Dramaturgy
As a dramaturg in production, I seek to build bridges between the playwright, production artists, audience, and community. I use research, real-life learning experiences, and connections to other works of art to maximize and deepen the impact of the play.
Little Peasants
by Bernard Pollack, at The Burren in Somerville, MA
directed by Dori A. Robinson​
line producer and dramaturg​
Photo: Steven Duarte Photography
One of ArtsFuse's Favorite Boston-Area Stage Performances of 2024. Little Peasants takes you on a theatrical journey behind the closed doors of a union organizing campaign at a coffeehouse chain. A new play written by Bernard Pollack and presented by Food Tank, a globally renowned research and advocacy nonprofit dedicated to building a more sustainable food system.​
Morning, Noon, and Night
by Kirsten Greenidge, world premiere at Company One Theatre
directed by Summer L. Williams
co-dramaturg with Ilana M. Brownstein
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Mia just wants her daughter to listen without talking back. Dailyn just wants her mom to quit being so judgemental. And they both just want everything to be perfect for when older sister Alex comes home for her birthday. But when a mysterious visitor from a digital dimension arrives on Mia’s doorstep, the very concepts of home and perfection are challenged. An eccentric reflection of post-pandemic life, Morning, Noon, and Night navigates familial reckoning, digital surveillance, and the ways we can love each other after four long and traumatic years.
Describe your image
Photo: Andrew James Wang
Photo: Andrew James Wang
Wolf Play
by Hansol Jung, at Company One Theatre
A National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere
directed by Summer L. Williams
in partnership with the Boston Public Library
co-dramaturg with Ilana M. Brownstein
Before COVID-19 put live theatre on pause in early 2020, Wolf Play made its Boston debut at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square. During this rehearsal process, we brought in experts in boxing and puppetry to ground the actors' performances and the world of the play. Over the course of the production, lead dramaturg Ilana M. Brownstein and I curated material on the dramaturgy blog that explored topics that were crucial for the performers and production team to understand in crafting their work.
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Leading up to performances at BPL's Rabb Hall, Brownstein and I designed and assembled an interactive wall at the library which allowed audiences to respond to the play using curated materials.
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"Hansol Jung’s moving and inventively on-point play is directed by Summer L. Williams with her usual deft touch." — Boston Globe
Cardboard Piano
by Hansol Jung, at New Repertory Theatre
directed by Benny Sato Ambush
Dramaturg, Assistant Director
During this process, I researched and uplifted the potent elements of Jung's play, which dealt heavily in the history of northern Uganda and white American Christian evangelicalism. The production team and I worked with a cultural consultant from the region in which the play was set to learn about a first-hand experience of Joseph Kony's regime and hear about how anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination impacts local culture. We also spent time together learning Ugandan music, which was used throughout the piece.
Photo: Andrew Brilliant
"Tragic loss leads to hatred and grief, but time and maturation contribute to understanding and equanimity. There may be no happy ending, but growth and awareness signal some progress and a glimmer of hope." — Broadway World