What is Dramaturgy?

The art of composing and representing a story on stage is known as dramaturgy. In turn, a playwright is one who writes the works to be performed in theater or adapts other books to that format.

The playwright, therefore, is in charge of both the writing of the texts and the design of the play, since he is in charge of developing the structure of the representation. The main difference between a playwright and a writer who is dedicated to other genres is that, in dramaturgy, conflicts happen at the same time and place in which they occur.

According to digopaul, dramaturgy is known as the art of writing and representing a story on stage.

Paintings and acts

The works of the dramaturgy can be divided into acts that, in turn, can be fragmented into paintings. The tables, finally, are divided into scenes. The length of each of the parts of a play can vary according to the will of the playwright. There are plays that are made up of a single act.

It is important to keep in mind that a dramaturgy work can be adapted to various formats. In this way, a play can be broadcast on television or reach the cinema. In all cases, the important thing is to maintain the structure of actors interacting “here and now” in front of the eyes of the spectator who observes the representation of the actions.

In general, dramaturgy is associated with theater.

Characteristics of a playwriting

In order for a work to be classified within this genre, it must have a certain structure, in which various parts can be defined.

* Exhibition of the conflict: the characters, the setting and the plot around which the work will revolve are presented. Conflict is the fundamental axis of a dramatic work, without it there is no drama. The presentation of the conflict varies according to the work. Depending on the playwright’s vision, it can be done from a character, as if the problem itself were an entity, or from a point of view that escapes the will of the characters.

* Development of the action: as the work progresses, the conflict becomes stronger; testing the principles or faculties of the characters and giving the story an artistic character. Dramatic thought as such arises from the contrast between a reality and the ideas of the characters and the effort they make to overcome the vicissitudes of reality.

* Outcome of the action: when the protagonist manages to overcome the obstacle and the initial conflict no longer exists, the work is considered finished. In some cases, what disappears is not the conflict but the protagonist himself.

Representation of a conflict

The dramatic works represent a human conflict, from the confrontation of two opposing forces. This must be resolved from actions carried out by the protagonist or protagonists. And, once it has been solved, the story is over.

It is important to point out that, unlike the texts of the narrative genre, the plays manifest their richness from the dialogues and do not require a narrator. The story unfolds from the link between the various dialogues.

Dramaturgy in film and on TV

Although it is strongly linked to the theater, dramaturgy is also present in the cinema and on television. This means that a playwright can be the author of film scripts and soap opera scripts, for example.

In the cinema, many directors are also playwrights, since they write their scripts themselves, as is the case of the Spanish Fernando León de Aranoa, who, in addition to writing scripts for his films, is also the author of fantastic stories.

Dramaturgy