Turgs on the Move
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Two years after Chicago director Terry McCabe published Mis-directing the Play–a neatly argued book that treats the very existence of dramaturgs as a symptom of the worst problems in American theater–the turgs marched into McCabe’s hometown for their national meeting and pointedly omitted him from their speakers’ list. According to McCabe, who titled a chapter “The Show That Needs a Dramaturg Has a Bad Director,” these newcomers to American theater have diminished directors’ authority by taking over their most vital responsibilities. Now it’s the dramaturg who guards the integrity of the script, befriends the playwright, and brings an understanding of the play’s history, psychology, themes, and structure to everyone else in the production; it’s the dramaturg who is “master of the play.” And it’s a turg’s job to know when to let a text stand. “We considered inviting [McCabe],” says conference coordinator and DePaul dramaturgy head Rachel Shteir, “but not as a speaker.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Bruce Powell.
