Dramaturgy is an artistic practice; dramaturgs are artists. They are not thwarted writers, directors, or [insert discipline here], though many of them are also those things. Dramaturgs move between interpretive and generative work, often inside the same collaboration.
Dramaturgs are not presently represented by any union and do not benefit from collectively bargained employment standards.* If you are a producer, pay them fairly and credit them appropriately. If you invite them to collaborate, make it your business to advocate for this. Of course “fair” and “appropriate” are subjective measures and poor substitute for industry standards. When in doubt, one starting place might be to tie their rate and credit to the designers’. What’s called for may vary depending on the situation; work in good faith to get it right.
No “e”, please!
*LMDA has filled this void for years (a sliver of their work) and will release updated employment guidelines this year.
