At some point, the challenge is no longer writing the play. The challenge is seeing it.
After months—or sometimes years—of living with a script, every playwright reaches a point where another perspective becomes valuable. Not because the playwright lacks insight, but because familiarity brings its own complications. The characters are known. The intentions are understood. The history of every scene is remembered.
A dramaturgical assessment is a careful, structured evaluation from an experienced theatre practitioner who has spent a lifetime reading, performing, directing, and developing plays. The purpose is not to tell a playwright what play to write. It is to help the playwright see more clearly the play that already exists.
I provide script assessment and dramaturgical consultation for playwrights, directors, and theatre companies developing new work. Whether a script is in its first draft, preparing for a staged reading, or approaching production, the goal remains the same: to identify strengths, clarify concerns, and explore possibilities while respecting the playwright’s ownership of the work.
Every play begins as a private conversation between the playwright and the page. Dramaturgy begins when a second set of eyes enters that conversation.
The Assessment Process
Over the years, I have found that one of the greatest challenges in talking about a play is that different kinds of observations can easily become tangled together.
Sometimes there is something objectively happening on the page. Sometimes there is simply a strong personal reaction. And sometimes an idea for revision presents itself before anyone has fully understood what the underlying question might be.
For that reason, I divide my assessments into three separate conversations. The distinctions are not meant to create distance from the work, but to help both playwright and reader understand exactly what is being discussed at any given moment.
Part One: Craft Analysis
The first part of the assessment looks at the play itself. Themes, characters, conflict, dialogue, structure, and practical production considerations are examined with an emphasis on what is actually present on the page rather than on personal taste or preferred style. The intention is simply to establish a clear understanding of the work before moving on to personal reactions or possible revisions.
Part Two: Personal Response
The second part considers my own response to the work as someone who has spent a lifetime reading, performing, directing, and developing plays.
Not every observation belongs in a craft discussion. Sometimes a moment resonates unexpectedly in a highly emotional way. Sometimes a character raises unexpected questions. Sometimes a scene suggests a particular audience reaction or theatrical challenge. These responses are not presented as judgments, but simply as one experienced theatre practitioner’s encounter with the play. My hope is that this section offers another perspective while remaining honest about its subjective nature.
Part Three: Possibilities for Development
Only after those first two conversations do I turn toward the future.
The final section gathers together questions, observations, and possibilities that may be worth exploring in later drafts. These are not instructions, nor are they prescriptions for what the play ought to become. They are simply avenues the playwright may wish to consider as the work continues to grow, and they are offered in the spirit of collaboration.
Areas of Consultation
Every play and every playwright arrives with different questions. Sometimes the concern is clear: a difficult character, an uncertain ending, a structural problem, or the practical realities of production. Sometimes the only certainty is the feeling that something is not yet working.
You do not need to know exactly what kind of help you need before reaching out. Every assessment begins with a conversation, and together we can determine what would be most useful for your particular project.
Philosophy
Theatre is a collaborative art. Dramaturgy works best when it serves that collaboration.
A playwright brings vision, voice, and intention. The dramaturg brings perspective, analysis, and questions. Neither replaces the other.
My goal is not to rewrite a playwright’s work in my own image. It is to help illuminate what is already present, identify areas that may benefit from further exploration, and provide useful observations that support the playwright’s artistic goals.
The play always remains the playwright’s.
About Richard Pallaziol
Richard Pallaziol has worked in theatre for more than five decades as an actor, director, script evaluator, fight choreographer, educator, and dramaturg. Across those disciplines, a common thread has remained: an interest in how stories function in performance and how audiences experience them.
Since 2017, he has served as dramaturg for Valley Players, where he has led the organization’s annual new-play evaluation process. In that capacity, he has read and provided detailed assessments for more than 600 submitted plays, ranging from short works to full-length dramas and comedies.
His dramaturgical work has included staged readings, audience-response analysis, Shakespearean dramaturgy, and the development of new plays from script through production. To date, he has worked with nine new plays through the development and production process.
Richard’s perspective is informed by experience on all sides of the theatrical process. He has worked on more than 450 productions, directed productions at both the collegiate and professional level, and has lectured on period style and Shakespearean textual analysis. He studied English Literature and Theatre History at California State University, Long Beach, and continued his theatrical training at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
He lives and works in Napa, California.
Contact
For information regarding script assessment, dramaturgical consultation, or new-play development services, please contact:
Email: RichardPallaziol@gmail.com
Text Message: (760) 726-3527
Email is preferred for initial inquiries. Text messages are welcome for brief questions or follow-up communication. Please note that I do not answer voice calls.