Working with the Company

One of the challenges I've come across as a dramaturge is in finding my place as a part of the company. For the most part, I see my self as a resource for everyone involved in the production, cast, designers, director, and audience. One the one hand, I feel like my role is one of the most integral, in that I'm involved with everyone else at every stage of the process. On the other hand though, the nature of my role sometimes leaves me feeling disconnected from the rest of the company. I attend both rehearsals and production meetings but often my participation is necessarily minimal in both of these areas because most of my work is independent. I enjoy going to rehearsals because I like seeing the performance grow and the way Jason shapes each scene with the actors but the biggest reason for my presence is to let the actors see that I'm there and available, it's also when I have a chance to approach actors with new information I've found that my help them. I certainly don't see this as a poor use of time, I'm able to do research on my computor while watching the scenes, and this is when the majority of questions arise from the actors. I love being there when a question springs to mind and being able to provide a quick answer that can help the actor while the scene is fresh and often still being worked. It's a connection that makes me feel useful but not as connected to the process as I've felt in other roles.
Another part of my work is to attend production meeting with the designers and crew. In theory, I'm also aailable as a resource for them but in practice the opposite is more often true, which isn't nessecarily a bad thing. Most of the designers are experienced faculty and staff who are used to doing their own in depth research for their jobs, who have probably already reseached this subject for other productions either of The Crucible or shows in a similiar time period, and who knew their positions long before I did. In this particular production the only student designer is working on props and I've been able to help him with some aspects of his research. Apart from that, I sometimes feel like I don't recieve the same value from the production meetings as others do, not that there's no value, just different ones.
Similar to attending rehearsals, I get to see and learn from another aspect of production. It's interesting to see how all the design aspects need to take consideration of each other. Are the costumes partical for manuvering the set? How will the colors in the lighting design affect the colors in the set and costumes? and so on. My own connection is less pratical and apparent, I have to think back about it to find where I fit in. My lobby display will be the first experience the audience has of this production. Hopefully, it will play a part in shaping the way they interpret what they watch. I can use the other design elements to inform my display, how it looks, what the message is, to contribute to or interpret the rest of the piece. So, no I don't need to worry about my mic placement on the set, or if my speaker is in the way of a lighting fixture. I know the value of my part, I struggle sometimes to remember it and feel like I'm contributing when I bring my updates to a meeting where everyone else seems to have vital concerns they need to discuss before they can move on.