1st Edition

1000 Ways to Ask Why Introduction to Dramaturgical Thinking

By Emily LeQuesne Copyright 2025
    216 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    216 Pages 10 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    What is dramaturgy? Can you be taught how to do it?

    1000 Ways to Ask Why, is a practical how to guide and introduction to dramaturgy and dramaturgical thinking for dramaturgs, directors, playwrights, devised theatre makers, choreographers, and performers.

    This book introduces The Mosaic Scale process, this is a five-step system that can be dipped in and out of, the steps don’t have to be read in a linear way. Akin to a mosaic-building approach, it is designed to help theatre makers to refine and develop the bigger picture of a script or a piece of devised performance. Until now, there has been no formal technique for literary or process dramaturgy.  This step-by-step process for applying dramaturgical thinking is a series of questions, exercises, and considerations to ask throughout the process of theatre making and rehearsal. 

    • The 1st ‘How to’ literary and process dramaturgy guide.
    • Full of practical exercises, questions, and ways to approach dramaturgical thinking.
    • Accessible exploration of a subject that can sometimes be inaccessibly academic.

     

    This volume will be of great interest to students and dramaturgs.

    Acknowledgements

    Glossary

     

    Chapter 1: 1000 Ways to Ask Why

    Chapter 2: The Mosaic Scale Process. The 5 Steps

    Chapter 3: Code Breakers

    Chapter 4: Elements Everywhere

    Chapter 5: Getting the Write Right

    Chapter 6: The Process of Process

    Chapter 7: Really Feeling it Now

    Chapter 8: Wait! What was that?

    Chapter 9: Spaces and Faces

    Chapter 10: The Puppet Made Me Do It

    Chapter 11: Thinking Dramaturgically

    Chapter 12: Appendices

    Bibliography

     

    Index

    Biography

    Emily LeQuesne is a theatre maker, dramaturg, writer, and researcher. She holds a PhD from Bath Spa University in dramaturgy, puppet theatre & scriptwriting, and a Masters in Scriptwriting.