New work development is a delicate dance of voices, visions, and vulnerabilities. As dramaturgs, we often find ourselves navigating the complex terrain between supporting a playwright's vision and serving the needs of a production.

The Collaborative Ecosystem

Developing new work isn't a linear process—it's an ecosystem where multiple creative voices interact, influence, and sometimes collide. The dramaturg's role within this ecosystem is unique: we are advocates, questioners, researchers, and sometimes mediators.

Key Players in New Work Development

• The playwright: The originating artistic voice
• The director: The interpretive visionary
• The actors: The embodiers of the text
• The design team: The creators of the physical world
• The dramaturg: The critical friend and contextual guide

Creating Safe Spaces for Risk

One of the most important functions of dramaturgical work in new play development is creating an environment where artists feel safe to take risks. This means:

Establishing Clear Communication

• Regular check-ins with the playwright
• Transparent feedback processes
• Clear boundaries around when and how notes are given
• Respect for the playwright's autonomy

Protecting Creative Vulnerability

Writers are at their most vulnerable during new work development. A script in progress is an incomplete thought, an unfinished sentence. The dramaturg must:

• Recognize when to speak and when to listen
• Understand the difference between constructive questioning and undermining confidence
• Champion the work even while identifying its challenges

The Feedback Loop

Effective collaboration requires a healthy feedback loop. But feedback in theatre is often fraught with power dynamics and ego. The dramaturg can help by:

1. Structuring productive feedback sessions: Creating frameworks that keep conversations focused and constructive
2. Translating between collaborators: Sometimes directors, actors, and playwrights speak different creative languages
3. Documenting the journey: Keeping track of decisions, discoveries, and dead ends

Navigating Conflict

Not all collaboration is harmonious. When creative visions clash, the dramaturg might need to:

• Identify the core values each collaborator brings to the work
• Find common ground in shared artistic goals
• Sometimes, advocate for what the play needs rather than what any individual wants

Research as Collaboration

Dramaturgs often serve as researchers, but this work should be collaborative rather than prescriptive. Effective dramaturgical research:

• Responds to questions from the creative team
• Opens up possibilities rather than narrowing them
• Is presented in digestible, actionable ways
• Respects that artists will use it selectively

Building Trust Over Time

The best collaborative relationships are built over multiple projects. Trust deepens when:

• Dramaturgs demonstrate consistent support for artists' work
• Creative teams see the value of dramaturgical questioning
• There's a shared vocabulary and working process

The Dramaturg as Bridge

Ultimately, the dramaturg in new work development serves as a bridge—between:

• The page and the stage
• Individual vision and collective creation
• Instinct and analysis
• The present moment and the work's potential future

This bridging work is invisible when it's going well, but its absence is immediately felt. It's the quiet, essential labor that helps new plays find their way into the world.

Conclusion

Collaboration in new work development is messy, challenging, and profoundly rewarding. As dramaturgs, our job is not to have all the answers, but to help create the conditions where the best possible version of a play can emerge.