Editor's Statement - European Stages Volume 20
Published:
July 15, 2026
By Steve Earnest
Image Credits:
The Summer 2026 edition features productions from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Germany, Portugal, Lithuania and Romania and considers a variety of approaches from both new and established directors. Numerous works from some of Europe’s most respected companies as well as several new and relatively unknown theatre producers are considered, and many great photographs help to tell the story of these fantastic productions. Julian Hetzel’s Three Times Left is Right made its way throughout Europe in Summer 2026 – appearing at Berlin’s Theatertreffen but also in Düsselldorf, Switzerland and the Netherlands. One of Robert Wilson’s final productions, Seven Solitudes, also gets an early review in this issue, and special thanks to Tomek Smoliarski for his assistance in the translation of the review. Of special note in this issue is the work of editorial board member Professor Kalina Stefanova who spearheaded five of the articles featured here. Having access to these Eastern European productions satisfies the mission of European Stages to the highest level, as western European productions are sometimes featured more prominently. Our goal is to continue to find a balance that includes as many European countries as possible.
Many thanks to all of the authors from around the world who contributed these works during the summer months in order that we at European Stages can continue to investigate and provide content to the international scholarly community in the area of theatre and performance. Their dedication to the mission and support of the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center is greatly appreciated.
References
About the author(s)
Steve Earnest is a Professor of Theatre at Coastal Carolina University. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Nanjing, China during the 2019 – 2020 academic year where he taught and directed works in Shakespeare and Musical Theatre. A member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA, he has worked professionally as an actor with Performance Riverside, The Burt Reynolds Theatre, The Jupiter Theatre, Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, The Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Birmingham Summerfest and the Riverside Theatre of Vero Beach, among others. Film credits include Bloody Homecoming, Suicide Note and Miami Vice. His professional directing credits include Big River, Singin’ in the Rain and Meet Me in St. Louis at the Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs, Musicale at Whitehall 06 at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach and Much Ado About Nothing with the Mountain Brook Shakespeare Festival. Numerous publications include a book, The State Acting Academy of East Berlin, published in 1999 by Mellen Press, a book chapter in Performer Training, published by Harwood Press, and a number of articles and reviews in academic journals and periodicals including Theatre Journal, New Theatre Quarterly, Western European Stages, The Journal of Beckett Studies and Backstage West. He has taught Acting, Movement, Dance, and Theatre History/Literature at California State University, San Bernardino, the University of West Georgia, the University of Montevallo and Palm Beach Atlantic University. He holds a Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Colorado, Boulder and an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre from the University of Miami, FL.
European Stages, born from the merger of Western European Stages and Slavic and East European Performance in 2013, is a premier English-language resource offering a comprehensive view of contemporary theatre across the European continent. With roots dating back to 1969, the journal has chronicled the dynamic evolution of Western and Eastern European theatrical spheres. It features in-depth analyses, interviews with leading artists, and detailed reports on major European theatre festivals, capturing the essence of a transformative era marked by influential directors, actors, and innovative changes in theatre design and technology.
European Stages is a publication of the Martin E. Segal Theatre Center.
