Twitter Project: Elyse Griffin

Bio: Elyse Griffin is an early career freelance dramaturg based in Los Angeles and the Literary Director for Rose & Rue Theatre Company (a new company she's co-creating with two other amazing women theatre artists). In the past Elyse has worked with the Pasadena Playhouse and the Long Beach Playhouse, but her favorite project was serving as "improvaturg" for a long-form improvised show called Mannerhouse Manor, based on shows like Downton Abbey and Upstairs/Downstairs, at ComedySportz LA

"Focus" for the week: This week I'm assisting the Literary dept at South Coast Rep as they prep and put on the Pacific Playwright's Festival, so my tweets will center on that. I'll be around a lot of great turgs this week and I'm hoping to get some good behind the scenes moments and wisdom to tweet.

Questions from LMDA:

What is your definition of dramaturgy?
Dramaturgy is listening, questioning, connecting, both on one’s own and in collaboration with other artists, bringing a work to life. Dramaturgy is hanging out at Conjunction Junction (What if x? Yes, and x? So, x? Or, x?). Dramaturgy is excavation and context renewal of a play, work of art, concept, institution, and the list is infinite. Dramaturgy is never just one thing.

What is your dream project?
What is my dream project? I can’t pick just one! But I would really love to continue pursuing how dramaturgy can be applied in the world of improv. Improv is like playwriting in real-time, and the process of dramaturging an improvised show is full of world-building and discovery. You can set the structure, rules, characters, and whatever other conventions you like, but the minute the actors step onstage the play is different every single night. You can constantly reexamine what's working, have the freedom to discover and say yes to new elements or dive deeper into the heart of your show and "edit" away what isn't. It’s can feel truly magical, and hasn’t been widely explored.

Follow along with @LMDAmericas