“What’s a dramaturg?”

The late, great Nicholas John, longtime dramaturg at English National Opera, defined it as “the conscience of an opera house”. More specifically, a dramaturg is the impeccably informed advocate for the composer and librettist (living or dead), the bridge between the creators, producers, performers, scholars, and audiences of opera.

As staff Dramaturg at Glyndebourne Festival Opera (2012 through 2017) and New York City Opera (1997 through 2010), I have been just that, helping to shape repertoire choices and new productions, and overseeing company publications, curating and presenting outreach programs, striving for all of these endeavors to spring seamlessly from the company’s artistic vision.

I’ve also served as a freelance dramaturg for productions including:

2013, Cori Ellison

Photo: Carol Rosegg

Shostakovich:The Nose,
Opera Boston,
Julia Pevzner, director
(Photo: Clive Grainger)

"Così fan tutte:
Some Assembly Required,"
operamission,
Ned Canty, director
(photo: G. Dan Mitchell -www.gdanmitchell.com
© 2010 Copyright G Dan Mitchell)

Handel at Home,
Chicago Humanities Festival, Elizabeth Futral, soprano
and co-curator
(photo: John Grigaitis)

Cerrone: Invisible Cities,
Yale Institute for Music Theatre, Robin Guarino, director

Offenbach!!!,
Bard Summerscape,
Ken Roht, director

Ring Cycle,
Washington National Opera, Francesca Zambello, director
(photo: Karin Cooper)