ABSTRACT
Collaborating with a playwright on a new play can be an extraordinary experience. This chapter advises readers to talk to the playwright at the start of their collaboration; come to an agreement early in the process about how they might best work together. There are two basic types of readings: staged readings, in which the actors move around the space with script in hand; and readings in which the actors remain seated in a row or semicircle and read from the script. The position of the dramaturg has a relatively short history in the United States, and many dramaturg's functions have become more common with the enormous growth of regional resident theaters across the country since the late 1960s. Dramaturgy is the art of asking good questions. Working on music theater and opera presents a different set of challenges for the director.
