said, “I really like the first act, but why did the lead character become a dominatrix in the Second Act?” he said, “Well’ that’s because of blah, blah, blah.” I said, “Blah, blah, blah, is brilliant, put that in the play. It is not there right now.” His eyes lit up. I heard him, I understood him. He hungered for more.

Since then, I communicate with all artists in the same way. Once I heard a story about a director who, while giving notes, would only say if something was clear or unclear. She never said whether or not she liked something or disliked it, whether it was good or bad, only if it was clear or unclear. I liked it! So, I adapted it into my own methods. I like to say positive things to the artists. I always open with something good. I think artists need to hear positive things and they deserve it. And, if I don’t take the time to say something positive when I get the chance, I end up working on all of the things you want to fix, so the artists only ever hear about what is wrong. I do not say anything negative.

The part I grooved on was this director’s only note… “Is it clear or is it unclear?” There is so much freedom for the artist in that. These few words have become my most constructive tool, because it allows me to use questions to communicate. You ask a good question by addressing what is unclear to you.

Asking good questions stimulates the playwright every time. I read the screenplay of my old friend. (It was a cool deal, because in exchange for my dramaturgical services, he put my website together.) My old friend knows his limits. To begin the notes session, he said to me, “Are we going to be able to do this, or is what you have to say going to enrage me?” I said, “We can do it.” “Because I don’t want to hear about any edits, I need the piece to be longer, so I only want to hear how I can add stuff. Are we still going to be okay?” “We’re good.” In the film, the female lead has no redeeming qualities, which would be okay because she is very funny. The problem was our hero falls in love with her. I didn’t get it. The part where he isn’t in love with her was clear. The part where he is in love with her was clear, but she was horrible… funny… but horrible. So, the note I had written was ‘she has no redeeming qualities’, but I would not say that to him. I turned that note into a question, “Why does he fall in love with her, and, when exactly?” “I Know, I know,” he said, beginning to soften, and the discussion began. After a while I decided to throw it out there. “By the way… the edits I have for you are only parts where you re-explained something I didn’t need to hear again. It interrupts the flow. I was completely on board with the character, anticipating what is next and you stopped say something I already knew.” “Oh yeah, where’s that.” He hungered for more.

 

I think anybody and everybody has a genuine response to a play and therefore everybody’s opinion is valuable. As a dramaturg, I make sure it is clear to everyone my methods of saying something positive or asking a clarifying question.

In Bullets over Broadway, the actors are too self-involved to give objective feedback to the playwright, but I think in many real-life situations, the director and cast are the play’s first audience, so they can be very informative. And, for their voices to be heard by and to have valuable impact on the playwright… communication is the key.

In 2000, I co-wrote and directed a new play about hockey. We were already in rehearsal and we had not completed the play. The end was not working. The cast were awesome. They were having a great time with the play and had complete faith that we would deliver an ending worthy of the piece. Finally, I brought the last pages into the hall. The cast anticipated the great denouement and read it out loud with enthusiasm. By the time they got to the end, the room was painfully silent. They hated it and they were in utter shock. They didn’t have to say a word. The message from the actors, the first audience, was loud and clear. I took the scene back to the drawing board with the other playwrights and the scene was re-written. The actors were relieved.

I know it can go very badly. I recently attended a reading that was very yucky for the playwright. It started out okay, she got some value out of the notes, but the leader did not lead and the conversation went on too long. I could see her spirit drain out of her, as the once gentle notes were suddenly falling like hammers on her heart. I stayed quiet. I had notes, but I couldn’t add anything to the conversation, so I decided to go with something positive. At the end, I went over to her and shook her hand, “Congratulations, you wrote a play.” A huge smile of relief came to her face, “Thank you so much.”

I posed this question to playwright Jenn Griffin and she had a very strong response. She had also just been to a workshop, and the director and the cast butchered the playwright, completely crushing the poor soul. She does not like the idea of open discussion or “cross fire” as she called it. As a playwright, it becomes too confusing for her and she ends up frustrated. Jenn likes the way we do it. I little thing I like to call The Feedback Form, my third tool for any workshop or reading or situation that requires input. I type up a lined page with the title, the date and contact information, I photocopy them and cut them in half. I gather all of the little golf pencils. I put one on every seat. The Feedback Form gives everybody a fantastic opportunity to say whatever they want without having to worry about any rules or hurting anybody’s feelings. And, as they are actual documents, the playwright gets to keep them and refer to them whenever she wants. It’s funny to, because sometimes, it takes a really long time for a note to sink in. At first, she will read a comment, and scoff, accusing of author of insanity. Then months later, she will stumble across that old thing while looking for something else and she will realize, she used that person’s note.

In summary, the dramaturg has three tools to facilitate anybody giving feedback:

Feedback from Advanced Dramaturgy Panel Discussion

Lots of folks filled out comment cards and I was inspired to follow up. This document includes response to your feedback, my lecture notes for the panel discussion, two articles and some ‘how to’ notes.

Alyssa: ‘How can the Dramaturg be used in academia?’

Dramaturgy, like theatre, is in every aspect of life. Please find attached below, Dramaturgy and the New Play.

Alyssa: ‘Possibly more discussion on all the different roles a dramaturg can perform to help everyone define/understand the boundaries of what we do and even if there needs to be those definite boundaries for the sake of artistic creation.’

Phew. I started as a director, so for me I get this feeling from a play that I will do whatever it takes to see that play on stage. Sometimes I have to pick up the slack. Sometimes I have to do stuff that I don’t like. So, my advice about boundaries is to write it all down on the first day. Define and assign every duty, and pretend that the project you are working will become the most successful thing ever performed. How do you feel about your duties and your credits? Sign it. Be prepared to pick up the slack.

Also, be patient. The hardest challenges always have the most theatrical solutions. Sometimes the art needs time to breathe. In that time, you are given the opportunity to have new ideas and gain insight into the rest of the piece. You come at it from a new perspective and with the courage to do whatever it takes to see that play on stage. The idea that is best for the play will always win.

Biz: ‘Show examples of how research and literary notes are taken and organized.’

Biz, you presented one of the best examples I have ever seen of how research and literary notes are taken and organized. In the future, when somebody asks me this question, I will be telling the story about you and your fellow nominees for the Dramaturgy Award and the fantastic binders you presented.

I do have a couple of awesome organizational tricks.

Adam: ‘More info on how to help playwrights and the process you go through.’

I help artists by mining their skills and ensuring those skills are translated onto the stage. Please find attached below Stage Ability: a terrific theatre experience and for more examples of the process I go through check out the Body of Work on my website www.liesllafferty.ca.

Adam: ‘How to break stuff down, can we get an example of a break down and script?’

To break stuff down, try following the handout circulated that day. Also please find that document attached below, Step One – Dramaturgy or the Director’s Homework. Sometimes I have to break the script down into units, please find that guide attached below as well, Step Three – the Three Maps. Unfortunately, I do not have a sample script broken down on the computer, but it is a great idea for me, so I will work on it.

Anonymous: ‘I wanted to hear more about the skills and more importantly the necessary skills a dramaturg needs.’

We talked a bit about a dramaturg being a ‘Jack of all Trades’. The more you know about everything, the better. The most important skill is more like a gift; the instinct for entertainment. I am able to completely trust the voice inside my head that says “yes” to an idea, a project or a playwright. I pretend that I am an audience member and whatever thrills me, I get behind. Madonna says, “If you can’t say, ‘I die if I don’t do that’, then don’t do it.” Even as a play reader, I can only recommend the plays that blow me away. Good isn’t good enough.

Anonymous: ‘More about the relationship between the playwright and the dramaturg, and whether the styles of each are a great influence on the success of that relationship.’

Good one. You don’t have to work with everyone. As mentioned above, I only work with the stuff that thrills me. BUT, as a ‘Jack of all Trades’, style is not really my job. Story is my job. In production dramaturgy, it is the dramaturg that becomes the expert on the topic. In new play dramaturgy, I give feedback to anybody who asks, so I am often the less informed.

Once I gave feedback on a Cuban Musical. I know nothing about Cubans or musicals, but I was struck by the passion of the playwright to tell this story. So, even though I had little connection to the material, I was able to help him to make sure the story he wanted to tell was in his script.

Another time, I was asked to read a sci-fi screenplay. When the writer took one look at me and he knew immediately that this was not my genre. The story was great! I was able to give him the desired feedback.

Finally, my friend gave me a terrible script one time. I was afraid that I was going to have to tell him that I was not going to be able to work with him. Instead, I described to him the essentials elements of good story telling. He knew his script did not have these things, so we discussed the possible routes he could take to find the story he was trying to tell. That seems to have kept him busy for a while.

Anonymous: ‘Best set of plays for new playwrights and dramaturgs to know to help them in judgment calls.’

Susan Proctor mentioned that she compares an original version of a monologue with a production version, I think is from Death of a Salesman. That is a great example. I have never used this method, so the only related thing I can think of is the Body of Work on my website.

Anonymous: ‘What is the core bibliography?’

I just purchased Playwrighting: the Structure of Action, by Sam Smiley. It is supposed to be the bible and was recently revised and expanded. All of the members of LMDA seem to have a copy of Between the Lines: the Process of Dramaturgy, by Judith Rudakoff and Lynn M. Thomson. And, I hear The Production Notebooks is a must read.

Both Susan Proctor and I are working on books the topic. So watch out for those. Step One – Dramaturgy or the Director’s Homework and Step Three – the Three Maps attached below and the articles referred to in these notes are part of my project. I feel like I have learned more in my experiences, but here is my bibliography so far…