DRAMATURG/ SCRIPT CONSULTANT
NICOLLE NATTRASS: DRAMATURG/ SCRIPT CONSULTANT
“Working with Nicolle was both incredibly helpful and incredibly easy. I felt her genuine care in all our interactions and her questions allowed me as the writer to dive deeper into the areas of my play that I knew I wanted to go, but wasn’t sure how.”
“Nicolle Nattrass is a pleasure to work with and a truly talented dramaturg. She has a keen eye for narrative structure, character development, and thematic depth and jumps into it a story with a sense of adventure, a generous spirit and an open mind. Working with her made me more creative as a writer and emerging theatre artist.She led me into thinking of the story in new ways and engaged with me around both the big picture of what I wanted to write and small, (but very significant) nuances of the script. Her feedback and encouragement were instrumental in taking my script to the next level and getting my playwriting career off the ground! Thank you Nicolle! “
Nicolle has worked with over 70 playwrights on various projects, to support their vision from idea to first draft to final draft.
She is a passionate advocate in nurturing young playwrights having worked as Playrighting Instructor & Guest Author at the biennial Young Authors Conference since 2011, Youth Playwrights Blitz (Kaleidoscope Theatre) and served multiple times as a Juror member of National Playwrighting Competitions through Theatre BC, Playwrights Guild of Canada, Stage West Comedy Award etc.
“Emerging Voices has truly flourished under the leadership of TheatreOne’s Artistic Associate, Nicolle Nattrass. My experience working with her has been nothing but positive. She handles the administration and stage management aspect of her role with professionalism, and seamlessly switches between directing the actors and dramaturging the playwright. Her ability to give guidance to the playwright while still allowing the actors to share their opinions is unparalleled. It is not an easy task to create a safe environment where all artists feel heard and supported, and Nicolle meets and surpasses this challenge with her strong leadership and open heart. “
“What an exhilarating, exhausting day!
Thank you to everyone for holding the space,
Sally Stubbs for your exquisite play,
and Nicolle Nattrass for rocking it at the helm!”
–Tamara McCarthy, Actor & Director
“Thank you to the gang at TheatreOne in Nanaimo for the outstanding workshop and reading of my script Our Ghosts. I’m always hard on my own work, but this was – according to audience members, team and even me– a moving and profound experience. (Did I really just say it was profound? Well, I think it was.) Thank you especially to Nicolle Nattrass, who programmed OUR GHOSTS and brought passion and impeccable organization and leadership to our work.
– Sally Stubbs, Playwright
-“This was a most marvelous day and adventure.
thank you Nicolle Nattrass for being absolutely stellar
at your job. It was a most productive day and fantastic evening. What a wonderful company to work for.”
-Barbara Ellen Pollard, Actor
THE IMPORTANCE OF GUIDELINES FOR DRAMATURGY SUPPORT
Nicolle believes firmly that Guidelines that support the process of any writer, no matter the medium- especially essential in the workshop & development process.
More often than not, the creative process needs to have freedom (under non deconstructing eyes) so that ideas can be followed, where even the most random of thoughts can be risked and explored for potential content.
Here are some of the Dramaturgical Framework Resources I reference in my dramaturgy:
- Rules of Engagement for New Play Development are vital to a play’s development and a healthy professional workshop & creation environment.
- Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process
Nicolle offers Artist friendly & Sliding Scale Rates.
Book a conversation- 30 Min Free Phone Consult.
STILL CURIOUS ABOUT EXACTLY
WHAT DRAMATURG (OR DRAMATURGE) IS?
The definition is debatable and ever evolving including the spelling of it but according to Wikipedia~
The modern definition of Dramaturge is often debated as to what specific tasks this job does, with some defining it as the bridge between the director and the actors, others defining it as one who determines the meaning of plays and shows for the actors, and others claiming that even they don’t quite have a complete definition for their job.
This discrepancy between dramaturgies is likely due to the lack of an official historical definition, and the wide variety of tasks that Dramaturgies could be asked to work on, depending on the theater, director, the show being produced, and the actors. Since Gotthold Lessing didn’t create an official definition for his own position at the Hamburg
Theatre modern dramaturgies have to infer their tasks based on what Lessing did during his career, and adapt to the current needs of modern theater.
From 2013-2021, Nicolle worked as Dramaturg/Director & Artistic Associate for Theatre One’s Emerging Voices programming the development of 3 plays each year working closely with the playwright on development, casting the series with professional actors, facilitating a day long workshop followed by a staged reading, has allowed her to program and work with over 20 playwrights.
2021
- You are not a ghost by Jessica Schacht & Sam Young
- Signals from the Lockdown by Dave Mott, in collaboration with Tamara McCarthy
- Anahareo by Anne Nesbitt
2020
- Is That All There Is? by Cheryl Mullen
- Radioland 48 by Kirsten Van Ritzen
- Stream by David Gow
2019
- Driving Me Crazy by Linda A. Carson & Suzanne Ristic
- Leftovers by Brianna Wiens
- The Nighthawks by Michelle Deines
2018
- 223 Riverview Lane by Sean Harris Oliver
- Our Ghosts by Sally Stubbs
- Choices by Renee Baillargeon
2017
- Occupational Hazards by Roneen Marcoux
- The Seduction Theory by Sherry MacDonald
- Creative Criticism by Michael Poirier
2016
- Two Thirds by Julie McIsaac
- It’s Time by Robert Tsonos
- Emerge by Charleen Phelps
2015
- Centurions by Sally Stubbs
- Peaches & Cream by Jennifer Wynne Webber
- The Long Call by Jenn Griffin
2014
- Gross Misconduct by Meghan Gardiner
- Blue Heaven by Michael Armstrong
- Chicken in Mourning by Kim Clark