Theatre Topics Special Issue (July 2027): Dramaturgy as Inquiry

Dramaturgs bring theoretical analysis, rigorous research, and applied artmaking to theatrical practice and pedagogy. Yet dramaturgical thinking is wide-ranging: it rarely remains contained within the theatre space, and instead expands outward to interrogate larger issues, systems, sites, and patterns. Dramaturgs are committed to rigorous inquiry, asking questions not to pinpoint an answer, but rather to uncover further layers of complexity, allowing for nuanced understandings to emerge. With this Special Issue, we ask contributors to employ dramaturgical inquiry to approach this current moment. 

• What can dramaturgy and dramaturgical inquiry bring to the issues we face in higher education and in larger society today? 

• How can dramaturgical inquiry continue to evolve and adapt to enliven theatrical practice? 

• How should dramaturgy be taught, and how might dramaturgical inquiry be integrated into theatre curriculum and processes more broadly? 

• How does dramaturgy and dramaturgical inquiry intersect with scholarly research and writing?

Theatre Topics has previously published two Special Issues on dramaturgy as a field and as a practice. “Dramaturgy,” edited by Stacy Wolf and published in 2003, raised questions about the role of the dramaturg, partly inspired by Geoff Proehl’s assertion that the work of dramaturgy must happen in any production whether or not there is a person entrusted with the specific role of dramaturg. Later, DJ Hopkins edited a 2014 Special Issue “On Dramaturgy” that revisited Wolf’s questions, noting that the role of the dramaturg, though fairly well-established by then, might extend to artistic leadership roles and in venues beyond theatre. Accepting Hopkins’s premise - while acknowledging that challenges remain for dramaturgs in terms of legibility and visibility - we invite reflections on the use of dramaturgical inquiry and dramaturgical thinking to approach the challenges currently facing theatre artists, educators, and scholars in both industry and higher education. We consider these to be “wicked problems”: problems that are a complex interweaving of social, political, and ethical issues that must be addressed through collective dialogue and negotiation. 

We are interested in pieces that explore dramaturgy’s potential for intervening in matters of societal and institutional import and enlivening the wider field of theatre and performance studies. Essays may interrogate the “wicked problems” that we face; document specific production case studies with a focus on impact beyond the theatre space; offer performance analysis that utilize dramaturgical thinking; address methodological and disciplinary questions when practicing or teaching dramaturgy; or explore dramaturgy as research. Keeping true to dramaturgy’s connection to the audience, we hope for pieces that are rigorous but also accessible in language and format. 

The volume will cover multiple methods of engaging with dramaturgy and dramaturgical inquiry, such as:

Wicked Problems: How can dramaturgy and dramaturgical thinking help us navigate contemporary social issues? How can dramaturgical practice respond to larger institutional and structural challenges we face, in our universities and in our theatres? How might dramaturgical thinking provide a counterpoint to anti-intellectualism, technological automation, and the diminishment of creativity? How are academic dramaturgs equipped to facilitate the kind of interdisciplinary inquiry that wicked problems require? 

Research and Scholarship: How does dramaturgical thinking impact scholarly research? (How) does a dramaturgical methodology enhance written scholarship? What is gained when research is dramaturgically informed, acknowledging models such as critical proximity and a questioning spirit? How can dramaturgical writing help to create a robust archive, not just of theatrical production, but also collaborative process? 

Practice: (How) has the role of the dramaturg changed in theatre today? How does it still remain rooted in more traditional approaches? How must it continue to evolve? How can dramaturgs remain vital to theatrical practice? As expertise of all kinds is being attacked on a broader cultural scale, how can we emphasize the value of dramaturgical expertise?

Pedagogy: How is dramaturgy being taught today? How does it show up in the curriculum, whether in specific dramaturgy courses or as broadly integrated into classroom settings, named or not? How is dramaturgy integrated into educational production processes? What are effective models for mentoring student dramaturgs? To what extent is it possible to create a culture of dramaturgy within an academic theatre program where there may be resistance? 

We invite submissions on these and other questions for the Special Issue (July 2027) print and online issues of Theatre Topics. The deadline for submissions is Monday, October 5, 2026. Early submissions are encouraged.

We invite submissions in any of three formats: (1) Original Articles, limit 6,000 words, are 

formal pieces of scholarship that undergo peer review; (2) Notes from the Field, limit 4,000 

words, are carefully considered and critically informed personal reflections, interviews, or from-the-trenches accounts; (3) Online Articles, limit 4,000 words, are multimedia-enabled pieces that share and reflect on production, pedagogy, and/or research. 

For information about these options as well as instructions for submission, visit our website:

https://www.jhuptheatre.org/theatre-topics/author-guidelines

Special issue guest editors are Karen Jean Martinson (Arizona State University), and Daniel Smith (Michigan State University). For any questions or inquiries, please reach out to both guest editors at karen.jean.martinson@asu.edu and smit2030@msu.edu

Theatre Topics is an official publication of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE).