Theatre Communications Group Announces Kelundra Smith Director Of Publishing

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, recently named Kelundra Smith as Director of Publishing of both TCG Books and American Theatre magazine, as part of TCG's overall restructuring strategy.

“Kelundra has done an amazing job as managing editor for American Theatre, helping us to navigate the evolving theatre landscape in a way that reflects our industry's needs,” says TCG Co-Executive Directors Emilya Cachapero and LaTeshia Ellerson in a joint statement. “We look forward to her innovative leadership as we streamline our publishing model to better serve our community.”

Prior to being named publisher, Smith served as managing editor of American Theatre. An Atlanta–based journalist, playwright, and storyteller, her articles have appeared in The New York Times, ESPN's Andscape, Food & Wine, Garden & Gun, The Bitter Southerner, Atlanta magazine, among other notable publications. As a playwright, she has a passion for southern narratives rooted in the African diaspora. Her play, The Wash earned the distinction of a 2024 National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere.

“As a career journalist and a lover of dramatic literature, I feel honored that TCG trusts me to lead the publications department into this new era,” says Smith. “My hope is to build on the legacies of my predecessors by amplifying the work of our playwrights and authors, creating new opportunities for writers from marginalized communities, and being more intentional about looking at plays across the entire country. I look forward to unlocking new possibilities with this talented publications team.”

As director of publishing, Smith will establish, oversee, and administer an organization-wide publication structure to achieve the goals of TCG and the publications department, which currently includes American Theatre magazine (print and digital), advertising (including ARTSEARCH), and an independent publishing arm, TCG Books. Smith will work with the Co-Executive Directors and Finance team to create, monitor, and administer a publication budget, philosophy and approach that allows for sustainability and evolution of the publications department, meeting and/or exceeding sales and mission-goals per year. 

In addition to Smith's new role, TCG announces the following staff changes:

• Jerald Raymond Pierce is now the Managing Editor of American Theatre magazine. Pierce will manage the day-to-day operations of the print magazine as well as support with online strategy.
• Gabriela Furtado Coutinho is now Digital Editor of American Theatre magazine and will be responsible for AmericanTheatre.org, podcasts, e-newsletters, and social media.

The announcements come on the heels of TCG's recent news of a new and innovative executive structure that places three directors as co-leaders of the organization: Co-Executive Director: National and Global Programming; Co-Executive Director: National Engagement; and Co-Executive Director: National Operations and Business Development. Two of these leadership positions have been filled by familiar TCG faces: LaTeshia Ellerson as Co-Executive Director: National Engagement, and Emilya Cachapero as Co-Executive Director: National and Global Programming. The search for the new Co-Executive Director: National Operations and Business Development is currently underway. More information on the open position for Co-Executive Director: National Operations and Business Development can be found here.

American Theatre magazine is the nation's only general-circulation magazine devoted to theatre. Founded in 1984 by the pioneering arts service organization Theatre Communications Group. Since the fall of 2023, it is published quarterly.

TCG Books range from a who's who of contemporary playwrights, anthologies of culturally diverse plays, and resource materials for theatre professionals. It has published the work of more than 235 playwrights and other theatre professionals in single volumes and anthologies and sold over three million books since emerging as a publisher in 1984. Its authors boast numerous Pulitzer Prizes and Tony Awards for Best Play or Book of a Musical and one Nobel Prize for Literature, in addition to countless Obies, Drama Desk Awards and other national and international prizes. As a publisher of new plays and emerging playwrights, TCG Books has a dual objective: to bring new literary voices to public attention and to cultivate individual relationships with its playwrights that nurture their careers.

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