When watching a production, a vital source—the dramaturg—is often overlooked. It’s the person who researches the history of the roles and setting, adapts the scripts and consults with everyone involved, so the production is on point. Senior Sachen Pillay is an integral member of Georgia College’s production team.

The double history and liberal studies major and theatre minor did such a thorough job as a dramaturg for his research on his first production, “Ballet Russes,” that he placed first in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival in South Carolina last February. Pillay also entered his research in Georgia College’s Research Symposium last April, which got published. 

“Ballet Russes” is about an enigmatic theatre ballet company that revolutionized the way theatre and ballet were done during the Russian Revolution.

As part of his independent study with Theatre Chair Dr. Karen Berman, Pillay studied the history of the characters and time period for the production. He formulated a 15-page thesis of “Ballet Russes” that argued the research to form its foundation.

Dramaturgs, like Pillay, are used in new play development, when the writers are trying to determine what they’re going to say, the evolution of characters and how they’ll be characterized. They also interpret what the text is trying to relay on an academic or literary level and convey this to the production team.

“We contextualize the history of the play for the artists involved in the project,” Pillay said. “Dramaturgs are there to essentially ask the right questions and get people to think.”

Dramaturgs can also be a confidante for the artists, because often times working in theatre is an emotional process. At times, from the producers to the cast; they become emotionally vested in the production and get lost in their sentiments. So, they need guidance from the dramaturg to regain their focus on the reality of the production.  

“So, we’re the literary manager, historian and therapist. We can be a lot of things at once,” Pillay said. “It just depends on what the situation calls for.”

But it all starts with research. One moment he’s delving into the history and writing, and the other half of his time is spent in the rehearsal space.

“I can actually roll up my sleeves and get to work in the Black Box Theatre,” Pillay said. “I’m watching the actors do their work and conversing with the director about different possibilities. I get to see the art being made.”

After Pillay wrote the thesis for “Ballet Russes,” he made actors’ packets, which entailed researching the biographies of all the actors in the play who are based off of real people. He also located and used archival film from the Russian Revolution period to create a realistic backdrop for the audience. 

“Productions like this one open a dialogue,” he said. “Everyone has a role to play. I think artists especially do, because they express the feelings, wills and emotions of the community in which they live in. And to do my small part in supporting the program that supports those artists is important to me.”

Pillay also shared his love of history in working with Dr. Bob Wilson, professor of history and university historian, in Special Collections transcribing primary sources and placing them into an archivable format for him to use in future chapters of his book on the history of Georgia College. Pillay scanned documents, detailing historical periods and events at the university.

“I learned interesting facts about Georgia College, like the evolution from an all-women’s school to a liberal arts university,” he said. “I made that interesting, historical connection as to how the university was affected by the shift in social demographics that were happening throughout the U.S. at that time. To see this in the college I attend is pretty fascinating.”

Between his time as a dramaturg and transcribing for Wilson, Pillay refined his interdisciplinary skills while at Georgia College.

“I feel that my time at a liberal arts institution really prepared me for something like this,” he said. “You’re bringing in so many different skills—academically and emotionally—into one process. It’s been very interesting.”

Provided by: The Department of Theatre & Dance at Georgia College & State University

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Keeping undergraduate students engaged and energized in ongoing research teams is an activity made more challenging by the need to meet exclusively online. Dr. Nathaniel Stern, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a dual appointment in Art and Mechanical Engineering, shared his experience working with online teams at a recent gathering of the Wisconsin Council on Undergraduate Research (WisCUR). Afterward, CURAH caught up with Dr. Stern to hear a bit more.

CURAH: What has the move to online teams taught you about what students need?

NS: In brief, there are four things my students need: empathy, energy, structure, and materiality. I provide these things through check-ins, “stokes,” schedules, and visual and material engagement.

I should say also that teams of students need these things regardless of present circumstances, but the need has certainly been amplified by having to meet online.

CURAH: Let’s take these one at a time: tell us about empathy.

NS: In terms of empathy, every meeting begins with a prompted sharing exercise: “The best part of my week was . . .” or “I feel up/down about X” or “I am looking forward to Y.” Sometimes I have them arrange what the empathy check-in will be. I participate, too, and we all respond to each other. In addition, I spend a little extra time with each student on rotation. Here, the goal is to make them feel heard and seen.

CURAH: Now, energy—and what are “stokes”?

NS: Stokes are little things we do to inject energy into our gatherings. We have silent dance parties, play Simon Says, throw invisible knives and balls to each other, set up poses and make drawings on our screens. The main goal here: we want to get out of our seats and get excited about what we are doing. Often, we tie this to where we are in the project, to aesthetics or brainstorming for new ideas, that sort of thing.

CURAH: How do you structure your online teams?

NS: We meet weekly, typically in groups of five. We maintain schedules and timelines, core to-do lists, and assignments using Gantt charts, Google sheets, MURAL with virtual sticky notes, and more. We work on these together, and my one or two most senior students take charge. They use these tools to create investment in the whole project, as well as accountability for individual tasks.

CURAH: Tell us what you mean by materiality.

NS: In my mind, it’s related to the stokes we do for energy. We want to remember we have bodies, that we are bodies, and that we make use of them. But this also means paying attention to visual materials and, well, things. We use MURAL for brainstorming frequently because it mimics a physical whiteboard and post-its. We send materials to each other to play with, we sketch and write during our time together as well as on our own, and we share out. In the fine arts, it should be said, we often confuse medium and discipline, so I make clear to my students that matter really does matter here!

One thing that also helps is that I actually make all of this transparent to my students. I let them in on what I am doing and why. I ask them for feedback on what they need. This mirrors how we make decisions about research direction together, and how we decide who works on what.

CURAH: Can you tell us about one of the projects you’re currently working on with student teams?

NS: I am working, in collaboration with artist and director (and UW-M alum) Samantha Tan, on a Zoom-bound documentary about the Black Lives Matter movement, entitled Leverage: Taking Antiracist Action in This Moment. With the coronavirus pandemic also in the background, the film presents how a variety of community members are working hard towards equity. We do not speak for the movement (or its leaders), but rather with diverse voices who are making Black lives matter. We share what they are both learning and doing, in order to ask us all to take action in this moment, and every moment.

CURAH: As we round into the second year of collaborative work constrained by the global pandemic, any last words?

We still do stokes at every meeting!

Written by: Editorial Team for CUR Arts and Humanities Division

For more information on Dr. Stern’s projects past and present, visit https://nathanielstern.com. 

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