Performing Dramaturgy

Fiona Graham’s Performing Dramaturgy is the first in-depth study on New Zealand dramaturgy. As theatre specialists who provide critical feedback to performance makers, dramaturges are powerful agents of artistic change. Published by Playmarket, New Zealand’s national playwright agency and script advisory service, Performing Dramaturgy explores the vibrant nature of this creative collaboration. Charting the history and evolution of dramaturgy practice internationally and locally, Graham highlights the emergence of a unique Pacific and New Zealand dramaturgy that weaves contemporary practice with local knowledge, including Māori performance form. In early 2017, dramaturge Dione Joseph noted: ‘Dramaturgy in New Zealand isn’t new, but . . . it’s ready to be challenged, debated, questioned and included in the wider conversation’. Performing Dramaturgy fulfils this urgent need for a discussion on dramaturgy in New Zealand and beyond, arguing for readers to establish dramaturgy as a crucial component of the creative process. Informed by thirty-five years of performance development experience, Graham’s Performing Dramaturgy is essential reading for practitioners and students of all theatre and dance disciplines who want to apply the principles of dramaturgy to their own arts practice