This update reflects our commitment to honoring the organization's history while embracing a clean, contemporary visual identity that speaks to who we are today and serves our communication needs. Through this process, we considered the legacy our previous logo represents, and our challenge was to build on that foundation rather than replacing it. We are deeply grateful for the volunteer time of Kate Bredeson, Patricia Herrera, and Brian E. Herrera who helped shape this updated look.

The new design carries forward the spirit of our mission—cultivating community and inspiring critical inquiry through theatre, dance, and performance studies—while offering a modern take that resonates with our membership. We look forward to carrying this updated identity into our conferences, publications, and year-round resources as we continue fostering collaboration, care, and creativity at every career stage.

We're pleased to announce that an additional working session has been added to this year's conference program, and applications are now open for:

Looking Backwards, Looking Forwards: Taking Stock of socially-engaged theatre techniques, histories, people, and pedagogy, Convened by Ann Elizabeth Armstrong, Sharon Green, and Amy Sarno

This working group seeks to “take stock” of socially-engaged performance: its histories, evolution of its methodologies, legacy of its practitioners, and its pedagogical and political efficacy. Thinking theoretically, practically, and pedagogically, participants will grapple with strategies for remaining critically engaged in the current moment despite impediments and real dangers.

This working session is a great opportunity for graduate students, ASTR “First-Timers” or those who simply want another avenue to contribute to what's shaping up to be an outstanding program.

Applications are open now and will close on June 25. Spots are limited, so we encourage you to submit your proposal early.

Full details of the working group call and the submission form can be found here.
 

All current members are encouraged to vote. The ASTR Executive Committee is the board of directors for this nonprofit, legally required by its nonprofit status and dedicated to the core mission and success of the organization.  Elected candidates will serve ASTR from November 2026 through November 2029.

You’ll receive an email today from SurveyMonkey asking you to vote in this year’s election.  This year, the membership will elect three officer positions:

> VP for Awards
> Secretary
> Treasurer
And two Executive Committee members. 

The election slate reflects the thoughtful and deliberate work of the nominating committee. This slate is also the result of sustained outreach efforts across the organization. We recognize that a three-year commitment to voluntary board service is no small ask, especially in a time of growing demands and uncertainty in our field.

Voting will begin today through June 30.

View the application and submit today!

Proposals that are selected and accepted will be presented at the 2026 ASTR Conference in Minneapolis, MN on either Friday, November 13 or Saturday, November 14 for one hour in length. We will also consider virtual proposals, to be scheduled prior to the conference in consultation with ASTR staff.

            

The link will take you to our Project Muse homepage, where you will have access to the current journal issue, as well as back issues through 2014, with more access to back issues coming soon.

Digital access is always free for members. Read the latest issue the moment it's published: whether you're at your desk, in a coffee shop, or traveling to a conference, our journal travels with you. And it’s better for the planet: less paper, less ink, less shipping. If you’re ready to fully embrace digital access, please consider discontinuing your paper copy now by logging into your Member Account, and adjusting your mailing preferences for the journal. 

We are glad to accommodate members who prefer to receive physical paper copies. One small note for your member renewal planning: a $45 printing and postage fee will be added to future member renewals when selecting print copies as your access preference. 

If you have any questions about your access or renewal, don't hesitate to reach out. Now  — log in and start reading the newest issue of Theatre Survey!

LOG IN NOW TO READ

Call for 2027 Conference Program Chair Applications

The ASTR Conference will return to the Omni Providence Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island, from Thursday through Sunday, November 11–14, 2027. In seeking an affordable destination that has proven strong attendance, Providence offers convenient travel access for the majority of our members, and is located near a substantial ASTR membership base, and offers an active theatre community.

We are now accepting proposals from members who wish to serve as Program Chair(s) for the 2027 conference in Providence. Applications are due by March 16, 2026.

Download the call as a PDF.

APPLY

*Note: For security purposes, we ask that you log in to your ASTR.org account to submit. Both members and non-members are welcome to participate. Non-members can set up a non-member account. 

General Duties and Responsibilities:
The 2027 Program Chairs will oversee the creation and constitution of the annual conference, from developing the conference theme to programming the meeting. In fulfilling this charge, up to three Program Chairs will explicitly attend to promoting, supporting, and featuring work by and on behalf of under-represented groups, including communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, disability communities, and communities of scholars without regularized institutional support. While program chairs support the overall vision of the conference, they are not responsible for all aspects of conference planning and execution.

Specific duties include:

1) Gathering other scholars/artists/educators to serve on a Conference Program Committee
2) Drafting a conference theme and call for papers
3) Reviewing all plenary and working session applications with the conference committee
4) Curating the selected plenaries into panels
5) Possibly curating other events at the conference, such as a performance, conversation with local artists/activists, excursions in the community, and the like.

Program chairs support the creation of the conference programming and help communicate with plenarists and working session conveners. ASTR’s Executive Director and Conference Manager handle most logistics for the conference, including marketing, branding, and communications; crafting the overall schedule and agenda; liaising with the hotel; managing technical aspects of the conference; and working with other ASTR committees to program events.

Time Commitment:
Program chairs will begin conference planning work in the summer of 2026 by forming the conference program committee and refining the conference theme, and from January 2027 onwards, meet bi-monthly (or as needed) with the VP for Conferences, Executive Director, and Conference Manager. If selected, 2027 program chairs are expected to attend the 2026 Conference in Minneapolis, MN, November 12-15, 2026.

Applications for Program Chairs are due by March 16, 2026 . Details about the proposal submission and selection process, as well as a link to the application, are below. You should also feel free to email Lindsay Cummings the VP for Conferences, with any questions. We look forward to receiving a robust group of innovative proposals!

APPLY

*Note: For security purposes, we ask that you log in to your ASTR.org account to submit. Both members and non-members are welcome to participate. Non-members can set up a non-member account. 

2027 Conference Proposal Selection Process

1. Deadline for applications: Applications are available online. Forms will automatically forward to the VP for Conferences, Lindsay Cummings, who will distribute them to the Conference Program Selection Committee. You will receive a confirmation of receipt within 48 hours. If you do not, please contact Lindsay directly.  

2. Application materials: Members will submit a CV for each proposed program chair (maximum 3 program chairs), along with a form detailing the following:
• Biographical Information about the proposed program chair(s)—includes Names & Affiliations; Conference Planning (or similar) experience; ASTR conference experience. Applicants should list each conference planning experience, along with a one-sentence description of responsibilities. For ASTR experience, simply list years and type of engagement – ex. “Working Group participant,” “Plenarist,” etc.
• Proposed Conference Theme—limited to 500 words, identifying key questions and potential topics under the theme, as well as relevance to ASTR membership broadly.
• Rationale—Applicants should include a rationale for the proposed theme, explaining how it could serve and extend the concerns/needs of the membership, in particular, how their theme could engage scholarship by and about underrepresented groups, as well as those without regularized institutional support.

3. Selection Procedure: The Conference Program Selection Committee will begin reviewing proposals immediately following the deadline. They may ask for further information from the highest ranked applicants, including by not limited to clarification or additional detail on elements of the proposal. 

4. Evaluation: Proposals will be evaluated based on two main areas of consideration:
• Theme. Is the theme broad enough to be relevant to a diverse membership, but specific enough to have centripetal energy? Is the theme relevant and timely to current events, discussions, or trends within our field(s)? Is there a clear sense of the theme’s importance?
• Conference Planning. Do the planners have relevant experience in conference/event planning (even if they have never planned a full conference)? Do they have enough experience with ASTR to understand our conference format? Do they demonstrate a strong “curatorial eye” in bringing together members from diverse disciplinary and methodological backgrounds?

The Conference Program Selection Committee also encourages applicants to consider how their proposed theme and their approach to conference planning will further ASTR’s explicit charge to promote, support, and feature work by, about, and with under-represented groups, including communities of color, LGBTQ+ communities, disability communities, and communities of scholars without regularized institutional support.

Selected program chairs will have conference registration fees paid by ASTR in (1) the year prior to their conference (with the expectation that they would hold meetings with their program committee in Minneapolis in November 2026) and (2) the year of their conference, November 2027.

Timeline: 

16 March: Initial applications accepted by the Vice President for Conferences.

16 March – 30 March: Applications reviewed and ranked by the Conference Program Selection Committee. If there are multiple highly ranked proposals, the Committee selects 2-3 applications for a final selection process. During this period, applicants may be asked to submit supplementary information.

6 April: Conference Program Selection Committee makes final recommendation to Executive Committee, for voting at Spring EC meeting.

• Dramatic texts, contemporary or historical productions, performance processes
• Traditions of cultural practice (traditional theatre practices of the global majority, religious performance, indigenous performance)
• Socially-engaged, activist, or applied
• Time-based arts (performance art, installations, multimedia work)
• Performance studies topic (sports, political events, clowning, circus, drag, burlesque), or a combination of the above
• Digital, virtual, or AI-generated performance or practice

Timeline:

• 200-300 word Proposals due: September 15, 2025
• Final 5-7 page papers due: October 20, 2025
• Papers circulated to participants: October 27, 2025
• Conference dates: November 6 – 9, 2025
• Undergraduate Research group session: Saturday November 8, 2025 @ 8:30amMT

Participants are expected to read all submitted papers before the conference and come prepared with questions and feedback for their peers during the working session.

Benefits and Costs: Accepted participants will receive complimentary conference registration. However, they are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs, which may range between $800-$1,200 for a three-day stay (including flights, ground transportation, hotel, and meals).

Please share this exciting opportunity with your students, and let’s continue to foster the next generation of scholars in our field! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Undergraduate Working Group session convener Megan Sanborn Jones msjones@byu.edu.

What ASTR Members Need to Know
• ASTR members will continue to receive access to the journal via the ASTR website.
• If you’ve requested physical copies, you will continue receiving them without interruption.
• As Theatre Survey leaves Cambridge’s Common Core, please reach out to your institutional librarians before the year’s end to confirm Project Muse access.

Editorial Team
Editor Telory Arendell, Associate Editor Gina Di Salvo, and Book Review Editor Enzo Vasquez Toral will continue in their roles through the end of their terms and are excited about the opportunity to work with Johns Hopkins.

Looking Ahead
ASTR’s Publications Subcommittee will begin imagining how to grow the organization’s partnership with JHUP, including:
• the creation of a website that might host digitally-born scholarship
• hosting supplemental materials that might accompany the triannual production of journal issues.

Acknowledgments
ASTR is grateful to Vice President for Publication Noe Montez and Executive Director Aimee Zygmonski for their leadership in securing a publisher for the journal and negotiating the contract. They will work closely with Johns Hopkins and the editorial team to ensure a smooth transition to a new publisher.

We’re excited about this next chapter for Theatre Survey and grateful for your continued support.

APPLY NOW

In advance of the application opening, review this year’s working session descriptions for ASTR’s conference “Generative Acts.”

The deadline to apply is June 2.

The online submission form provides the opportunity to submit a 500 word abstract and brief bio. The form also allows you to select up to three working groups, in order of your preference, and provides space for you to comment on how your proposal might fit with each of those groups. Please make sure you read through the working session descriptions, as some working sessions ask for a specific submission format that is not a typical abstract. 

In addition, we encourage applications to our virtual working sessions! Because of travel concerns to the US, disability and physical accessibility concerns, and/or health complications, we have a number of virtual working sessions accepting applications. Working sessions will be scheduled in advance of the in-person conference in October via ZOOM.

VIEW WORKING SESSIONS

In response to the dire state of affairs, the American Society for Theatre Research co-signed a statement written by the American Council of Learned Societies noting the positive impact that the NEH has in upholding “critical thought, cultural memory, and wisdom fostered by the humanities.”

In the days since that letter was published, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has begun sending letters out to current grant recipients notifying them that there grants have been suspended, oftentimes with the vague and boilerplate language that the organization is “repurposing its funding allocations in a new direction in furtherance of the president’s agenda.”

Many members of our organization and other organizations (including our co-signers the Association for Theatre in Higher Education and Dance Studies Association) connected to the fields of theatre, dance, and performance studies have been affected. This includes scholars doing work in the digital humanities, folks whose work is grounded in addressing systemic disparities at home and abroad, as well as individuals planning summer institutes designed to share and support scholarship and teaching.

It is imperative that all of us take action regardless of whether or not these funding cuts have had a personal impact on us.

As part of our efforts to support the National Endowment for the Humanities, preserve the agency’s grant programs, and maintain grants that have already been awarded, ASTR, ATHE, and DSA encourage its membership to contact their members of Congress, as well as state and local legislators. You can find your federal and state representatives at USA.gov.

1. You may write or call and adapt the script provided by the National Humanities Alliance

“We are asking you to support the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in the face of a direct attack by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). DOGE is rescinding grants that have already been awarded, including operating support grants for the state and jurisdictional humanities councils. This is money that has been appropriated by Congress for the states, and DOGE is taking it against the express will of Congress. The National Humanities Alliance has specific suggestions about how to offer effective support.

Additionally, DOGE is threatening to cut the agency’s grant programs and reduce the staff by as much as 70%—an action that would surely prohibit the agency from fulfilling its statutory obligations.

The NEH supports communities throughout the United States. NEH grants support K-12 education and lifelong learning, provide programs for Veterans, foster community dialogue, preserve local and national history, and strengthen local tourism economies. NEH-funded organizations—libraries, museums, historical sites, educational institutions, and other cultural institutions—are pillars of their communities. And the NEH’s partnership with the state and jurisdictional humanities councils helps the agency reach every congressional district.

The NEH strengthens communities and civic life, and NEH staff are vital partners in this work, helping grantees navigate government processes and ensuring that federal dollars are well spent.

Script Variation Ending For Congress

“The NEH is tasked by Congress to provide humanities access to all Americans, and Congress has appropriated funds for that purpose. As we look to the future, we urge you to ensure that the agency continues to function, fulfilling its congressional mandate.”

Script Variation Ending For State Legislators

“Now is the time to make your own voice heard on these issues. As constituents, we ask that you protest this action in your own communications to government officials and to the public. Additionally, we ask that you look to support cultural organizations here at home. Our theatres, libraries, museums, historic sites, and other cultural institutions are essential—with NEH funding under threat, we will need to figure out how to fill gaps in support. Please work to support our cultural institutions in this time of crisis.”

2. Share your own stories about the NEH

ASTR Vice President for Publication, Noe Montez, invites all scholars in theatre dance, and performance studies, who have received grants from the NEH to email noe.montez@gmail.com to share stories about their grants, the outcomes of those projects, and the impacts that your NEH supported research has made on your communities, particularly as they relate to the fields of theatre, dance, and performance. If you have had a grant that was cancelled, please feel free to share the goals and potential impacts of your projects as well. He will work with other members of the organization to compile these messages and send them to members of Congress. He will also reach out to the National Humanities Alliance to see if we can share these stories more broadly.

You may also wish to call your local newspapers and news agencies to let them know about the impact of funding cuts and what they mean to your work and the larger work of theatre, dance, and performance studies. The National Humanities Alliance offers support for press outreach.

We will continue to work in community with one another, building networks of care and support in every way we can.

Patricia Herrera, President, ASTR

Noe Montez, Vice President for Publications, ASTR

Charlotte M. Canning, Past President, ASTR

With co-signers

CarlosAlexis Cruz, President, ATHE

Rosemary Candelario, President, DSA

What issues are you facing? Want to discuss them? Others might want to discuss them, too!

Moderate a field conversation.

The ASTR Field Conversations Committee invites members to submit proposals to moderate a field conversation for the upcoming ASTR Conference. These conversations facilitate discussion on key topics in the field of performance such as mentoring emerging scholars and graduate students, rethinking academia and practices of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, and transitioning to academic leadership.

Proposal deadline extended through June 17.

In advance of the application opening, review this year’s working session descriptions for ASTR’s conference “Ecologies of Time and Change.”

Applications open May 1 and the deadline to apply is June 1.

The online submission form will allow you to select up to three working groups, in order of your preference, and provides space to allow you to comment on how your proposal might fit with each of those groups. Please make sure you read through the working session descriptions, as some working sessions ask for a specific submission format that is not a typical abstract.

In addition, we encourage applications to our virtual working sessions. Because of continuing travel restrictions, disability and physical accessibility concerns, and/or health complications, we have a number of virtual working sessions accepting applications. Working sessions will be scheduled in advance of the in-person conference in October via ZOOM.

New To ASTR’s Unique Conference format?

Review our helpful explanation about the conference proceedings, including information about our unique working session format!

VIEW WORKING SESSIONS

The 2024 Conference will be held in Seattle, WA, November 14-17, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Seattle.

The ASTR Nominating Committee is pleased to announce the slate of candidates who will run for the Executive Committee during the 2024 election cycle. All current members are encouraged to vote.

The ASTR Executive Committee is the board of directors for this nonprofit, legally required by its nonprofit status and dedicated to the core mission and success of the organization. Elected candidates will serve ASTR from November 2024 through November 2027.

This year, the membership will elect two officer positions:

• President, and
• Vice President for Conferences,

plus two Executive Committee members, a member of the Conference Program Selection Committee, and the Graduate Student Caucus President.

Additional candidates may be nominated by means of a petition signed by no fewer than ten members and submitted to the Secretary, along with written consent from the nominee, no later than April 30, 2024.

Voting will begin on Monday, May 13 and end Monday, June 10.

Spring Field Conversation: Performing Archival Work

Monday, April 29, 2024
12 p.m. Eastern // 11 a.m. Central // 9 a.m. Pacific

Panelists discuss how they define the archive, their methodological approach to curating, researching, or performing the archive, as well as what they wish researchers would consider or understand about the archive. Archivist Berry, historiographer Galella, and creative artist Ghosolker discuss their relationship to the materials and subjects they work with, the affective dimensions of their interactions with the archive, and the implications of the behind-the-scenes labor involved in curating and processing collections.

Panelists
Dorothy Berry, Digital Curator, Office of Digital Strategy and Engagement; National Museum of African American History and Culture
Donatella Galella, University of California, Riverside; President, American Theatre and Drama Society
Anuja Ghosalker, Theatre maker and Founder of Drama Queen, a documentary theatre company

Moderated by Eric Mayer-García, Indiana University, Bloomington & Amy Huang, Bates College

Receive the ZOOM Link for this Online Conversation by registering.

REGISTER

ASTR’s 2025 Conference will take place in Denver, Colorado at the Grand Hyatt Denver Hotel from Thursday through Sunday, November 6-9, 2025. Denver is known as the “mile-high” city as it sits exactly 5,280 feet above sea level, with cornflower blue skies and 300 days of sunshine.

The Grand Hyatt Denver is conveniently located in the heart of downtown and within walking distance of the Denver Performing Arts Center, six world-class museums including the Denver Art Museum and the Clifford Still Museum, and a diverse culinary scene including 26 restaurants recognized in the Denver Michelin Guide. Downtown Denver is surrounded by ten unique neighborhoods that reflect the city’s extensive cultural diversity and are worth exploring. The hotel offers the necessary space for the conference as well as many areas for networking with new and old colleagues.

We are now accepting proposals from members who wish to serve as Program Chair(s) for this conference. Applications for Program Chair are due by April 26, 2024. Details about the proposal submission and selection process, as well as a link to the application, are on our website.

You should also feel free to email Laura MacDonald, the VP for Conferences, with any questions. We look forward to receiving a robust group of innovative proposals!

Read the full Call for Program Chair Applications.

APPLY

The ASTR Publications Committee invites applications or nominations for two editorial positions supporting the society's publication, Theatre Survey:

• Associate Editor
• Book Review Editor

The Associate Editor will serve two years, officially beginning on January 1, 2025, then become Editor on January 1, 2027.

The Book Review Editor will serve three years, also beginning on January 1, 2025.

Each of these positions comes with a stipend from Cambridge University Press, but the promise of some institutional support, such as aid for a graduate assistant, would be an asset.

The letter of application should describe the applicant’s qualifications and include a description of any potential institutional support. This application letter, the applicant’s C.V., and the names of three people supporting the applicant should be sent by May 1, 2024 as a single email attachment to: Noe Montez, ASTR Vice President for Publications.

The 2023 Barnard Hewitt Award goes to:

Esther Kim Lee 

for

Made Up Asians: Yellowface During the Exclusion Era

published by University of Michigan Press

The 2023 Barnard Hewitt Award Honorable Mentions include:

• Lisa Biggs
  The Healing Stage: Black Women, Incarceration and the Art of Transformation

• Petra Kuppers
  Eco Soma: Pain and Joy in Speculative Performance Encounters

The 2023 Hewitt Committee provided the following rationale for their selected book:

Esther Kim Lee’s Made Up Asians: Yellowface During the Exclusion Era is a tour-de-force for our field. Made-up Asians critically examines yellowface as a technology of exclusion and race making during the period from 1862 to 1940. As the U.S. struggled on the horns of slavery and Civil War, Asian labor funded U.S. expansion at the same time that yellowface was used to make up white identity.

Lee presents methodological models for both theatre history and performance studies. This deeply archival and theoretically rich study offers novel insights into the construction of whiteness, its imbrication with anti-Asian racism, and its malignant persistence well beyond the Exclusion Era, into contemporary representations and casting practices. Lee persuasively argues that yellowface is best understood through its manifestation as “technologies of exclusion,” technologies which served as “creative acts” of knowledge production—completely dissociated from any kind of mimetic reality—resulting in the production of fabricated caricatures, or “made-up Asians.”

The book’s implications for history, historiography, and theatre-making are wide reaching. Drawing ties to the long-standing imaginary of Orientalism on European stages, Lee vividly reminds us of its deeply-rooted persistence—indeed, tragic—today.

Congratulations!