DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 25 MARCH: Digital Dramaturgy Debate @ CATR

[Amanda Lockitch]

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 25 MARCH: Digital Dramaturgy Debate @ CATR

Please forward widely, with apologies for cross-posting.

Resolved: Digital tools are shaping the future of dramaturgy in the  
theatre and the academy for the better.

Participants are invited for a CATR Roundtable that will consider this  
question as an Oxford-style debate, with two teams organized to argue  
against each other for the validity of the motion. We seek to unpack  
and explore some of the crucial questions that face us as both  
practitioners and teachers of dramaturgy in a Web 2.0 world: Does the  
ease of doing research online with tools like Google make the  
dramaturg a less valuable member of the production team, if not wholly  
unnecessary? Is Wikipedia proving a great resource for students to  
find broad details about a topic dealt with in a script, or a  
convenient excuse for them to avoid doing deep research and thinking?  
Do tools like iPads and laptops give us more ways to bring richer  
media into the rehearsal and learning processes, or are they  
distractions that lead to students and collaborators ignoring research  
in favor of Angry Birds?

Potential participants are asked to submit a statement of interest  
including a bio detailing dramaturgical experience to organizers  
Amanda Lockitch and Justin Blum at dramaturgydebate at gmail.com The  
deadline for expressions of interest is 25 March, 2012.

Questions and expressions of interest need not be formal, and  
expressions in advance of the actual deadline are particularly  
appreciated. You may indicate which side of the debate you think you?d  
like to be on, but we?ll be asking everyone to keep an open mind and  
be prepared to champion either side of the question: we?ll choose two  
teams with the hopes of getting a mix of skills and experience on each  
side. Selected participants will be in dialogue by email with  
organizers and their team before the conference, and will be asked to  
write a short position paper (2,000-3,000 words) prior to the  
conference.