In this valuable new book Brown builds upon the practice of existing professional dramaturgs across the United States by clarifying how a dramaturg can play an active role in the development and creation of a production for the stage. Brownâ s book demonstrates how at every phase of the production process the dramaturg can play a significant role in transforming â heady ideasâ into stage language and action that the other collaboratorsâ directors, playwrights, actors, designers­â can deploy in their creative explorations. The Art of Active Dramaturgy is a useful tool for those at a formative stage as a dramaturg learning a set of skills and for those unfamiliar with the complexity of the dramaturgâ s process and her potential impact on the artistic event being created.â Mark Bly, Senior Dramaturg, Alley TheatreThe Art of Active Dramaturgy serves a truly useful function in introducing newcomers to the work of a dramaturg and offering ways for a student or anyone new to the practice a pathway towards tackling the role with confidence and a strong set of tools. But beyond that, it also takes what is often a murky and abstract set of tasks and outlines them with great clarity and through actionable steps, yet in a way that never simplifies or codifies the mysterious nature of art making. I will recommend this book to students but will also use it in my own practiceâ in training young emerging dramaturgs who work in our department as interns, but also in refreshing and focusing my own approach to reading new plays and working with playwrights on advancing their work.â Tanya Palmer, Director of New Play Development, Goodman TheatreLenora Inez Brown is the former Head of Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism at The Theatre School, DePaul University. She has served as a dramaturg at numerous new-play workshops and festivals including The Sundance Theatre Labs 2000 and 2001, South Coast Repertoryâ s The Pacific Playwright Festival, The Goodman Theatreâ s New Stages Series, The Bonderman Festival at Indiana Repertory Theatre, and New Visions/New Voices at The Kennedy Center. She helped initiate Madison Repâ s new play festival, which included the premiere of Sarah Ruhlâ s Eurydice. She was the dramaturg for the 1999 Tony® nominated musical It Ainâ t Nothing But the Blues. She holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA in Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism from the Yale School of Drama.