TheaterWeek

{{Infobox magazine

| image_file = TheaterWeek.jpg

| image_size =

| image_caption = Front cover from February 5, 1996

| editor = Mike Salinas, Bob Sandia and John Harris

| editor_title = Editor

| frequency = Weekly

| total_circulation = 56,000

| circulation_year = 1997

| category = Theatre

| company = That New Magazine, Inc.

| publisher = Charles Ortleb

| firstdate = 1987

| lastdate = 1997

| country = United States

| based = New York City

| language = English

| issn = 0896-1956

| oclc = 16987637

}}

TheaterWeek was a national weekly magazine catering to artists and lovers of theater and cabaret.Viagas, Robert and David Lefkowitz. [https://www.playbill.com/article/theaterweek-ceases-publication-com-69223 "TheaterWeek Ceases Publication"], Playbill, January 7, 1997Evans, Greg. [https://variety.com/1997/scene/vpage/theaterweek-ends-its-run-1117433908 "TheaterWeek ends its run"], Variety, January 7, 1997 It covered Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and educational theater with articles that included profiles and interviews of actors, directors and designers, reviews, theater news and behind-the-scenes looks at shows. The magazine was founded and first edited by Mike Salinas.Simonson, Robert. [https://playbill.com/article/journalist-and-theaterweek-founder-mike-salinas-remembered-sept-25-com-115314 "Journalist and TheaterWeek Founder Mike Salinas Remembered Sept. 25"], Playbill, September 25, 2003 Later, Bob Sandia and then John Harris edited the magazine.McEntee, Billy. [https://americantheatrecritics.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2022-2023-Helbing-Project-Report-complete.pdf "'A Renaissance Man of Gay Theater': An Ode to Terry Helbing"], American Theatre Critics Association, August 2023 Columnists as Peter Filichia,Walker, Jeffrey. [https://dctheaterarts.org/2023/10/14/a-look-at-larry-the-big-time-broadway-producer-in-hectic-rehearsal "A look at Larry, the Big-Time Broadway Producer in hectic rehearsal"], DC Theater Arts, October 14, 2023 Alexis Greene, Charles Marowitz, Ken Mandelbaum,Simonson, Robert. [https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/theaterweek-folds-ten-year-run-42010 "TheaterWeek Folds After Ten-Year Run"], Back Stage, January 1997, updated November 5, 2019 Davi Napoleon, Leslie (Hoban) Blake, and Michael Riedel were featured. The New York Daily News called the magazine "influential".

History and legacy

The magazine was published from August 1987 to January 1997, when it closed amid financial struggles.[https://www.nydailynews.com/1997/01/07/this-just-in-31 "News: This Just In..."], New York Daily News, January 7, 1997 Its columnists went on to write for such other magazines and internet sites as Playbill, InTheater, TheaterMania.com and Broadway.com.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

The publication was known for having "a heap of wisdom ... by the devoted denizens of Shubert Alley and off-Broadway" and often commented that other theater reviewers had the ability to "make or break" a production, seeing itself as a neutral source in the theater world.{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Liz |date=April 27, 1992 |title=Times' critic wins magazine's criticism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aFhPAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22TheaterWeek%22&pg=PA17 |work=The Toledo Blade |location=Toledo, Ohio |access-date=November 6, 2023}} The magazine was recommended (along with New York Magazine) as an essential guide for tourists to theater in New York City.{{cite news |last=Bernardo |first=Melissa Rose |date=February 3, 1994 |title=A user's guide to Broadway |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ik45AAAAIBAJ&dq=%22TheaterWeek%22&pg=PA14 |work=The Michigan Daily |location=Ann Arbor, Michigan |access-date=November 6, 2023}} Long-time reviewer Peter Filichia's columns often appeared in the publication.{{cite web |url=https://dctheaterarts.org/2023/10/14/a-look-at-larry-the-big-time-broadway-producer-in-hectic-rehearsal/ |title=A look at 'Larry, the Big-Time Broadway Producer' in hectic rehearsal |last=Walker |first=Jeffrey |date=October 14, 2023 |website=Dc Theater Arts |publisher= |access-date=November 6, 2023 |quote=[Filichia's] columns and reviews appeared in newspapers, Playbill, TheatreMania, (the now defunct) TheaterWeek magazine, and DC Theater Arts}}

In 1992, the magazine "blasted" New York Times theater critic Alex Witchel. The editor of TheaterWeek at the time, John Harris, was seeking Witchel's job when it was announced that she was leaving the Times. Harris had tried to get Witchel to work for TheaterWeek years before but was not successful. The pair had reportedly been feuding for some time, and the tone of the article was seen as unfair, and talk of potential legal action over the claims was reported.{{cite magazine|author=Jeannette Walls |date=August 10, 1992 |title=Intelligencer: Weekly v. Wetchel: theater of cruelty? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e-MCAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22TheaterWeek%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA13 |magazine=New York Magazine |access-date=November 6, 2023}} The penultimate issue of TheaterWeek reportedly "infuriated a lot of Broadway people" when the publisher, Chuck Ortleb, ran an article for his own not-yet-completed play about the AIDS pandemic; Ortleb would use TheaterWeek and his other publications to "[lampoon] a new enemy and [publicize] a new theory, no matter how implausible". Ortleb was reportedly using TheaterWeek to prop up his other two publications (The New York Native and Christopher Street). Ortleb did allow staffers at the magazine a wide degree of freedom compared to his other publications, but Week was in decline near the end; the magazine's circulation fell below 20,000 at that time, and they had difficulty paying their bills and making payroll (some staff members recall not getting paid in over a year or rarely seeing a paycheck clear).{{cite magazine |last=Istel |first=John |date=February 10, 1997 |title=HIV-Negative |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tugCAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22TheaterWeek%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA22 |magazine=New York Magazine |location= |publisher= |access-date=November 6, 2023}}

After the magazine closed, its assets were purchased by Playbill.[https://playbill.com/article/playbill-buys-theaterweek-assets-com-71406 "Playbill Buys TheaterWeek Assets"], Playbill, September 5, 1997

References

[https://web.archive.org/web/20071121211244/http://www.gnhealth.com/Documents/Continuum/IronPeter.htm Article about publisher Charles Ortleb]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20050826231710/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/80764.html Obituary for the founder of TheaterWeek], Playbill

External links

[http://members.tripod.com/~tombeckett/twarticle.html TheaterWeek article by Michael Buckley]
[http://www.amazing-journey.com/tw493.htm TheaterWeek article by Michael Goldstein]
[http://www.bettybuckley.com/biography/stage/sunset/sunset_theaterweek_950807.html Article by Ken Mandelbaum for TheaterWeek]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20050825114231/http://www.irondale.org/press/articles/week.htm Article by Michael Kantor from TheaterWeek]
{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150213031330/http://www.thefastertimes.com/theatertalk/2012/01/11/david-wheeler-and-the-theater-company-of-boston-remembered/ Article by Davi Napoleon reprinted in The Faster Times that originally appeared in TheaterWeek]}}

Category:Magazines established in 1987

Category:Magazines disestablished in 1996

Category:Defunct magazines published in New York City

Category:Defunct theatre magazines

Category:Weekly magazines published in the United States

Category:Defunct entertainment magazines published in the United States