MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The role is basically one of a researcher of a show, an advisor to each actor about his or her role.
That might be the best way to describe a dramaturg.
That is the role Georgia College & State University theatre student Mary Morgan Collier started taking up in recent productions, such as the musical “Head Over Heels.” For her work, she participated first in Region IV of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival that was held at Albany State University in February.
Among all of the students from all of those states and territories, Collier emerged as the national finalist for dramaturgy. There are eight regions in all, but only four are selected to participate in that national festival at the base for the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. One of those happens to be Collier.
She learned about the concept of dramaturgy from her GCSU theatre professor, Dr. Amy Pinney.
“The way I define it is you are putting together the story with all the context that a cast and crew would need to know for a show,” said Collier, who is from Athens. “Any and every show needs dramaturgy, but I think people click with them more when you look at historical plays. For ‘These Shining Lights’ we did, someone would research the effects of radio in that time period and the factories.”
The GSCU theatre department recently presented the rock-based musical “We Will Rock You.” A dramaturg would learn about the band Queen to provide context to the cast and crew and, according to Collier, make the show the best it can be.
“I had a crash course,” Collier admitting she didn’t actually take the class. “I got (Dr. Pinney’s) course page with all the information she usually teaches and walked myself through it. I learned a lot about gathering information, what kind of information is important and how to distribute that information in a way that’s effective, fun and exciting.”
Collier requested to be the dramaturg for “Head Over Heels, and when Dr. Pinney granted it Collier had to learn about the show. She read through the script and learned the details on how the show was created and originally developed.
“There’s not a lot of shows like it,” said Collier. “It’s based on a pastoral called ‘The Arcadia’ (1593) by Sir Phillip Sydney, an Elizabethan author, who based the story in the style of a Greek drama. It is a tense musical using the music of The Go-Gos. So there’s a lot of different things at play. Amy specifically asked to keep rock-n-roll in mind, so I did a lot of research on rock-n-roll, especially punk and the punk scene.
“I spent a good chunk of time making that information accessible, making actor packets, which is a packet you distribute to each of the characters. Throughout the process I made myself available if they have any questions. Then I did a presentation for the cast and crew so they had a big understanding of everything and where to get those resources.”
The show was viewed by a respondent from The Kennedy Center. These respondents nominate people in various categories from dramaturgy to makeup, costumes, lighting design, sound design, set design, directing and acting. Collier received the dramaturgy nomination for the regional festival. Others involved in “Head Over Heels” were nominated in their disciplines as well.
“I put together a portfolio of all of my work,” she said. “I turned that in in January, and then I went to the conference in February. I presented my work there. I did some workshops on dramaturgy, which was really fun. I did dramaturgy for a two-minute play. And then they decided who would go on from that point.”
She was thrilled to learn she was the choice. The American College Theatre National Festival takes place in April, and no, it’s not another competition for a national prize. The trip is the prize. It will be a learning experience involving workshops, getting to know professional dramaturgs and gaining access to resources needed as a professional in the field. Pinney said Collier is a recipient of a national dramaturgy fellowship.
“I did a lot of presentational work,” said Collier. “I started as an actor, so I’m a presentational person. I made physical media they could see and interact with. There’s kind of a push for them to be more visible in theatre spaces. Hopefully … it will be apparent just from having a wonderful show that all the actors are in tune with, all of the design is in tune with.
“Also, there is lobby design and displays as well where dramatugs will decorate the lobby … gets the audience ready to enter that world. For ‘Head Over Heels,’ I took a lot of posters from The Go-Gos … and the punk era to get them ready for the show they are about to see. Also, the dramaturg writes a note for the program to give context … setting up what the show is about, what are some of the common themes between all of the eras … from Greek times to 1970s punk to now, the world we live in.”
She described the interaction with actors as being more conversational than quizzing them.
Collier started out in theatre with acting and moved on to leadership roles ultimately falling into dramaturgy. She’s also been a director and is working on her first main stage show at Georgia College & State University, “The Feast,” April 3-6 at the Black Box Theatre.
Collier said “The Feast” is about an artist struggling with mental health issues, hearing voices but also painting them. It deals with what’s real and what is not.
“I enjoy (various genres) for different reasons,” she said. “It’s storytelling, no matter what. It’s how you are telling the story. Every show is different, so it’s hard to say what preference I have. I really enjoy directing ‘The Feast.’”
“It is extraordinary that a student is directing in the main stage season,” said Dr. Pinney.
It’s a full April for Collier, and if that wasn’t enough she’s interviewing with graduate programs. That includes two trips to New York this year already to visit schools such as Sarah Lawrence College, plus she had a virtual interview with NYU. She has been accepted to everyone she’s spoken with and therefore must make the decision on where she wants to go.
“I am going to be on the theatre track,” said Collier.