Journal Series

The experiment of shared leadership is not revolutionary. Theatres have operated under different shared leadership models for decades, many of them theatres of color for whom shared leadership is an economic necessity. Yet as the field’s traditional models slowly evolve to keep up with the sweeping leadership changes, we’re seeing more of our legacy institutions implement new and bold shared leadership structures. This series, The Evolution of Shared Leadership in Theatre, interrogates the often problematic processes behind these changes, and uplifts stories from practitioners who transitioned their leadership model while centering the humans at the heart of their organizations.

This series explores the importance of creating space for translated theatre on US stages. Cross-disciplinary theatre artists and scholars share perspectives on the distinction between translation and adaptation, the effect of arts funding on international exchange, advocacy strategies for works in translation, and more. 

An ongoing series of tributes to contemporary playwrights.

Neoliberal and colonial empires have devastated Muslim communities across the globe. Whether it is British imperialism in South Asia or the military adventurism of the United States in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, geopolitical violence has moved Muslims from homelands to colonizers’ lands. Throughout these migrations, theatre and the telling of stories have been sources of strength and solidarity, a legacy drawing on the origins of Muslim history. Indeed, the dates of today’s Islamic calendar bear the acronym “AH” or “After Hijrah,” a term that references the migration of early Muslims from the religious oppression they faced in Makkah to a more tolerant context in Medina. Drawing on this legacy of migration to escape subjugation, Transatlantic Muslim Voices examines the ways that contemporary British and US theatre artists have continued or drawn inspiration from this practice through their own work. The contributors to this series are diverse in their racial, ethnic, gender, linguistic, and sexual identities, but all of them meditate on what it means to be a Muslim on the move.

The Latinx Theatre Commons Designer and Director Colaboratorio was a five-day series of learning opportunities in Portland, Oregon designed to encourage authentic creative expressions and collaboration between Latinx designers and directors. The Latinx Theatre Commons brought together thirty-seven artists from around the United States to work together with the shared goals of fostering alternative communication models for production teams and challenging the typical director-driven model. This series of essays reflects on the learnings from Colaboratorio, the challenges that arose, and the meaningful ways in which the participants engaged with each other. We hope this encourages others to engage in these conversations, write about them, and continue pushing our field forward.

October 2023 marked ten years since the Latinx Theatre Commons (LTC)’s first national convening in 2013. To celebrate this anniversary, we gathered over 100 theatre makers for our Tenth Anniversary Convening.

This series combines content from and about the 2024 Under the Radar Symposium, produced by the Under the Radar Festival and ArkType in partnership with the International Producing Commons (IPC), Creative and Independent Producer Alliance (CIPA), and HowlRound Theatre Commons. 

The aim of the festival and this series is to present and preserve the values of the theatre and theatrical heroes of the largest ethnic minority in Europe, highlighting the challenges the members of this minority face because of segregative and discriminatory practices—which offend minority rights. 

If history is made by those who write it, then the Latinx Theatre Leaders at the Forefront series serves as a historical intervention by adding to the limited existing documentation of Latinx theatre leaders.This series convenes Latinx theatre leaders to amplify their experiences in a field that has ignored their existence and failed to provide enough resources to build the infrastructure necessary for success. In an effort to continue legacy and leadership cultivation, these interviews pair established theatremakers with new and future leaders, creating intergenerational conversations that model horizontal mentorship and learning. Join us to share in these leaders’ hope for future generations and to learn how they have mobilized that hope by creating community and producing work that centers Latinx stories.