Theatre Journal (JSTOR)

Theatre Journal (JSTOR)
Title	Theatre Journal
Discipline	Theatre studies
Language	English
Publisher	Johns Hopkins University Press
Country	United States
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1949–present
Issn	0192-2882

Theatre Journal (JSTOR) Theatre Journal is a peer-reviewed academic periodical focused on theatrical studies, performance history, and dramaturgy. Founded mid-20th century and published by the Johns Hopkins University Press, the journal appears quarterly and is widely archived on JSTOR for scholarly access. Its pages have featured scholarship relating to historical figures, institutions, and movements ranging from William Shakespeare and Molière to Bertolt Brecht and Ariel Dorfman, engaging debates situated alongside archives from British Library, Library of Congress, and major university collections such as Harvard University and University of Oxford.

Overview

Theatre Journal publishes essays on dramatic literature, performance practice, stagecraft, and theatrical historiography that intersect with topics connected to Royal Shakespeare Company, Comédie-Française, Metropolitan Opera, National Theatre (United Kingdom), Brooklyn Academy of Music, and regional companies like La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club. Contributors often treat texts and productions related to Sophocles, Euripides, Seneca, and modern playwrights including Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, and Lorraine Hansberry. Comparative pieces locate performances within contexts involving Renaissance courts, French Revolution, Weimar Republic, Cold War, and late-20th-century globalization debates centered on events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Venice Biennale.

Publication History

Established in 1949 under the aegis of professional societies and university presses, the journal transitioned through editorial stewardship linked to institutions such as Yale University, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and New York University. Over decades the title has reflected shifts in scholarship following landmark moments including the rise of New Historicism, feminist critique from figures associated with Vassar College and Barnard College, postcolonial readings connected to Institute of Race Relations and decolonization debates after the Indian Independence Act 1947, and performance studies influenced by practitioners from Judson Dance Theater and scholars tied to University of California, Santa Cruz.

Scope and Content

Content embraces archival research on productions linked to venues such as Globe Theatre, La Scala, Sydney Opera House, and touring circuits relating to the Apollo Theater (New York City), plus theoretical work engaging names like Victor Turner, Richard Schechner, Erving Goffman, Judith Butler, and Édouard Glissant. The journal prints critical editions, translation studies involving texts by Federico García Lorca and Antonin Artaud, scenography analyses referencing designers such as Adolphe Appia and Gordon Craig, and historiographical essays that intersect with collections at Victoria and Albert Museum, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Editorial Board and Peer Review

The editorial board typically comprises scholars and practitioners affiliated with institutions including Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Brown University, Dartmouth College, and arts organizations like American Conservatory Theater. Submissions undergo double-blind peer review with referees recruited from networks spanning departments at King's College London, University of Toronto, Australian National University, and research centers such as Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies and Humanities Research Institute. Editorial policies reflect standards comparable to journals published by Modern Language Association and American Historical Association.

Indexing and Availability on JSTOR

Back issues and current archives are indexed and accessible through JSTOR, which provides stable digital preservation alongside cataloging used by libraries such as New York Public Library and consortia including HathiTrust and OCLC. Metadata integrates with discovery services from ProQuest, EBSCO, and library systems at Princeton Theological Seminary and major university presses. Coverage in abstracting and indexing services has supported citation tracking across platforms like Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus.

Reception and Impact

Theatre Journal has been cited in monographs and course syllabi at institutions including Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, University of Chicago, and conservatories such as Juilliard School and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Its influence is evident in scholarship on topics ranging from restoration drama connected to King Charles II to contemporary political theatre linked to Augusto Boal and movements like Black Arts Movement. Reviews in journals associated with Modern Drama, TDR (journal), and New Theatre Quarterly have noted its role shaping debates about canon formation, historiography, and performance methodology.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

The journal has published notable articles and special issues on subjects involving Elizabeth I-era staging practices, colonial and postcolonial performance in relation to British Empire, Asian theatre traditions linked to Kabuki, Noh, and Kathakali, and thematic collections on gender and sexuality engaging scholarship influenced by Michel Foucault, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and Homi K. Bhabha. Special issues have foregrounded practitioners such as Peter Brook, Tadeusz Kantor, Julie Taymor, and political theatre movements tied to Solidarity (Poland), the Civil Rights Movement, and anti-apartheid activism.

Category:Theatre studies journals