"This remarkable collection of case studies sheds light on one of the least understood and yet crucially important aspects of contemporary theater practice: the role of the dramaturg. By turns, innovator, instigator, cultural historian, interpreter, provocateur, and visionary, the dramaturg shapes the lived experience of actors and audiences alike. In an illuminating introduction and a moving epilogue, Philippa Kelly shows that the diverse and distinctive voices assembled here are agents of radical change in the theater and in the world beyond its boundaries." Stephen Greenblatt, author of Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare "This exploration of the multi-faceted craft of dramaturgy challenges readers, educators and theatre makers to do more - much more - to make theatre genuinely, intentionally and seriously inclusive. Always grounded in the pragmatics of theatre practice, this collection is much needed, a treasure house of ideas, debates and daring, expertly curated and illuminatingly introduced by Philippa Kelly." Elizabeth Schafer, Professor of Drama, Dance, and Theatre at Royal Holloway, University of London "Philippa Kelly has been doing pioneering work in dramaturgy for many years. In this collection of remarkably intimate essays she gathers a community of likeminded practitioners, each committed to enhancing the truth and urgency of contemporary theatre. For Kelly and her peers, the dramaturg does far more than serve playtext, director, and cast.

The dramaturg sounds the pulse of the collective moment, what Hamlet calls its 'form and pressure'. The attention thereby entailed must always be scrupulously local, alert to each exchange's multifarious particulars; nothing is achieved, nothing is changed, by rehearsing generalities or by iterative obedience. Theatre is no more and no less than the weathervane of democracy, attuned to its weather like no other medium. Listen to these voices, and the future is in good hands." Simon Palfrey, Professor, Brasenose College, University of Oxford.