Theatre Topics

Editor's Comment This first issue of Theatre Topics begins a new tradition and yet another partnership in publishing between the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and The Johns Hopkins University Press. Theatre Topics will build upon the relationship established between the Press and ATHE through the publication of Theatre Journal. Theatre Topics is committed to publishing articles in the areas of Dramaturgy, Performance Studies, and Theatre Pedagogy. We will not be publishing theatre reviews or book reviews. Realizing that established ways of performing, studying and presenting our creative work must be re-examined, we will publish three types of articles: "Subject Articles" up to thirty typewritten pages; "Comments on Process," a section reserved for description of practical applications in the various aspects of theatre, under eight typewritten pages (See Assunta Kent's article in this issue); and "Responses" intended to promote a dialogue between universities and practitioners, letter length. We ask our colleagues and readers to utilize this journal as a tool for establishing an on-going dialogue among theatre practitioners / artists / teachers. Theatre Topics will serve as a vehicle for discussion and comment on our art, our teaching and our past, present, and future creative activities. Our journal—which we have needed for so long—will only be as strong as the rate of submissions from our members and readers. Since we need to be in touch with what people are doing in our field, please answer this strong call for articles by sending one for consideration and review. Theatre Topics begins its publishing history with an issue that embraces studies of performance culture, performance space, performance style, performance text, and performance which is non-text based. It collectively presents our interest in the phenomena surrounding the act of performance as well as the textual impulse to perform. Many people, including Marie Hansen, Judith Lerner, and Sandy Fleming at The Johns Hopkins University Press, the ΑΤΉΕ THEatre FORUM and the supportive ATHE Board of Governors, deserve thanks for the journal's development. Specifically, a special thank you goes to Julian Olf, ATHE Vice President for Research and Publications; to James M. Symons, Immediate Past President of ATHE; to Patricia Blom, THEatre FORUM Chair; to the Editorial Review Board; to Ed Szymczak; to Roy Behrens; to Melissa Beall; to Lawrence Broglio, Roberta Sabbath, and Jay Edelnant for their support and diligence; to graduate assistant Mark Giesler; and especially, to Lanette Harmsen. Beverley Byers-Pevitts ...