What must a dramaturg do?

"To illuminate meaning in non-realism, dramaturgs do not trace a narrative or mine a character’s depths, but rather identify complex patterns of action, image, and language. They must encourage the spectator to see both what is present on the stage and also what is absent, unsaid...Because non-realism follows a different kind of logic and creates meaning in a different way than realism does, it redefines the processes of spectatorship and rehearsal. Working with non-realist productions changes the dramaturg’s role in the rehearsal process...Dramaturgs working with non-realism must cultivate more playfulness in their own questioning. They must open up meaning, not secure it. They must point to the gaps in the text not as holes to be filled in, but as sites of meaning that escape simple representation through language or image. They become less the source of answers and more the source of questions"(p. 50)

Dramaturging Non-Realism: Creating a New Vocabulary 

Tori Haring-Smith, Theatre Topics, 2003