This has been a year of transition for the journal, in a number of ways. We adopted a revised constitution, reported on last year, that we anticipate will allow for a broader involvement in the editorial process from across the country, while maintaining a central editorial and production presence in the Graduate Centre for Study of Drama at the University of Toronto, which publishes the journal. This new arrangement is now being tested with a new editorship.
This year marked the much-deserved appointment of Moira Day, formerly our English-language book review editor, as co- editor of the journal with Deborah Cottreau. Moira took up her new duties over this past academic year, as well as finishing up co-editing a special issue (Vol 20:2) with Don Perkins, and continuing her duties as book review editor until we replace her.
Her appointment tests the new constitution, since now the editorship is based (for a fixed term) at the University of Saskatchewan, while the production, financing, and over-all management of the journal is based in Toronto. There have, not surprisingly, been some challenges, as we alter the way we do things to accommodate new relationships. Unfortunately, there have been some delays in assessment and production as we have made all these transitions; the long-term result, however, will be a more flexible editorship that does not have to provide production facilities.
Ed Mullaly at the University of New Brunswick continues to serve as electronic publications editor. Through our SSHRCC Special Initiatives Grant we have been able to place many back issues on-line, and a further grant this year allows us to complete that task. Access to the back issues on-line is available with a regular subscription (via a password). The balance of that new grant will be used to support a concerted effort to increase our subscriptions.
There have been other changes. Deborah Tihanyi and Danielle Couture have finally extricated themselves from their indispensible roles as Managing Editors, thanks to a new Drama Centre team consisting of Lindsay Bell, Rosa Fracassa, Allana Lindgren and Kim Solga, and by Jessica Gardiner, whose own long involvement with the journal is just ending. In addition, as announced last year, Denis Johnston, after guiding us through these transitions, has stepped aside as Chair of the Management Board. Domenico Pietropaolo, Richard Plant (for ACTR), Ed Mullaly and myself continue on the Board, along with the editors, joined by Paula Sperdakos.
Subscriptions hold steady, and we have been successful in our grant applications; however, unquestionably we must boost our income over the next two or three years, and any advice as to how to accomplish this will be welcome. We believe that there is an international market that has remained untapped. We need to go after it.