Dramaturgy: The Art of Managing Time

Dramaturgy refers to a practice that entails managing happenings in time to ensure that their broader impact and meaning realize benefit. In this sense, in case drama results from the events, dramaturgy entails grappling them to a progressive shape, which ensures that they become dramatic. Dramaturgy does not stand beyond the drama but links to it, while mostly invincible, but continues to play a critical role. In this sense, dramaturgy aims at elucidating the reasons behind the actions of people through comparing them to actors presenting in a theatre. When looking at numerous productions, including television shows, films, as well as plays, they revolve around a central theme, which they point to. If they fail to follow the things said, it would end up lacking relevance to the theme, just as it is the case with the lives of people. Many individuals have set life goals while at the same time having ‘expectations,’ which they possess and utilize as tools referred to as “impression management” for attaining them. This serves as where the “acting’ part becomes relevant. Many persons usually act and perform in ways they believe would work best to meet their anticipations in certain situations. Whether at school, work, or in front of family or friends, people put their individual presentations, which would fit that specific environment best (Goffman, 1990) . In this sense, it becomes apparent to realize that all people act differently for the distinct situations that they encounter. An example in this case, would revolve around the beheading videos by Islamic State, which were choreographed and art directed. For these choices, they led to the development of a broader cognitive pattern that allows the audience to perceive it as a “story.” This is a result of a specific dramaturgical approach. In the event of the soft lighting employed, the English language, which serves as the voice-over and the discrete violence portrayal, leads the audience to perceive them as more shocking than reality.

Reference

Goffman, E. (1990). The presentation of self in everyday life. London: Penguin Books.