Dramaturgy - How I Do It & Why I'm Good at It
I have a wide scope of production experience - producing, playwriting, design, performance, directing, stage management, education, & marketing. This greatly informs my dramaturgy and equips me to fully support every member across a production team from an informed perspective - understanding what information they need and how they use it. My dramaturgical process & products are tailored to each team I work with - to support their creative processes and meet the needs of the team & their unique audience. To me, dramaturgy is not just "standing in for the playwright", it's a support role to the entire creative team and somewhere between theatrical anthropology and a private investigator - researching and exploring all the nuanced ways a text and its context can inform the telling of a story. My goal is to provide dramaturgy that is usable - information that can be applied easily and clearly, never info dumping.
I have work experience with many of dramaturgy's variations - including production dramaturgy, new play development, script reading & coverage, education, and audience engagement. I am currently serving as GableStage's 2024-25 Resident Dramaturg. I have dramaturged both classical texts, brilliant adaptations, and thrilling new works.
Personally, dramaturgy is the most satisfying to me when it is deeply connected with the development of a production - a comprehensive and collaborative experience. I believe that I am the most effective, or have the most to offer a production, when working as a dual dramaturg/assistant director. In that role, I see my job as primarily asking good questions, supporting a director's process & offering a second pair of eyes, and lending additional support and balance to the production team. I'm someone who always has an eye proactively peeled for opportunities - to support, to strengthen, to discover more depth.
I have work experience with many of dramaturgy's variations - including production dramaturgy, new play development, script reading & coverage, education, and audience engagement. I am currently serving as GableStage's 2024-25 Resident Dramaturg. I have dramaturged both classical texts, brilliant adaptations, and thrilling new works.
Personally, dramaturgy is the most satisfying to me when it is deeply connected with the development of a production - a comprehensive and collaborative experience. I believe that I am the most effective, or have the most to offer a production, when working as a dual dramaturg/assistant director. In that role, I see my job as primarily asking good questions, supporting a director's process & offering a second pair of eyes, and lending additional support and balance to the production team. I'm someone who always has an eye proactively peeled for opportunities - to support, to strengthen, to discover more depth.
"Working with our dramaturg, Ali Tallman, was invaluable in this process. Ali did such a wonderful job of getting to the heart of what I was trying to do, and then actually helping me do that."
- Playwright Tyler Johnson Grimes
Scroll below for samples of my work. Contact for materials not shared here or more of my portfolio.
GableStage 2024-25 Season - Resident Dramaturg
Education & Audience Engagement Dramaturgy for:
King James by Rajiv Joseph - directed by Ruben Carrazana
Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen by Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz
Appropriate by Branden Jacob-Jenkins - directed by Bari Newport
Hamlet by William Shakespeare, adapted by Ali Tallman & Michael Yawney - directed by Michael Yawney
Summer, 1976 by David Auburn - directed by Bari Newport
Fat Ham by James Ijames, produced in partnership with Brévo Theatre and Island City Stage - directed by TM Pride
King James by Rajiv Joseph - directed by Ruben Carrazana
Both Sides Now: The Music and Lives of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen by Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz
Appropriate by Branden Jacob-Jenkins - directed by Bari Newport
Hamlet by William Shakespeare, adapted by Ali Tallman & Michael Yawney - directed by Michael Yawney
Summer, 1976 by David Auburn - directed by Bari Newport
Fat Ham by James Ijames, produced in partnership with Brévo Theatre and Island City Stage - directed by TM Pride
For my work as GableStage's Resident Dramaturg, I researched, refined, and communicated information with both the creative teams and audiences. Each cast received a Dramaturgy Packet that I reviewed with them following their table read. I also created large-scale, interactive timelines as a reference tool in each rehearsal room. I often provided research support to actors through their character development processes. For directors who desired more collaborative partnerships, I provided direct support in the room throughout rehearsals. During the run of the shows, I gave 60 out of 107 "Windows on the Work" pre-show talks for audiences, and provided them with Engagement Packets. I wrote a playbill note and moderated a talkback with the cast on opening weekend of each production in the season.
For GableStage's annual Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring show, I adapted a 45-minute version of Hamlet with director Michael Yawney. I provided production dramaturgy for this show, which toured to 20+ public schools (6,000+ students) across Miami-Dade County. I created a comprehensive study guide for the students, which they received in advance. Each performance was followed by a talkback with the cast. Notably, during the post-show discussions, student requests for plot summary were completely absent - a rare occurrence in recent seasons, and one that speaks to the precision of the adaptation and the cast’s rigorous groundwork.
I participated in GableStage's IGNITE program, which offers a season-long, all-access intensive partnership to 60 New World School of the Arts' high school students. For each show, I created a study guide for the students. I guest taught a class for the group prior to their attendance of our production of Summer, 1976, giving them insight into professional dramaturgy and using zine creation as an introduction to dramaturgical practice.
I also spoke at several community-based classes for adults theatre enthusiasts, as well as several guest lectures at GableStage's Diary of a Production class, which offers adult learners access to shadow the artistic process of two of the season's productions.
Please contact to view any of the portfolio materials referenced above.
For GableStage's annual Shakespeare-in-the-Schools touring show, I adapted a 45-minute version of Hamlet with director Michael Yawney. I provided production dramaturgy for this show, which toured to 20+ public schools (6,000+ students) across Miami-Dade County. I created a comprehensive study guide for the students, which they received in advance. Each performance was followed by a talkback with the cast. Notably, during the post-show discussions, student requests for plot summary were completely absent - a rare occurrence in recent seasons, and one that speaks to the precision of the adaptation and the cast’s rigorous groundwork.
I participated in GableStage's IGNITE program, which offers a season-long, all-access intensive partnership to 60 New World School of the Arts' high school students. For each show, I created a study guide for the students. I guest taught a class for the group prior to their attendance of our production of Summer, 1976, giving them insight into professional dramaturgy and using zine creation as an introduction to dramaturgical practice.
I also spoke at several community-based classes for adults theatre enthusiasts, as well as several guest lectures at GableStage's Diary of a Production class, which offers adult learners access to shadow the artistic process of two of the season's productions.
Please contact to view any of the portfolio materials referenced above.
"Understanding the historical context of Hamlet and how the actors prepared for their roles deepened my appreciation for the performance." — Student, Westland Hialeah Senior High
"I learned more about the themes of Hamlet, especially how they relate to modern-day issues like mental health and power struggles." -- Student, Coral Gables Senior High
"The “To be or not to be” soliloquy was my favorite part because it captured Hamlet’s internal struggle so well." — Student, Southwest Miami Senior High
"It's clear that a great deal of thought and dedication went into this production, and it truly resonated with me." — Activities Director, Southwest Senior High
"I learned more about the themes of Hamlet, especially how they relate to modern-day issues like mental health and power struggles." -- Student, Coral Gables Senior High
"The “To be or not to be” soliloquy was my favorite part because it captured Hamlet’s internal struggle so well." — Student, Southwest Miami Senior High
"It's clear that a great deal of thought and dedication went into this production, and it truly resonated with me." — Activities Director, Southwest Senior High
A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams
produced by New City Players, directed by Stuart Meltzer
Production Dramaturgy
produced by New City Players, directed by Stuart Meltzer
Production Dramaturgy
In our first conversation, Stuart expressed a desire for dramaturgy that was physically present in the rehearsal room. Something that could inspire the actors' senses and capture a range of information to showcase life at the time. Unable to wallpaper our rehearsal space, I created a scrapbook that highlighted a variety of topics related to the story, characters, time period, location, and culture at the time. The pages included tactile elements that could be physically interacted with, as well as QR codes linked to a number of primary sources, including period home videos and audio. During the run, I moderated talkbacks with the audience and creative team.
View a digitized copy of the scrapbook here:
Photos by Morgan Sophia
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Read the playbill note here: |
"Part of NCP’s mission statement is to create transformative theatre. They’ve done so here. This is not your parent’s Streetcar. It’s a kinder, gentler version, still with the climatic moments, but with character interpretations allowing us to take a closer look at the wounded people underneath the monsters. If, in fact, they are monsters, because that’s up for debate. Since the job of the dramaturg is to know the play as well as the playwright, essentially standing in for Tennessee Williams since he can’t be here, we have to assume that given the remarkable complexity of Streetcar, and the way NCP interprets and obviously understands it, the show’s dramaturg, Ali Tallman, knows her stuff." - Florida Theatre On Stage
"I must say while I was moved by the movie long ago, and key parts stayed with me, NCP’s production was a revelation. I found new appreciation for all of Tennessee Williams’ nuances and, especially, for how his words came to vivid, believable life through the actors’ astounding performances that will never be forgotten. While the play is set very much in its time and place, not all that much has changed...At the very least, the play will transform how you see this greatest work by what many consider America’s greatest playwright. But it can also transform how you see yourself, others, and your place in society." - South Florida Theater Magazine
"There is so much special about this Streetcar, especially how it is treated with reverence and care – letting the characters develop as Williams intended without reinterpretation. As Blanche says, “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” New City Players has managed to achieve both." - Broward Arts
"What transcends in this thoughtful, intimate, yet powerful production are the relationships between family, the dynamics of couples and the fragility and insecurities of the the triangular relationship between the main characters...As the plot unfolds and secrets are revealed, the complexity of the many interlocking themes in this play make it clear why it is an enduring classic...The performances in this particular production are both outstanding and complex and the actors, including the supporting cast, make each part their own. For each one, the tension between the choices they own, the options life has handed them, their own insecurities and the pressures of outside expectations are driving their actions. These complex human characters can appear to be monsters, victims or simply incapable of dealing with the circumstances that brought them to this moment....As always, New City Players does not disappoint, following their own stated vision of helping South Florida become a more empathetic and thoughtful community by taking a play that we thought we knew and producing in a way that makes it relatable and relevant while staying true to the text." - Culture Owl
"I must say while I was moved by the movie long ago, and key parts stayed with me, NCP’s production was a revelation. I found new appreciation for all of Tennessee Williams’ nuances and, especially, for how his words came to vivid, believable life through the actors’ astounding performances that will never be forgotten. While the play is set very much in its time and place, not all that much has changed...At the very least, the play will transform how you see this greatest work by what many consider America’s greatest playwright. But it can also transform how you see yourself, others, and your place in society." - South Florida Theater Magazine
"There is so much special about this Streetcar, especially how it is treated with reverence and care – letting the characters develop as Williams intended without reinterpretation. As Blanche says, “I don’t want realism. I want magic!” New City Players has managed to achieve both." - Broward Arts
"What transcends in this thoughtful, intimate, yet powerful production are the relationships between family, the dynamics of couples and the fragility and insecurities of the the triangular relationship between the main characters...As the plot unfolds and secrets are revealed, the complexity of the many interlocking themes in this play make it clear why it is an enduring classic...The performances in this particular production are both outstanding and complex and the actors, including the supporting cast, make each part their own. For each one, the tension between the choices they own, the options life has handed them, their own insecurities and the pressures of outside expectations are driving their actions. These complex human characters can appear to be monsters, victims or simply incapable of dealing with the circumstances that brought them to this moment....As always, New City Players does not disappoint, following their own stated vision of helping South Florida become a more empathetic and thoughtful community by taking a play that we thought we knew and producing in a way that makes it relatable and relevant while staying true to the text." - Culture Owl
All My Sons
by Arthur Miller
produced by New City Players, directed by Jason Peck
Production & Audience Engagement Dramaturgy/Assistant Director
produced by New City Players, directed by Jason Peck
Production & Audience Engagement Dramaturgy/Assistant Director
For this production, I served as a dual dramaturg & assistant director. Director Jason Peck has a longstanding love affair with All My Sons, having directed three stagings of the show previously. The dramaturgical body of work he previously crafted served as our jumping off point, and my efforts either furthered this research or explored new opportunities, mining for as much dimension and viscera from the text as possible. I worked closely with Jason to explore the possibilities within the text and led deep, textual conversations in rehearsals.
Additionally, I lent support across departments, with perhaps the best examples being sourcing archival footage for the projections designer and researching & creating an astrologically accurate horoscope prop. I moderated post-show talkbacks and designed immersive lobby experiences to deepen audience connection with the play’s themes. Collaborating with Props & Set Designer Jameelah Bailey, I conceptualized and built a lobby display, featuring a striking Victorian dollhouse replica of the set, underneath a sea of miniature WWII-era planes flying overhead, blending domestic intimacy with historical tension. To provoke reflection, I displayed an excerpt from Arthur Miller’s essay on tragedy’s relevance to everyday heroes, emphasizing Miller's groundbreaking focus on ordinary lives as epic struggles. I also created themed artist appreciation postcards, allowing audiences to share personal feedback while forging bonds with the cast. Finally, I created a pledge wall where attendees proposed actionable steps to strengthen their communities, inspired by Chris' worldview - then challenged them to enact someone else’s idea, bridging art and real-world empathy.
Additionally, I lent support across departments, with perhaps the best examples being sourcing archival footage for the projections designer and researching & creating an astrologically accurate horoscope prop. I moderated post-show talkbacks and designed immersive lobby experiences to deepen audience connection with the play’s themes. Collaborating with Props & Set Designer Jameelah Bailey, I conceptualized and built a lobby display, featuring a striking Victorian dollhouse replica of the set, underneath a sea of miniature WWII-era planes flying overhead, blending domestic intimacy with historical tension. To provoke reflection, I displayed an excerpt from Arthur Miller’s essay on tragedy’s relevance to everyday heroes, emphasizing Miller's groundbreaking focus on ordinary lives as epic struggles. I also created themed artist appreciation postcards, allowing audiences to share personal feedback while forging bonds with the cast. Finally, I created a pledge wall where attendees proposed actionable steps to strengthen their communities, inspired by Chris' worldview - then challenged them to enact someone else’s idea, bridging art and real-world empathy.
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Photos by Ryan Arnst
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Read the playbill note here:
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"There is a steady churn throughout the play from warm scenes of neighborly friendship and domesticity to brewing fault lines that shudder, crack, and ultimately explode. Arthur Miller’s incredibly deft and pithy dialogue, brimming with wisdom and wit, alternately brings us to laughter, deep recognition, dread, and poignant sympathy. No matter what happens, we remain breathlessly engaged with this play...when it’s over you’ll feel completely overwhelmed – in a good way – by a stupendous theatrical experience. Everyone should see this play – for its incredibly timely message and, even more, for the special opportunity of experiencing one of America’s greatest plays performed by some of South Florida’s greatest actors who make the master proud." - South Florida Theatre Magazine
"Most actors and directors are skilled at depicting the optimistic warmth of bonded family gatherings, or they are skilled at explosions of pessimistic rage and sorrow, or sometimes even both. What New City Players’ ensemble achieves in its dynamic production of Arthur Miller’s classic All My Sons is making totally believable the slow descent from one to the other...here the tragedy is underscored by watching a middle-class family recognizable as our neighbors or ourselves disintegrate before our eyes." - Florida Theatre On Stage
"The result is lean yet riveting drama and tension as Miller reveals the family’s secrets over a single day. While a relatively short time elapses from beginning to end, the mood shifts subtly, almost unnoticeably. Seeming contentment and informality give way to a disturbing, heart-shattering reality...With its rich symbolism, powerful exploration of complex, relevant themes, and well-drawn characters, All My Sons is an important part of the American theatrical cannon. Yes, you walk away sad at the tragic ending, but also in deep thought about your life and what we owe our fellow human beings. This is a rich, complex play. With each new viewing, you are bound to walk away with something new that you may have missed previously." - Theatrical Musings
"Most actors and directors are skilled at depicting the optimistic warmth of bonded family gatherings, or they are skilled at explosions of pessimistic rage and sorrow, or sometimes even both. What New City Players’ ensemble achieves in its dynamic production of Arthur Miller’s classic All My Sons is making totally believable the slow descent from one to the other...here the tragedy is underscored by watching a middle-class family recognizable as our neighbors or ourselves disintegrate before our eyes." - Florida Theatre On Stage
"The result is lean yet riveting drama and tension as Miller reveals the family’s secrets over a single day. While a relatively short time elapses from beginning to end, the mood shifts subtly, almost unnoticeably. Seeming contentment and informality give way to a disturbing, heart-shattering reality...With its rich symbolism, powerful exploration of complex, relevant themes, and well-drawn characters, All My Sons is an important part of the American theatrical cannon. Yes, you walk away sad at the tragic ending, but also in deep thought about your life and what we owe our fellow human beings. This is a rich, complex play. With each new viewing, you are bound to walk away with something new that you may have missed previously." - Theatrical Musings
The Last Christmas
A World Premiere by Tyler Johnson Grimes
produced by New City Players, directed by Timothy Mark Davis
New Play Development & Production Dramaturgy/Assistant Director
produced by New City Players, directed by Timothy Mark Davis
New Play Development & Production Dramaturgy/Assistant Director
For this production, I served as a dual dramaturg & assistant director. I was thrilled to be part of the new play development process for this script. I supported playwright Tyler Johnson Grimes through his writing process from a reading of the first draft through locking the script for performance. This early and close connection to the script enabled me to create a comprehensive research packet for the creative team, highlighting many of the relevant, but more subtle factors from the time period, such as the specific ways the previous decade had shaped Americans' outlook on Christmas Eve 1999, and what loomed on their horizon (other than the Y2K Bug). Our playwright packed the script with references both tiny and large, and a detailed understanding of how all the pieces fit together, as well as their individual and collective larger meanings was vital.
This play was the culmination of a trilogy spanning six decades in the history of a fictional radio station. In addition to a playbill note and moderating talkbacks, I also collaborated with Props & Set Dressing Designer Jameelah Bailey to create a lobby display immersing the audience in the world of the trilogy and its history, as well as designing and building a period-accurate website for the play's radio station. The site highlighted both the history of the show's radio station at the point in time of each play within the trilogy, as well as the history of radio at large at that time. I also collaborated with playwright Tyler Johnson Grimes to create a vibrant timeline of the station's history, which was featured in the program. All of these resources empowered the audience to choose their depth of engagement with the show's context - experiencing strictly this singular story onstage or delving into the full context and content of the trilogy.
This play was the culmination of a trilogy spanning six decades in the history of a fictional radio station. In addition to a playbill note and moderating talkbacks, I also collaborated with Props & Set Dressing Designer Jameelah Bailey to create a lobby display immersing the audience in the world of the trilogy and its history, as well as designing and building a period-accurate website for the play's radio station. The site highlighted both the history of the show's radio station at the point in time of each play within the trilogy, as well as the history of radio at large at that time. I also collaborated with playwright Tyler Johnson Grimes to create a vibrant timeline of the station's history, which was featured in the program. All of these resources empowered the audience to choose their depth of engagement with the show's context - experiencing strictly this singular story onstage or delving into the full context and content of the trilogy.
"Working with our dramaturg, Ali Tallman, was invaluable in this process. Ali did such a wonderful job of getting to the heart of what I was trying to do, and then actually helping me do that." - Playwright Tyler Johnson Grimes
"Dramaturg Ali Tallman did her homework, having costumes and props honor popular trends of the year such as Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and The Matrix. The Last Christmas is full of nostalgia, reminding us that sometimes just reaching out to a stranger in the dark of night can be healing, and that the best Christmas is in our hearts." - Florida Theater On Stage
"The Last Christmas moves between poignancy and comedy, darkness and light...Look for Tallman’s note in the program." - Theatrical Musings
"With this third installment, Grimes switches his format from performed radio plays to the radio dramas of the era, call-in shows. And while the first two plays about WNCP focused on the station and the lives of those who work there, “The Last Christmas” broadens its scope to include the most important part of a successful radio station – its listeners...a great job of immersing the audience in the 1999 setting. The script includes references to beanie babies, Y2K, George Clooney on “ER” and catchphrases from “The Simpsons.”...Cleverness and creativity abound in The Last Christmas. There is an interesting timeline about WNCP in the program...The Last Christmas is a story about people and the need to connect, and, just like the holiday it portrays – joyous and fun, but also poignant and beautiful. Don’t miss it – and bring some tissues to dry the happy tears." - New Pelican Review
"...you really need to come and discover what you love most (and I promise there will be lots!) in this pre-Y2K time capsule of a live radio play brimming with crazy characters, touching stories, and nonstop action (both silly and exciting)...Like all Johnson Grimes-penned WNCP plays (once again, expertly directed by NCP producing artistic director Timothy Mark Davis), this latest edition continues to pay homage to their elaborately envisioned fictional radio world while standing firmly on its own. You don’t miss a thing by not having attended earlier productions except for, maybe, a few extra smiles of recognition by NCP regulars. And everyone is invited to catch up on WNCP history as soon as you enter the Island City Stage lobby and are surrounded by photos of founder Freddie Fillmore, his family, and generational station members alongside a beautiful, antique wood radio and decades’ old broadcast paraphernalia....If you get to the theatre early (it’s worth it, just for the browse), you might also want to read the lovingly detailed WNCP History Overview in their informative and engaging paper program...We truly feel like we’ve gone back a few decades and are privy to all the hectic activities at WNCP broadcast studio" - South Florida Theater Magazine
"Dramaturg Ali Tallman did her homework, having costumes and props honor popular trends of the year such as Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace and The Matrix. The Last Christmas is full of nostalgia, reminding us that sometimes just reaching out to a stranger in the dark of night can be healing, and that the best Christmas is in our hearts." - Florida Theater On Stage
"The Last Christmas moves between poignancy and comedy, darkness and light...Look for Tallman’s note in the program." - Theatrical Musings
"With this third installment, Grimes switches his format from performed radio plays to the radio dramas of the era, call-in shows. And while the first two plays about WNCP focused on the station and the lives of those who work there, “The Last Christmas” broadens its scope to include the most important part of a successful radio station – its listeners...a great job of immersing the audience in the 1999 setting. The script includes references to beanie babies, Y2K, George Clooney on “ER” and catchphrases from “The Simpsons.”...Cleverness and creativity abound in The Last Christmas. There is an interesting timeline about WNCP in the program...The Last Christmas is a story about people and the need to connect, and, just like the holiday it portrays – joyous and fun, but also poignant and beautiful. Don’t miss it – and bring some tissues to dry the happy tears." - New Pelican Review
"...you really need to come and discover what you love most (and I promise there will be lots!) in this pre-Y2K time capsule of a live radio play brimming with crazy characters, touching stories, and nonstop action (both silly and exciting)...Like all Johnson Grimes-penned WNCP plays (once again, expertly directed by NCP producing artistic director Timothy Mark Davis), this latest edition continues to pay homage to their elaborately envisioned fictional radio world while standing firmly on its own. You don’t miss a thing by not having attended earlier productions except for, maybe, a few extra smiles of recognition by NCP regulars. And everyone is invited to catch up on WNCP history as soon as you enter the Island City Stage lobby and are surrounded by photos of founder Freddie Fillmore, his family, and generational station members alongside a beautiful, antique wood radio and decades’ old broadcast paraphernalia....If you get to the theatre early (it’s worth it, just for the browse), you might also want to read the lovingly detailed WNCP History Overview in their informative and engaging paper program...We truly feel like we’ve gone back a few decades and are privy to all the hectic activities at WNCP broadcast studio" - South Florida Theater Magazine