ABSTRACT
The second major principle of dramaturgy, action (Aristotle’s praxis), is introduced and elaborated in this chapter. This term of art is frequently found to be, in practice, as elusive in its deeper meaning as are the formal time-terms in Chapter 1. Here the artisanal meaning of action – as a foundational principle of dramaturgy – is elaborated and explained. The chapter leans on the analytical work of such modern masters as Francis Fergusson, John Dewey, Kenneth Burke, and Constantine Stanislavsky. A schematic anatomy of an action is presented as an aid to reflection, as are a few specific examples. The underlying idea is that professionals in the theatre had better know, in all meanings of the term, what they are doing.
