"Emotional Dramaturgy: Invitation to a Brave Space"

When the curtain closes, does the emotional weight stay with performers?

In her conference presentation “Emotional Dramaturgy: Invitation to a Brave Space,” Dr. Stephanie “Tippi” Hart put language to a gap many rehearsal rooms still carry: we train actors to enter vulnerable, traumatic material - but we rarely train closure.

Her work starts in the emotional world of the play and looks at what happens when actors enter into it, live inside it, and exit from it ß with a process that’s responsive to the performer’s intertwined physical and psychological needs, working with body and brain to support safety.

She drew a clear distinction:

- traditional (factual) dramaturgy attends to the mind,

- physical dramaturgy attends to the body,

- emotional dramaturgy attends to the mind/spirit - towards a more holistic dramaturgy, especially when the material is potentially traumatic.

One line that stayed with us: this isn’t “a role” you outsource. It’s a practice - something that belongs in every training and rehearsal studio.