Today we get to share some truly exciting news: The beloved print edition of American Theatre magazine is returning with the October 2023 Season Preview issue! If you’re not already a member,  join TCG today to welcome back this beloved publication.

In May of 2020, amid the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, TCG made the difficult decision to pause the print edition for at least six months. As with so many things during the pandemic, six months became two, then three years. During that time, AmericanTheatre.org flourished through wide-ranging coverage of trend reporting, interviews with artists and theatre workers, season announcements, and recurring favorites like Entrances and Exits and Role Call. Our lineup of podcasts continued to expand and reach new listeners. And we continued to publish special themed packages, such as Approaches to Theatre Training and Trans Voices Lead the Way.

Yet we kept hearing about the critical importance of American Theatre magazine in print. The print edition has a way of cutting through the online deluge of information and of giving to our ephemeral art form a tangible witness. Readers spoke of the thrill of discovering American Theatre in their library or in the lobby of their local theatre, and of the pages introducing them to a whole world of theatre they might not have otherwise discovered. And in a world where the internet is often censored, a print copy of American Theatre can also connect us across borders.

So, in a time where our theatre ecology could use some good news, we are so happy to share this very good news with you. The return of the print edition is part of a larger TCG investment in theatre journalism that includes the Rising Leaders of Color cohort of journalists and the launch of a Chicago post with Jerald Raymond Pierce as editor. We know that as arts journalism continues to decline nationally, it’s more important than ever for TCG to invest in robust and equitable theatre journalism. 

And we need your help to make it happen. The financial pressures that necessitated the pause of the print edition have not gone away. At its height, TCG had over 17,000 Individual Members receiving the American Theatre print edition. By the time the pandemic struck, our numbers were less than half that. When you join us as an Individual Member today, you’re making an investment in the long term viability of the robust national coverage of the nonprofit theatre movement that American Theatre provides. 

Here’s what you can look forward to once you join us:

• Quarterly issues published every October, January, April, and July.
• A new playscript in every issue.
• The return of special issues like the Season Preview and Training edition.
• The gorgeous photos, art, and layout that have always made the print edition such a compelling read.

Access to the print edition of American Theatre is just one of the benefits of Individual Membership, so please, join us today!

And if you’re already a TCG member, thank you so much for sticking with us. We hope you’ll consider also making a tax-deductible donation to support American Theatre and all of our work. Your support funds our wide-ranging programs and services, including: essential research like Theatre Facts and the Salary Survey; our in-person and virtual convenings; our grantmaking and professional development programs; and our arts advocacy at the federal level.