American Theatre magazine is the nation’s only general-circulation magazine devoted to theatre. Founded in 1984 by the pioneering arts service organization Theatre Communications Group, the magazine featured cowboy-hatted playwright Sam Shepard on its first cover in April of that year. Since the fall of 2023, it is published quarterly.
American Theatre covers theatrical trends and events, stage artists of every stripe, and economic and legislative developments affecting the arts. Its main purview is America’s wide-ranging network of professional, not-for-profit theatres—commercial, amateur or university theatre is less frequently covered—and the magazine does not review productions (but does review theatre-related books). Important international theatre is regularly featured, and significant productions in the U.S. and abroad are highlighted under such headings as “Critic’s Notebook,” “Currents,” “First Person” and “Global Spotlight.” The complete scripts of major new American plays, accompanied by provocative playwright interviews, appear five times each year.
The country’s leading arts journalists as well as top professionals from the field contribute to the pages of American Theatre. Special issues include the Fall “Season Preview” issue (containing complete production schedules for hundreds of TCG Member Theatres across the country); the Winter “Approaches to Theatre Training” issue; and each April a “Summer Preview” issue with listings from theatres that program summer-centered seasons. American Theatre is a member benefit to over 12,000 TCG individual members, and can also be purchased at select newsstands nationwide.
