American Theatre

The only national magazine that provides comprehensive coverage of the world of theatre both in the U.S. and abroad. Includes 5 complete playscripts each year, artist profiles, and much more. Two special issues published each year "Theatre Training" (January) and "Season Preview" (October).

American Theatre

From the Editor

Contributors

From the Executive Office

Giving Thanks for Mothers

GETTING AWAY WITH IT

WHERE THERE’S ‘FIRE!!’

SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT

‘WORKING’ IT

MARGA GOMEZ

HERMENIGILDO TESORO JR.

ROLE Models • Trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming artists weren’t welcome at the stage door. They found their own way in—and they’re holding the door open.

Memories of SURVIVAL • Days in the lives of theatre folks around the world who persevered through oppression and resisted dictatorship with their art.

A ‘Dawg’ That STILL BITES • Nearly four decades ago, Philip Kan Gotanda’s play tackled Hollywood’s Asian American stereotypes. A recent L.A. revival hit different, for better and worse.

CAST Away • They help hire actors; they also mostly work for hire. What can casting directors tell us about the industry’s health and future?

WHY I LEFT THE Kennedy Center • A former copywriter for the D.C. organization reflects on the tenuous position of arts workers under the Trump administration.

MY MAMA AND THE FULL-SCALE INVASION • At 81, Olga has lived her entire life in Kyiv, and not even a full-scale Russian invasion can drive her from the city she loves. To cope with the anxiety of her mother living in a war zone, Sasha imagines her in increasingly absurd situations: strategizing with Zelenskyy, knocking drones out of the sky with pickle jars, and sparring with God. Inspired by real chatroom conversations with her mother, playwright Sasha Denisova crafts a darkly comic and wildly imaginative play about resilience, legacy, and surviving war.

DO TELL MAMA • An interview with the playwright

Top 10 • MOST-PRODUCED PLAYS of the 2025-26 SEASON

Top 20* • MOST-PRODUCED PLAYWRIGHTS of the 2025-26 SEASON (*26 DUE TO TIES)

SEASON PREVIEW 2025-2026

THEATRE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP’S MISSION IS TO… • lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology

Theatre Communications Group is grateful to the many generous donors who make it possible for TCG to serve and lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology.

From the Archives • CAN YOU NAME THE PERFORMERS AND THE SHOWS?