Since becoming an official course of study and theatre discipline in the United States during the 1960s, dramaturgy—the word and practice—has mystified many artists and audience members. Even so, many U.S. regional theatres such as The Public Theatre, The Goodman, The Cleveland Playhouse, Arena Stage, and South Coast Repertory Theatre have hired dramaturgs to join the creative teams for world premieres or productions of classic texts. Audiences have often seen dramaturgs in action when attending post-play discussions or new-play festivals or reading background information for the play online. Even with this exposure many artists and audiences regularly ask, "What is a dramaturg and what does a dramaturg do?"

Professional dramaturg and educator Lenora Inez Brown has written The Arts of Active Dramaturgy, the first text devoted to demystifying dramaturgy and its current approach in the rehearsal hall in the U.S. and internationally—the art of using critical analysis to uncover creative and unique solutions to challenges within a dramatic text or production. Throughout Brown’s 230-page text, she reveals the keys to approaching dramaturgy in an active way through chapters on posing questions, preparing for artist meetings, and composing comments that aid rather than define a solution. The lively and accessible text, The Art of Active Dramaturgy, reveals how artists approach collaboration through the dramatic text in ways that are readily translated to any field where a product must be developed, evaluated, improved upon, and delivered on a schedule.

Lenora Inez Brown has over 19 years experience as a dramaturg, director of new play development, and producer of new-play festivals. She has served on the artistic teams for the Sundance Theatre Lab, the Kennedy Center’s New Visions/New Voices, and South Coast Repertory Theatre’s Pacific Playwrights Festival among others. Brown also has worked on world premiere productions at numerous regional theatres including The Goodman, Steppenwolf, and Crossroads Theatre Company and served as the dramaturg for the 1999 Tony Award® Nominated musical It Ain’t Nothing but the Blues.

Brown regularly offers workshops that introduce and provide hands-on experiences associated with Active Dramaturgy. The Open Questions workshop reveals the approach to this essential dramaturgical skill and includes hands-on exercises and immediate feedback. Her Communicating for Strong Collaboration workshop focuses on notes to creative partners as well as preparing well for artistic or creative meetings.

"The Art of Active Dramaturgy serves a truly useful function in introducing newcomers to the work of the a dramaturg … But beyond that, it also takes what is often a murky and abstract set of tasks and outlines them with great clarity and through actionable steps, yet in a way that never simplifies or codifies the mysterious nature of art making." Tanya Palmer, Director of New Play Development, Goodman Theatre.

"This is the first real text, the first real primer for how to be a dramaturg in a variety of settings from production to new plays. … I don't think any other book on the market does such a complete job with such research and in such a great format." Mark Charney, Clemson University.

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