FAQs
1. How often can I publish an essay in Theatre Journal?
An author may be published in the journal no more frequently than once every two years. In order to encourage collaborative scholarship, we do make exceptions in the case of co-authored essays.
2. If my essay is rejected by Theatre Journal when can I try to submit another essay to Theatre Journal?
An author must wait a year before submitting a subsequent essay to Theatre Journal.
3. My essay is about a single production. Will this affect its chances of being accepted?
It depends. Theatre Journal seeks articles that make an intervention in the field of theatre, dance, and performance studies (theoretical, historiographical, or methodological); arguments that draw upon more than one performance text tend to be more successful in this regard. We do, however, publish essays that explore a well-contextualized understanding of a single production or play that serves as a springboard to a larger argument. We always encourage potential authors to review our journal before submitting; an ungated copy is available at https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/47656.
4. My essay focuses primarily on an analysis of a dramatic text. Will this be a problem?
Because Theatre Journal is invested in the study of performance, essays should engage with theatricality and embodiment, broadly conceived. Also, please see #3 above.
5. My essay is historically focused. Is it true that Theatre Journal privileges contemporary work?
Theatre Journal publishes the best essays relating to theatre, dance, and performance, regardless of era. We encourage richly-contextualized historical essays that contribute to a larger understanding of the historiography of performance or make a theoretical or methodological contribution to the field. Again, please review previous issues of our journal for more information.
6. Do I need to send in an abstract to get the editors’ approval before submitting an essay?
You will submit an abstract along with your essay on the ScholarOne platform (see “Author Guidelines”).
7. How many images can I expect to include in an accepted essay?
Images are not required, but they are strongly encouraged. We can publish roughly five images per essay. We urge authors to include only high quality images (minimum 300 dpi) that contribute to the essay’s argument.
In some instances, depending on the topic, more images may be necessary, and we deal with such matters on a case by case basis. The online platform can support images that are not able to be included in the print version. This platform can also support other forms of illustration/supporting material. Any images there are in color, while images in the print version are black and white.
It is the author’s responsibility to secure the high-quality images, the permissions, and to pay any related expenses such as copyright fees.
8. When should I expect to hear a response on my article submission?
We do our very best to respond to each submission in 6-8 weeks. The editorial team reads every submission and provides amalgamated feedback to the author(s); this process can take time. If we are interested in your submission, we will probably request a revise and resubmit before sending it to peer review, in order to ensure that it has the best chance of making it through that process.
9. How many images can I expect to include in an accepted performance review?
There is a maximum of two images per performance review, unless the review covers a festival.
As with essays, it may be possible for additional images to be uploaded to the online platform.
10. How often can I write a performance/book review?
An author can contribute one performance review and one book review per calendar year.
11. How often do the roles of coeditor, editor, and book/performance review editors turn over?
The Coeditor has a two year term, followed by two years as Editor (four years total). The Online, Book and Performance Reviews Editors have two year terms that are renewable for an additional two year term. Calls for applications for these positions appear through ATHE as well as the journal’s social media platforms approximately 6 months before the previous terms expire.
12. What is the function of the online platform?
The online platform publishes non-peer-reviewed material that supplements and extends the print journal, such as short articles, interviews and interventions. It also provides a space for multi-media material that can’t be contained between the print covers (charts, extra illustrations, video clips, podcasts, etc). Authors whose articles will be appearing in the print issue will be invited to provide supplemental material on the online platform. All material that appears on this platform is open access; it is also available through Project Muse.
13. Can I propose to edit or co-edit a special issue of Theatre Journal?
While Theatre Journal has two special issues per year, the Coeditor and Editor edit these. The journal doesn’t normally bring on guest editors. If you have a topic that you feel the journal should consider, please speak to one of the editors.
14. How do you handle conflicts of interest when an author from the same institution as the editor or coeditor submits to the journal?
In these cases, we tap a recent former editor of the journal to help adjudicate the submission, so that the author’s institutional colleague is not involved in the decision-making process.
15. How can I have my say?
We welcome your feedback on the journal. Please speak to one of the editors either at an ATHE or ASTR conference, or via email:
Laura Edmondson: Laura.Edmondson@dartmouth.edu
Ariel Nereson: anereson@buffalo.edu