Dramaturgy Between the Reality and Vision: Role of Dramaturgy – The Key for Theatre-making Process

International Symposium; Slovene Centre ITI/ZDUS and Maribor Theatre Festival

International Symposium
Saturday, 16 October 2010, at 10am
Regional Museum Maribor

Several renowned dramaturges will present their work and their creative approaches, thus providing an insight into the diversity of their profession. Ample time will also be devoted to an open debate between symposium participants and guests. The definition of a dramaturge’s profession is one of the most complex within the field of performing arts, not only because of the diversity of practical tasks dramaturges perform, but also because of the evolution of this profession that continually opens new areas of work. Participants will address a number of questions related to dramaturgy. What would be a precise definition of this profession? How does it influence performing arts theory and practice and what makes this symbiosis unreadable? If it is true that the profession of a dramaturge predated that of a director, what happened at some point in time causing so many arguments about its usefulness and meaning? Was it dramaturges themselves, ever searching for new creative approaches, who brought about the dispersion of dramaturgical activities, or was it simply an imperative of its evolution? If we say that the task of a dramaturge is to provide creative practical and theoretical assistance with performances, concerts, festivals and special events, to conduct theoretical and practical research on historical, statistical, biographical and performance data and on performing arts in general, to translate, assist with play writing and even undertake play writing, have we covered all of a dramaturge’s tasks or left out some of them, or even left out some important aspect of dramaturgy?

This bring us to the point where we encounter one of the most important facts of modern theatre. Since dramaturges are involved in so many important process within modern theatre, ranging from the planning of theatre season, taking repertory decisions, making strategic, artistic and even political moves, they are also strong opinion-makers, since they invariably seek to elucidate every issue addressed through these processes. However, are they able to turn all the varied aspects of their work into visionary new opportunities? Is the mission of dramaturgy truly so sacred that there is no place for apprehensions about its status and recognition?

Participants at the Conference will be: Synne K. Behrndt from UK,  Shelley Orr from USA, Ursula Werdenberg from Switzerland, Regine Elzenheimer from Germany, Diana Koloini and Tatjana Ažman from Slovenia and Magnus Florin from Sweeden and Tomaž Toporišič from Slovenia.

Organizing committee:
Tatjana Ažman (Slovene Centre ITI / ZDUS)
Staša Mihelčič (Slovene Centre ITI/ ZDUS)
Alja Predan (Maribor Theatre Festival)
Tomaž Toporišič (SMG and FHS University of Primorska)
Synne K. Behrndt (University of Winchester, UK)

10.00 Opening of the Symposium
10.15 - 10.35 Synne K. Behrndt (Great Britain) The Dramaturg and the Notion of Usefulness
10.45  -  11. 05 Tomaž Toporišič (Slovenia) Being Singular Plural. For Emancipated Dramaturgy
11.15  -  11.35  Regine Elzenheimer (Germany) Music-theatre Dramaturgy After the Post Dramatic Change of Paradigm
11.45  -  12.00  Coffee Break
12.00 - 12.20 Tatjana Ažman (Slovenia) Dramaturgy of Genres - Translation of the Dramaturgy
12.30 - 12.50  Shelley Orr (USA) Dramaturgy in the United States
13.00 - 13.20 Magnus Florin (Sweden) The Role of the Dramaturg as a Permanent Member of the Theatre
13.30  -  15.00 Lunch Break
15.00 - 15.20 Ursula Werdenberg (Switzerland) Dramaturgy for a Municipal or State Theatre - A Challenge Between Reality and Vision
15.30 - 15.50 Diana Koloini (Slovenia) Twenty Two Thoughts in Twenty Two Years of Practical Dramaturgical Work
16.00 - 18.00 Discussion