Dramaturgy Via Google Pt. 1
I have fond memories of fighting my way through midtown Manhattan, two empty shoulder bags over one arm, and entering the bliss that is called the New York Public Library. I knew the side entrance which had the clearest path to the 3rd floor.
Ah……the 3rd floor. Literature, Drama, Art, Literary Criticisms that made me drool with desire to read, and the ultimate Amazing Research destination: The Picture Collection. It only took two trips to my mecca before I had the routine down, including the less busy times of days, days of the week and what coinage in what quantities was needed for the copy machines.
That’s how I used to research projects, plays, costumes, anything I could grab with my grubby hands, which I was sure to wash thoroughly before entering the collections.
Now I just use Google. There are definitely times when traveling downtown to the Los Angeles Public LIbrary is the only way to obtain the information that I require, but more often than not it’s simply a matter of copy & paste or re-formatting, and Google gives me everything I need.
They even have websites that I can easily create and share Dramaturgy with Directors, Producers, Designers and Actors. For an example of exactly how convenient this can be, just look here http://sites.google.com/site/theroverbyaphrabehn/Home .
Paper is saved, and people can easily find the materials they seek in a format in which we have all become much more comfortable.
My question is: if everyone could just type a keyword and find information as easily as I can, then what is the future of Dramaturgy? (And yes, I am strictly speaking of Dramaturgy in the Research sense, not the Development Sense).
I will be following this topic over the next few months and asking respected artists their thoughts. I look forward to a discussion and comments! I am withholding my thoughts until we hear from others.
August 12, 2008 at 2:26 am
Google has changed the face of fact finding. I see internet search engines as a modern convenience that can get me started by delivering quick answers. But I also weigh the quality of those answers.
Internet or e-journals are digitalized versions of print publications accessible through academic search engines like Lexus-Nexus or Project Muse. The quality of this information is inherently equal to that of the printed copies sitting on shelves. Similarly, having access to the entire NYT archive (very helpful in assembling production histories) is a labor saving answer to microfilm.
Although it is easier to type from a laptop rather than travel, the process of diligent research remains time consuming; each article, photo or interview can lead us in new directions. In contrast, I find the synopsis entries found on Wikipedia incomplete and unreliable. The internet is endlessly useful for the exchange of information, but thorough research, whether on the internet or in a physical library, will always take time, organization and thought.
Moreover, I would argue that a dramaturg does more than ferret out answers and dates, but also contexualizes the information and presents it in a compelling way to the director and cast (protocol) and the audience (program note). Something I learned while teaching is that knowing about a subject is useless unless you can explain it clearly.
To sum up, I believe that the internet is an excellent dramaturgical tool, when used wisely it can make our lives easier, but beware of anything in life that seems too easy, because there is always a cost.
Thanks for starting this conversation Cindy!
If anyone reading this is interested in reading some excellent insights into modern (mostly American) Dramaturgy, I highly recommend What Is Dramaturgy?, edited by Bert Cardullo, and The Production Notebooks by Mark Bly.
Joan Hawley McClain holds an MFA in Dramaturgy from SUNY Stony Brook. Joan taught courses in Play Analysis, Theatre History and New Media at SUNY Stony Brook and currently works as a freelance writer and dramaturg in LA.