Your Own First Dramaturg

I don't know if a playwright is necessarily his or her own BEST dramaturg. But a playwright is always the FIRST person to see the play, and probably the FIRST dramaturg, no? And certainly a person who can/should have a set of dramaturgical PRACTICES or TACTICS in her arsenal, in order to communicate with the world about what she (and the play) are trying to do.

Yes?

Anyway. What follows is a list of questions we generated today in my "New Play Dramaturgy" class, with the inimitable Liz Engleman (who is awesome; if you ever have the opportunity to meet or work with her, run screaming toward it).

QUESTIONS A DRAMATURG CAN ASK A PLAYWRIGHT AT THE FIRST MEETING
What does this play dream of?
Where are you (the playwright) in the process of writing this play (what draft, etc)?
Are there other drafts I can or should see?
What have you worked on in each draft? What was your goal with each draft?
What can you tell me about the original idea for this play?
How do you want your audience to feel?
What are you worried about with this play (or, as another friend says, "what about this play makes you want to vomit in your own mouth?" ew, I know)?
What research have you done already?
Is there anything I should read/listen to/look at to better understand this play and where you're coming from with it?
What questions do you still have regarding the play?
What's still missing?
What are you excited about in this play/draft?
Whose story is it? Who's the main character, in your mind?
What conversation are you having (or hoping to have) with your audience?
To what end? Ie what are you trying to say, what's your message?
Who's the ideal audience for this play, in your mind?
What are you planning for your next draft(s)?
How can I best be of use to you in this process?
What relationship have you had with dramaturgs in the past?

QUESTIONS A DRAMATURG CAN ASK A DIRECTOR AT FIRST MEETING
How do you see the director-dramaturg relationship? How can I help?
What visual images do you have in mind with this play?
Why THIS play NOW?
What's the story of this play to you?
What relationship do you have/want with the playwright(s)?
What excites you/scares you about this play?
What do you want to uncover or examine with this production?
What's your way into the play?
Can you talk about the world of the play?
What don't you need/want from a dramaturg?

INSTITUTIONAL DRAMATURGY QUESTIONS (FOR THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR)
How do you see this play relating to the company's mission and/or season?
What conversation do you want to have/do you want this play to have with the audience, and how can I help to further that conversation?
What kind of institutional structure do you have or envision to support that conversation?
What excites you/scares you about this play?
If this play doesn't change at all, are you still excited about it? What are your expectations for change? What are the dealbreakers?
What questions do you still have about the play?
How would you describe this play to your company, your audience, a member of your board?