Dramaturgy

$15/HR or sliding scale

Dramaturgy Sessions

I offer freelance dramaturgy sessions tailored to fit your needs. I can be your sounding board for brainstorming, help you flesh out a first draft from bits and pieces of writing, or give you a fresh pair of eyes on a play you’ve done ten drafts of. Pre-COVID some of my meetings included meeting in-person over coffee, sushi, brunch, or digitally over skype, zoom, facebook messenger, and email. During the pandemic, I am still doing digital meetings through whatever platform works best for you!

In addition to developmental dramaturgy I also do production dramaturgy. This again can be tailored to your needs, from research presentations and packages to program notes to physical dramaturgy in the rehearsal hall. For devised theatre work, some of the production dramaturgy I have done is acting as an outside eye to help shape a story or narrative out of material being generated in the studio.

Let’s talk Dramaturgy!

I provide freelance dramaturgy services for playwrights at any point in their process.

Rate: $15/hr, with a pay what you can/sliding scale available for BIPOC or marginalized artists facing financial barriers.

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Sonder directed by Jake Tkaczyk, devised by the ensemble
Promotional photos by Alex Boldt, rehearsal photos by Collette Radau
Role: Production Dramaturgy
The ? Collective / Edmonton Fringe 2014

What is a dramaturg?

A dramaturg is someone who is an advocate for both the artist and the audience. It’s the dramaturg’s job to figure out how a story can be communicated in the most effective way, remaining true to the artist’s vision while also relating back how the audience could be receiving the piece.

Another way I like to think of it is that you’re acting as a director for the playwright, an invisible hand that guides them as they write (and rewrite). Every dramaturg works a little differently. The dramaturgy process can vary greatly from playwright to playwright and project to project because it depends on what the artist’s needs are. For some, they just need one meeting to figure out the next steps for a new draft. For others, it’s a full development commitment from the idea stage to having it on an actual stage.

What makes you unique as a dramaturge?

For myself as a dramaturg, it’s always my goal that artists walk away from every meeting feel inspired to continue writing, and to help their project reach its highest potential. What I have to offer as a dramaturg is being a multidisciplinary artist who works in the realms of acting, physical theatre, devised theatre, and directing. Therefore, when I look at a piece of work I’m seeing it through all of these lenses. If you are an actor for example and are new to the playwriting process, we can approach the writing process through this shared knowledge and understanding of text.

“I have been working with Collette since 2016. I met her in my Playwriting class and by far she was my favourite dramaturg. She is incredibly intuitive, which makes her good at what she does. Whenever I have worked with her she always manages to help open up my eyes to a bird’s eye view of the piece; allowing me to see what’s going on and how I can implement that into the full picture. Working with her will create expansion in your mind. She has eyes for the full picture, which is so important for any dramaturg, playwright, or any type of artist, to have.”

“Collette is a very skilled and very passionate dramaturg that made my life as a playwright so much easier. Her eye for understanding characters and themes constantly allowed me to bring my work to the next level. Along with her strong advice, Collette brings a friendly and enthusiastic energy to what she does. Working with her is a pleasure and I’m excited to continue our working relationship in the future!”

“Collette is an insightful and motivating dramaturg who challenges you to exceed your limitations and comprehension of what art can and should do! I am lucky to have met her and I am a better writer because of her fantastic advice and critical eye!”

LMDA’s Crossing Borders

I was a panelist for LMDA’s Crossing Borders: From the Academy to the Profession at the annual international conference which was held here in Toronto in June 2018 (pictured above). You can read my presentation here: