PlayWork: a multimedia exploration of practical dramaturgy

You hold in your hands a description of a process. PlayWork is a project that will probably never be finished. This is intentional. As my dramaturgy evolves and my practice deepens, this project, too, will grow and change. In short, PlayWork is an exploration of what dramaturgy is and what dramaturgs do. My research included reading other dramaturgs’ writing about their work, interviewing working dramaturgs, and performing investigations of my own dramaturgical practice.

The results are spread across media. PlayWork is a manuscript, a website, and a collection of zines. This manuscript will live in the University of Iowa library. The website lives at https://margoskornia.wixsite.com/playwork, where it is accessible to budding dramaturgs, theatre educators, and anyone interested in dramatic literature and action. I will disseminate copies of the zines at the 2023 Iowa New Play Festival.

Very little of the work in this manuscript is mine. I collaged the zines together from newspapers, magazines, and take-out menus. I owe the strategies in VISUAL DRAMATURGY and PLAYABLE ACTIONS to other artists and dramaturgs. My dramaturgy is about connecting artists with resources. I tried to reflect that in this project. The most interesting theatre is a collage of writing, art, time, and effort. I hope PlayWork is the same.