Stage Magazine
A digital publication covering live theater with news, reviews, and features on stage productions
Overview
Stage Magazine is a digital publication focused on live theater, providing news, reviews, and features covering Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theater, and touring productions. It serves as a resource for both theater professionals and audiences.
The site covers production announcements, casting news, opening night reviews, and profiles of theater artists. Its focus on the live performance industry provides specialized coverage that broader entertainment outlets often overlook.
How It Works
For stage actors, Stage Magazine is a useful source for tracking what is happening across the American theater landscape. Understanding which productions are being developed, which theaters are programming new work, and how critics receive current shows informs your career strategy.
Stage Magazine is free to read. The platform provides all its content without a subscription requirement, making it accessible to theater professionals at every level.
Who Uses It
Stage Magazine is a helpful addition to your theater news sources, complementing Playbill and BroadwayWorld with its own perspective on the live performance industry. The publication has carved out a distinctive niche by providing digital-first theater coverage that combines traditional journalism with interactive features, multimedia content, and community engagement tools that reflect how modern theater audiences consume information. Stage Magazine's coverage extends beyond New York to include significant regional theater activity, touring productions, and community theater developments that receive limited attention from Broadway-centric outlets. For theater actors who want comprehensive, accessible coverage of the live performance landscape without the legacy baggage or commercial clutter of larger outlets, Stage Magazine provides a clean, focused reading experience.
Pricing & Plans
Stage Magazine is completely free to read, with all articles, reviews, features, and interactive content accessible without a paywall, subscription, or registration requirement. The platform generates revenue through partnerships with theater productions, venues, and industry organizations rather than traditional advertising, which results in a cleaner, less cluttered user experience than many entertainment news websites. Stage Magazine also provides free digital program capabilities for theater productions, allowing companies to create interactive digital playbills that audiences can access on their mobile devices — this service connects the publication directly to the theater community it serves. The platform's free access model ensures that theater professionals at every income level, from aspiring performers to established artists, can benefit from its coverage without any financial barrier.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
Stage Magazine's greatest strength is its focus on the live performance industry at a time when most entertainment media prioritize film, television, and streaming content. The publication provides dedicated coverage of casting announcements, production development, and industry trends specific to theater that might receive only passing mention in larger entertainment outlets. Stage Magazine's digital-first approach allows it to incorporate multimedia elements — including video, audio, and interactive features — that enhance its coverage of a medium that is inherently experiential. The platform's digital program service creates a direct connection between Stage Magazine and working theater productions, ensuring the publication stays closely tied to the community it covers. Stage Magazine's coverage of touring productions is particularly valuable, as this sector represents a significant employment market for actors but receives relatively little media attention compared to Broadway and major regional theaters.
What Could Be Better
Stage Magazine's relatively small editorial team and newer presence in the theater media landscape mean it cannot match the comprehensive coverage volume of established outlets like Playbill and BroadwayWorld, which have larger staffs and decades of archival content. The publication's coverage, while growing, does not yet extend to all regional markets and may miss developments in smaller theater communities that BroadwayWorld's network of regional editors captures. Stage Magazine's brand recognition is lower than Playbill's iconic status or BroadwayWorld's dominant online presence, which means its stories may generate less industry conversation and carry less influence with theater professionals. The platform's digital program service, while innovative, is primarily used by smaller productions, meaning its connection to the highest-profile Broadway and Off-Broadway shows is less established. Stage Magazine does not cover film, television, or other entertainment sectors, which limits its usefulness for actors who work across multiple mediums.
Our Recommendation
Theater actors should add Stage Magazine to their reading rotation as a complement to Playbill and BroadwayWorld, as its distinct editorial perspective and digital-first approach provide coverage that the larger outlets may miss. The publication is particularly valuable for actors working in touring productions, regional theater, or emerging performance spaces that receive limited coverage from Broadway-centric outlets. Use Stage Magazine alongside other theater news sources to ensure comprehensive awareness of the live performance landscape, rather than relying on any single outlet for complete coverage. If your career spans both theater and screen, pair Stage Magazine with trade publications like Deadline and Variety to stay informed across all sectors of the entertainment industry.
Pro Tips
Follow Stage Magazine's coverage of touring productions and regional theater developments to stay aware of employment opportunities and production trends outside the New York market, as these sectors represent significant and growing employment markets for actors. Explore Stage Magazine's digital program features if you are working on productions that could benefit from interactive digital playbills, as offering this enhanced audience experience demonstrates innovation and professionalism. Read Stage Magazine's production reviews and feature articles to stay current with the creative developments and emerging artists shaping contemporary theater, even in markets you may not be personally working in. Use the publication's casting coverage to identify emerging productions in their development stages, as early awareness of new shows gives you and your representatives more time to pursue submission opportunities. Connect with Stage Magazine's community through its social media channels and interactive features to build relationships with fellow theater professionals and demonstrate your engagement with the broader theater ecosystem.