An introduction to the mysterious theater role of a dramaturg by a legend in the field“This book is marvelous. . . . Fascinating. . . . An absolute joy to read.”—Gil Roth, Virtual Memories podcast Anne Cattaneo was among the first Americans to fill the role of dramaturg, one of theater’s best kept secrets.A combination of theater artist, scholar, researcher, play advocate, editor, and writer’s friend, it is the job of a dramaturg to “reflect light back on the elements that are already in play,” while bringing a work of theater to life.Cattaneo traces the field from its beginnings in the eighteenth century to the present and chronicles the multitude and variety of tasks a dramaturg undertakes before, during, and after a production is brought to the stage.Using detailed stories from her work with theater artists such as Tom Stoppard, Wendy Wasserstein, Robert Wilson, Shi-Zheng Chen, and Sarah Ruhl, as well as the discovery of a “lost” play by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, Cattaneo provides an invaluable manual to those studying, working in, and interested in this most fascinating profession.