Cover of The Dramatist Winter 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Miracles Occur in Unmarked Rooms
Emmanuel Wilson

An artist’s labor is often invisible. We toll away in solitary rooms, loud cafes, over late-night phone calls, and endless emails while the world consumes our progeny. As if by thaumatology, new TV episodes, music, and literature pop into our feeds, while new designs delight our eyes as we scroll, and unique entertainments play in theatres worldwide.

Art in the age of the internet always finds an audience. However, it is essential to remind consumers what it takes to make beautiful things. What appears as supernatural is, in fact, the labor of real people.

We should not take for granted the gift of this publication appearing in our mailboxes several times a year. The Dramatist and the Dramatists Guild itself are willed into existence, acting as a beacon of enlightenment amid a dark age of industry uncertainty. Each new issue is an opportunity to move our industry forward, ensuring the conversation on fairness and reciprocity that started with our founding continues. 

I am honored to welcome the new editor of The Dramatist, Amelia French, to help us navigate this necessary resource into its next era. The word “new” is not entirely appropriate, as they joined the DG staff in 2016 and have served as our associate editor for the past three years. Their inquisitive nature and willingness to dream anew will profoundly benefit all authors. More importantly, Amelia is a playwright—the first to serve as editor in the history of The Dramatist.* I can’t wait to see all the features and ideas Amelia dreams up as we continue to make The Dramatist a singular and representative voice on what it means to be a theatre writer in the 21st century.

But a voice needs a vision, and our art director, Bekka Lindström (who has designed every edition of The Dramatist since Nov/Dec 2007), is intensely creative, passionate, and imaginative. Bekka’s labor and expertise elevate our publication from a run-of-the-mill trade association journal to an evocative call to action on craft, career, and advocacy. 

I also want to express my appreciation for Bronwen Sharp, a photographer currently immortalizing dramatists globally. She is a marvel. Her captivating photos are published in this and past issues of The Dramatist, and we are honored to partner with her to help shine a light on the great cultural leaders of our time.

Lastly, we are forever grateful for Joey Stocks’ indelible mark on this publication. He treated playwrights, composers, lyricists, and librettists with respect and admiration and raised the bar on what this magazine could be. There are few words to express what he has done for us as an organization. Thank you, Joey, for showing us what is possible.

A new editor allows an opportunity to clarify purpose and revise the status quo. Our work on The Sondheim Issue and The Money Issue galvanized new ideas of what we can offer, and we have chosen to revamp our publication schedule from bi-monthly to quarterly. While on the face of it, moving from six issues a year to four feels like subtraction, it is, in fact, an opportunity for growth. Producing four issues a year allows us to focus our attention, create better content, and spend more time ensuring each issue is outstanding. Less, in this instance, truly allows for more. 

What Bekka, Amelia, and Bronwen have accomplished with this new issue is astounding. I hope their efforts inspire all of you to go just a bit further, think a bit more, ask questions, and see that there is a path forward. 

The Dramatists Guild strives to empower writers with the necessary tools to professionalize themselves as creative workers, advocating daily for fair treatment, more rights, better contracts, and better compensation. It’s time for new generations to join us, help ignite the flame of advocacy, and light our path forward.

Our task is evident.

Our team is fantastic.

A new era awaits.

The work continues.

 

Emmanuel Wilson
Co-Executive Director