Essay on The Definition of Dramaturgy - 2075 Words

Dramaturgy is often referred to as being a very ‘slippery’ and indefinable word; though there are standard definitions available for us to find, we cannot seem to comprehend these definitions without exceptions arising. For example, the online Oxford English Dictionary defines dramaturgy as either being a ‘dramatic composition; the dramatic art’ or as ‘dramatic or theatrical acting.’ However, words such as ‘composition’ can be highly vague, leaving itself open to broad interpretations and debates via the scholars of drama and theatre studies. Similarly, we are left to question what exactly the role of a dramaturg is, and whether they perform this role alone or share it; as no one has actually established a clear definition of what†¦show more content†¦However, the Age of Enlightenment was an elite movement which opposed traditional religious norms and values. It aimed at getting people to think for themselves, and for peopl e to use their own creativity and ingenuity instead of merely relying on the words of those with authority and status. In the words of Enlightenment philosopher Emmanuel Kant (1784), ‘Enlightenment is mans emergence from his self-incurred immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use ones own understanding without the guidance of another’. As a result, dramaturgy acted under the banner of the Enlightenment, freeing theatre from the limitations placed upon it by societies which were entrenched in tradition. At the forefront of the dramaturgy movement was the 18th century dramaturg, Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Though the procedure of creating and analysing dramatic compositions had been present in the world of theatre for many years prior to Lessing’s writings, it was indeed his own work, Hamburgische Dramaturgie, which finally coined the term ‘dramaturgy’; giving it worldwide recognition and opening it up to scholarly discussion. Lessing wanted to use dramaturgy to reshape German theatre. For example, Lessing ‘concentrated on the establishment of a â€Å"Bà ¼rgerliches Theatre†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, which would introduce a brand new genre of bourgeois tragedy to German theatre (Barnett, 1987, p. 408). However, he alsoShow MoreRelatedDramaturgical Perspective Views Our Daily Interaction Like We Are On A Stage Performance All The Time933 Words   |  4 PagesDramaturgy Concepts in NCIS Introduction The dramaturgical perspective views our daily interaction like we are in a stage performance all the time. In the Tv show NCIS there are so many examples of dramaturgy. This shows so many of the concepts of dramaturgy. This show is the navy version of CSI. NCIS is only called when it involves a Navy officer that was either kidnapped or murdered. The cast on NCIS are Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, chief medical examiner DonaldRead MoreThe Goffman s Theory Of Dramaturgy1715 Words   |  7 PagesPretend you are playing the role of a character named Jordan, while discussing Erving Goffman’s theory of dramaturgy. Jordan finally made it. Jordan finally graduated university and has been lucky enough to receive an offer for an interview at the institution that he had been working towards his entire university career, an interview at the top law firm in all of Toronto. Now it is time to prepare. It is time for Jordan to show the firm that he is mean t to be there. 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