Depending on the needs of the production, my dramaturgical work has included preparing resources for the production team, writing copy for the program, assembling a lobby display for audiences, or all of the above. The links below offer a sample of some recent work.
That Was Then by Gerard Stembridge presents two timelines occurring simultaneously on stage, with performers jumping back and forth between the two time periods. Because this could be somewhat confusing for audience members, a timeline was displayed in the lobby of Irish Theatre of Chicago's (formerly Seanachai) production which noted the main plot points, character references, and other cultural points of reference in a linear fashion. Panels on topics mentioned within the play, such as "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland or the economic boom and bust known as "The Rise and Fall of the Celtic Tiger" were also on display in the lobby, to provide audience members with a greater understanding of the play's context.
That Was Then lobby display timeline
That Was Then lobby display panels
Because Tom Willmorth's Shakespeare's King Phycus was billed as Shakespeare's Lost Play, the director and I created a mythology and faux production history for actors and audience members, to lend the Strange Tree Group's Joseph Jefferson award-winning production its authentic atmosphere.
King Phycus dramaturgical packet
My Name is Rachel Corrie, based on the letters and journals of political activist Rachel Corrie, required biographical information on Rachel Corrie, explanations of textual references to actual people and places, and resources on the political context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for Purple Bench Productions' Chicago premiere at Artistic Home theatre.
My Name is Rachel Corrie dramaturgical packet
For the John Waldron Arts Center production of Sophie Treadwell's masterpiece, the director requested research on the playwright, her journalistic roots, the style of the writing, and the court case upon which the play is based. This information was used in the lobby display, the program and in promotional print media.