TCG's American Theatre Magazine May/June 2012 Issue Focuses on Canadian Theatre

American Theatre magazine, published by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), has released its annual May/June international issue, featuring an in-depth exploration of Canadian theatre. The special section, "Northern Lights: Canadian Theatre Now," introduces readers to the diverse names and places at the forefront of Canadian theatremaking.

Feature articles include a comprehensive report by Toronto critic Robin Breon on the history and future of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Shaw Festival, "twin peaks of Canadian classicism" that have grown over decades into popular vacation destinations for Canadians and international visitors alike. And Quebec-born, U.S.-based playwright and translator Chantal Bilodeau's incisive essay "Bridging the Two Solitudes" examines the practical and cultural divide between Canada's Francophone and Anglophone theatre scenes.

Also: A quartet of American and Canadian journalists have concocted dream itineraries-including can't-miss shows and insider travel tips-for a theatre-lover heading to Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary or Toronto this summer. The issue also features stunning production photography from Edmonton's Catalyst Theatre and a behind-the scenes look at Canadian new-play development.

According to American Theatre's editor in chief, Jim O'Quinn, this marks the first time the magazine has dedicated its special international issue to Canada. (Recent May/June issues have focused on such topics as touring U.S. work abroad, Latin American and Eastern European drama, and stage portrayals of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.) "Sometimes the international work featured in this magazine's pages is dauntingly remote for any reader who might wish to hop a flight and see it for herself," writes managing editor Nicole Estvanik Taylor in an introduction to the latest issue's Canadian coverage. "This issue, we hope, provides the reader with maps for an
array of theatrical adventures within reach."

"Global Citizenship is one of TCG's core values," adds TCG's executive director Teresa Eyring. "Our international issue of American Theatre magazine embodies that value by raising awareness of important trends abroad and celebrating the diversity of work beyond our borders."

The May/June 2012 international issue also includes American Theatre's annual illustrated guide to more than 200 summer theatre festivals around the world. A bonus feature tackles a topic ripped from the headlines: the pervasive problem of bullying in American schools and the productions and programs created by theatres from coast to coast to combat its devastating effects. The issue is rounded out with lively conversations between playwrights Tracy Letts and Sarah Ruhl on adapting Chekhov; and among Phish frontman Trey Anastasio, Broadway lyricist Amanda Green and Pulitzer-winning playwright Doug Wright on their exciting new musical at California's La Jolla Playhouse, Hands on a Hardbody.

For more information about and selected articles from the May/June 2012 issue of American Theatre, visit www.tcg.org/americantheatre.

American Theatre magazine is published 10 times a year by Theatre Communications Group. As the nation's essential magazine for professional not-for-profit theatre, American Theatre has been
providing theatre professionals, students, advocates and audiences a comprehensive journal for nearly 30 years. American Theatre is available on selected newsstands nationwide or through an Individual Membership in TCG by visiting http://www.tcg.org/about/membership/individual.cfm or contacting custserv@tcg.org.

For 50 years, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, has existed to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre. TCG's constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 member theatres and affiliate organizations and more than 12,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through conferences, events,
research and communications; awards grants, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and serves as the US Center of the InterNational Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is North America's largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 11 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning AMERICAN THEATRE magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. For more information visit www.tcg.org.