Editor
Marvin Carlson

Director of Publications

Martin E. Segal Theatre Center
Daniel Gerould

Contributing Editors
Christopher Balme
Harry Carlson
Miriam D’Aponte
Maria M. Delgado
Marion P. Holt
Barry Daniels
Glenn Loney
Yvonne Shafer
Daniele Vianello
Phyllis Zatlin

Managing Editor
Sascha Just

Editorial Assistant
Kalle Westerling

Circulation Manager
Benjamin Gillespie

Circulation Assistant
Sivan Grunfeld

The first issue of the journal Western European Stages appeared in the Fall of 1989 and so it is now in its third decade of publication. Its aim has been from the beginning to provide reports, as current as possible, on theatrical performances in Europe which, with the qualified exception of certain major productions in London, were rarely if ever described in the American press. The development of the internet during these twenty years has made reviews of such productions much more accessible, but of course these are almost entirely in the language of the country of origin, so the English-speaking reader still cannot receive much specific information even about European works by the most outstanding directors and dramatists there.

WES was created to address this lack of information. It has never included traditional scholarly articles or historical studies, but has concentrated on detailed reports on individual productions or groups of productions in Western Europe, especially France, Germany, England, Italy, and Spain. It has also regularly included interviews with leading contemporary figures—actors, directors, authors, and scenographers. During its first decade, when such information was difficult to obtain elsewhere, it included season calendars of important upcoming productions, but dropped this service when such information became more readily available online. Originally the journal was produced twice a year, during the spring and fall, but by the sixth volume (1993-94) the number of available articles encouraged the editorial board to expand to three issues. The third, winter, issue was often devoted to a particular country and over the years most of the countries of Western Europe have received this focus. There were also special theme issues, such as contemporary women directors, in the winter slot. The fall issue traditionally has covered the major festivals, headed by Avignon, Edinburgh, Bayreth, Salzburg, and the Berlin Theatertreffen, along with other reports from the previous spring and summer. The spring issue covers the major theatre season beginning with the previous fall. Two special issues in 2000 and 2001 covered the Western European theatre at the Millenium, with survey articles on the current theatrical scene in every country in Western Europe from the largest to the smallest.

Each year an index to the previous volume is published, and ten year cumulative indexes have been published at the end of each decade of the journal’s work. These provide further access to what is surely the most comprehensive guide in English to the theatrical activity of this major part of the modern theatre world in the closing years of the twentieth century and the opening years of the twenty-first.

Manuscripts should normally fall between 1500 and 5000 words,, the shorter being normally reports on a singlw production and thelonger several related productions or festival reports.  All submissions must concern themselves with recent or contemporary work in the Western European theatre.   Reviews of European productions presented in the United States are not acceptable.  Historical studies and lliterary analyses are not acceptable, although some such material may of course be incorporated into reviews when relevant.  The reviews such be primarily descriptive, not judgemental, although recviewers may of course include their opinions of the work.   In addition to reports on current productions or groups of productions, we welcome interviews with prominent Western European theatre figures--actors, directors, designers, and dramatists.  

Submissions should be submitted electronically, preferable as word document attachments to emails.  Whenever possible, both reports and interviews should include photographs.  Submissions and inquiries should be addressed to mcarlson@gc.cuny.edu.

Marvin Carlson
Founding Editor