Overview
This foundational course examines dramaturgy as both a research practice and a creative method for developing queer theatrical and performance work. Students investigate how scripts, bodies, spaces, histories, identities, and audiences generate meaning in performance.
The course covers dramatic structure, performance analysis, close reading, archival and community-based research, adaptation, devised theatre, embodiment, spatial composition, rehearsal documentation, and ethical representation of LGBTQ+ lives and histories. Queer, feminist, intersectional, and anti-racist performance theories are applied to plays, live art, popular performance, and experimental theatre.
Practical activities include dramaturgical research packets, scene analysis, collaborative devising, staged readings, feedback sessions, and iterative performance studies. Seminar discussion, studio workshops, rehearsal processes, reflective writing, and a final short performance or dramaturgical portfolio support the development of research-informed and ethically grounded theatrical practice.
Learning Outcomes
- Identify and formulate dramaturgical questions arising from scripts, performance practices, embodied experience, spatial composition, and audience relationships.
- Analyze dramatic and performance texts using queer, feminist, intersectional, and anti-racist theoretical frameworks.
- Conduct and evaluate archival, community-based, and contextual research using ethical and relevant methods.
- Interpret how theatrical, dramaturgical, and rehearsal choices shape the representation of LGBTQ+ lives, histories, and identities.
- Collaborate effectively in devising, rehearsal, staged reading, and feedback processes.
- Construct and defend a coherent staged concept supported by dramaturgical research.
- Provide constructive, specific, and critically informed feedback on developing performance work.
- Synthesize research, reflection, and practical experimentation in a final performance or dramaturgical portfolio.
Timetable
| Type | Length | Frequency | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Seminar | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Studio | 2 hours | Weekly | All semester |
| Tutorial | 2 hours | Fortnightly | All semester |
| Workshop | 3 hours | Fortnightly | Second term |
Assessment Schedule
| Type | Description | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Dramaturgical research packet | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Scene analysis portfolio | 15.00% |
| Deliverable | Collaborative staged reading | 20.00% |
| Assignment | Reflective practice journal | 15.00% |
| Capstone | Final performance or dramaturgical portfolio | 30.00% |
Teaching Staff & Programs
This course is delivered jointly by faculty from the participating programs listed below. In line with the Douchewater Way, the University of Sexology tailors core instruction directly to each cohort's specific discipline — adapting curriculum to program needs rather than forcing students into a one-size-fits-all model. Learn more about our approach at The Douchewater Way.