Ghost light : an introductory handbook for dramaturgy / Michael Mark Chemers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Chemers, Michael M., author.

Series:

Theater in the Americas

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theater--Production and direction.

Theater.

Drama--Technique.

Drama.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xxiv, 251 pages).

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press, [2023]

Summary:

"A new edition for the celebrated introduction to dramaturgy training and practice. Since its release in 2010, "Ghost Light: An Introductory Handbook for Dramaturgy" has become the international standard for dramaturgy training and practice. The first textbook introduced students to the "ghost light" model of dramaturgy -- a creatively engaged, artistically vibrant approach that draws on extensive knowledge of theatre history, practice, and theory -- and this second edition brings the conversation up to the present. Over three parts, author and theory creator Michael Mark Chemers helps students explore the world of the dramaturg. Part 1 describes what dramaturgs do, presents a detailed history of dramaturgy, and summarizes many of the critical theories needed to analyze and understand dramatic texts. Part 2 teaches students to read, write, and analyze scripts through a twelve-step program with suggestions about how to approach various genres and play structures. The final part delves into the relationships dramaturgs forge and offers useful advice about collaborating with other artists. It also includes ideas for audience outreach initiatives such as marketing and publicity plans, educational programs, program notes and lobby displays, and more. Perfectly suited for the undergraduate theatre classroom, this holistic guide includes chapter exercises for students to practice the skills as they learn. The new edition also incorporates recent theory and new resources on multimedia performance and dramaturgy in the digital age. As the field of dramaturgy continues to shift and change, this new edition of "Ghost Light: An Introductory Handbook for Dramaturgy" prepares theatre students and practitioners to create powerful, relevant performances of all types." -- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Foreword by Faedra Chatard Carpenter

Preface to the second edition

Preface to the first edition

Part one : Philosophy

What the #%\@ is a dramaturg?

Historicizing dramaturgy

Power plays

Part two : Analysis

The twelve-step program for script analysts

Form follows function

Why this play now?

Part three : Practice

New plays

The company

Audiences

Appendixes. A : The casebook

B : The dramaturg's library

C : Journals, periodicals, and online databases

D : Accessing original texts online

E : Recommended play anthologies.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-242) and index.

ISBN:

9780809338894

0809338890

0-8093-3889-0

OCLC:

1344005960