ABSTRACT
Dramaturgy is a generalized craft–knowledge needed by everyone who works in the theatre. Everyone involved in theatre practices dramaturgy, whether they credit themselves consciously with this skill or not. Every properties assistant backstage, every lighting operator running cues, every stage hand shifting sets, and every usher in the house has a distinct perception of whether a scene in progress, on any given night, is going well or badly. A “plot-bead diagram” is a visual representation of time and is possible for any performance event, whatever its style of representation may be, whatever its subject matter. A well-trained dramaturg’s opinions about a play should differ in kind and quality from run-of-the-mill opinions, and the disciplined and patient ruminations of a good dramaturg should be considered on a different plane from an actor’s or a director’s first impressions of a script.
