Dramaturge

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[edit] Dramaturge

In the theatre, a dramaturg holds a position that gained its modern-day function through the innovations of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, a playwright and theatre practitioner who worked in Germany in the 18th century.

The dramaturg's contribution was to categorize and discuss the various types and kinds of plays, their interconnectedness and their styles. Enhanced by a tradition of generous support for theatre as part of German cultural identity, which gave nearly every city a fully staffed theatre supported by public funds, the position of dramaturg includes the hiring of actors and the development of a season of plays with a sense of the connectedness between them, the assistance and editing of new plays by resident or guest playwrights, the creation of programs or accompanying educational services and even helping the director with rehearsals, serving as elucidator of history or spokesperson for absent (deceased) playwrights.

In the United Kingdom, dramaturgs function similarly although they are more often, themselves, also playwrights. In the USA, where this position was until recently relatively unknown, it has enjoyed a recent growth particularly in cutting-edge theatres with an emphasis on developing new plays within the theatre. Additionaly they will often conduct research into for example the historical and social conditions, a specific location, or time period, or theatrical style. They then provide the playwright, director or design team with this information or advise them. This aims to make the story clear and compelling to a contemporary audience.