"I keep trying to whittle this down to a sentence and, depending on my audience, it seems to be a very malleable sentence. I've offered "interdisciplinary research and outreach hub for a theater production" to non-theater colleagues at my institution. But in conversation with a filmmaker the other day, she observed how connected dramaturgy seemed to be with "advocacy," so this week I'm trying out this one-line definition: Dramaturgy is artistic advocacy connecting audiences and productions in ways that provide context, expand experience, and spur conversation."

-- Jules Odendahl-James, Visiting Lecturer and the Resident Dramaturg at Duke University