The Garden as Matrix of Dramaturgical Practice

The often-described distinction between dramaturgy as a function inherent to performance and dramaturgy as a practice related to the development of a performance is a misleading approach. It is not dramaturgy as a function of a finished object on the one hand and practice on the emerging object on the other, separated into two spheres. It is the same thing! The difference lies in the status assigned to the object, in the way the process and material are viewed, and in the position chosen as/for the viewer. The aim should be to think of both together, on the basis that dramaturgy is a practice that operates with regard to a field that is to be analyzed, described, and developed.

Dramaturgy, it seems, always refers to an object and to the practice of others. It looks at and relates to something that lies before it. It is therefore problematic to consider dramaturgy in isolation: what is it without the object to which it refers? However, dramaturgy is not incorporeal, spiritualized, operating just with and reacting to the material of others. Dramaturgy is a practice that generates material that becomes visible and effective as a structure with form, relationships, and content. It is a practice of approximation and attribution, a movement in and through a dynamic field with specific qualities, characteristics, and conditions, where process and design, development and function, thinking and doing, observation and material meet – and is defined largely by the concepts with which it operates.

In order to describe dramaturgy in this field of tension as such – without relating it to a product of its activity – I will attempt to implement it in a larger matrix:

Key concepts (terms) in dramaturgical practice (such as rhythm, direction, beginning, end, process, authorship, context, arc, character) can be found in garden design. By describing the underlying concepts and definitions, they can be linked to one another and their different characteristics mapped onto each other. Classified in the coordinate system of different garden concepts, new perspectives on the character and background of the terms and the related conceptual, content-related, and compositional work in choreographic projects become possible. In this way, they reveal the diverse aspects of dramaturgical work as an equally contemplative and developmental activity – with all its ambivalence in the context of concept/process/material, content/aesthetics/structure, consultation/collaboration/authorship.

The aim is to compile a list of terms used in dramaturgical practice, which are classified and described both from the perspective of practice in choreographic projects and against the backdrop of different garden concepts, in order to capture and contextualize their references, conditions, and effects. This is to take into account the fact that behind the terms lie ideas that shape the project and ultimately have social and political implications – in dramaturgy as well as in gardening. The aim is to reveal what these ideas imply, what effect they have in artistic work, and how we can use them in/for work in choreographic projects.

Ideas and concepts of dramaturgy manifest themselves in the terms used in the work.

They are based on beliefs, ideas, and expectations that arise from a certain view of the world, which lies behind these terms and forms the basis for thinking, significantly shaping both the classification and use of the terms. If the terms are defined in this way and are reflected in concrete arrangements, then the corresponding worldview can be derived on the basis of the definition of these terms, thus enabling statements to be made about the conditions of our current (contemporary) production. Confronting the terms with their equivalents in different garden concepts should reveal the underlying concepts of their use and enable us to consider various conceptual approaches to dramaturgy as a holistic practice with (not on) concrete material.

For example, concepts of exclusion and inclusion are an important part of dramaturgy (not only in terms of audience, but also in relation to choreographic material). Accordingly, different concepts of garden enclosure can be described in the history and various cultures of garden art, which in turn allow conclusions to be drawn about a particular worldview. Enclosure is a constitutive element in the cultural history of gardens, which has always divided space into an inside and an outside, thus not only regulating access (to the garden, to the social sphere, to the narrative, to work, to knowledge), but also separating culture from nature and manifesting authorship as a form of sovereignty. In the history of the European garden, enclosure has evolved over the centuries from a high stone wall (Middle Ages) to an invisible, more idealistic boundary (English garden). If we apply the accompanying conceptual changes in the description of dramaturgy and the development of related discourses, we may be able to gain a new perspective on current concepts of access and authorship and describe this aspect of choreographic projects more precisely.

The garden – as an idea and as a construct – is not a uniquely European concept. And yet the development of European gardens and the accompanying changes in the building blocks and arrangements for these purposes are a welcome starting point.

The garden, which developed from the manifestation of an earthly paradise, captivates with its purposeful arrangement in terms of a worldview that organizes humans, God, culture, and nature as a structure and has changed over the centuries. On the one hand, it offers an inviting surface on which to read or interpret views, attitudes, attributions, and much more, and to put them into context. On the other hand, it provides a wealth of tools (such as horizontal and vertical alignment, boundaries, invitations, etc.) that have been used in different ways over the centuries, showing how different attributions change the material and its effect. In European gardens, for example, we see a division into two spheres that is fundamental to some considerations (e.g., sacred/secular world order, mental/physical activity, male/female work) and thus also becomes relevant for the consideration of (work in) choreographic projects. Gardens from other cultures (e.g., the Japanese rock garden or garden representations on carpets from ancient Persia) offer completely different points of reference, such as specific characterizations of time, and will therefore form another important focus of the research.

This research focuses on dramaturgy as a practice, as well as positions and functions with regard to the staging of choreographic projects. Therefore, the garden does not serve as an allegory that would suggest describing the framing of the location, the representative potential of the construction, cultural-historical developments, and much more in terms of their parallels. Rather, the garden is a matrix that makes it possible to (re)consider fundamental parameters (of dramaturgy) by identifying and describing them in another system (the garden).

The garden serves as a multi-layered and dynamic constellation that allows conclusions to be drawn, enables specific perspectives, and, if necessary, reveals what is hidden—it makes positions, constructions, functions, relationships, and economies perceptible.

The garden concepts (understood as conceptual installations, as opposed to private gardens) are described in such a way tand to such an extent hat they can serve as a surface on which diverse phenomena and approaches can be depicted. In this way, the garden offers multiple perspectives on the various aspects of dramaturgy in choreographic projects, thus opening up new possibilities for describing them in relation to a dynamic field. Using terms from dramaturgy, I outline thematic fields in order to analyze and describe them in relation to or comparison with their counterparts in garden concepts and to define their potential for dramaturgical practice. To this end, I analyze various gardens and their layout and describe their components to the extent that they are useful for the purpose of this research. On the other hand, I collect and define terms and concepts of dramaturgy in literature and in conversations with colleagues in order to describe their functions, implications, and potential and to relate them to those of gardens.

The result is a workbook for daily practice, designed like a catalog. Various terms from dramaturgy, their definitions, concepts, and points of reference are described in relation to parallel terms in garden art. This list expands the vocabulary of dramaturgical practice, outlines various arrangements in choreographic projects, and defines the dynamic field in which it operates. This workbook can grow and develop continuously and is thus not only a theoretical discourse, but also another level of practical dramaturgical work in choreographic projects.