The Village Voice Expands Theatre Section, Starting 6/14

Beginning on June 14, readers of The Village Voice will find more theatre coverage.

In that issue, the Voice will debut a newly expanded theater section, including more weekly reviews and three full pages of comprehensive and easy-to-use theater listings. "In all, the expanded coverage will represent a commitment of an additional page and a half of space at a time when many publications are cutting back on arts coverage," state press notes.

Veteran Voice critic Michael Feingold will retain his leading role in the section, contributing two reviews per week. Feingold, who has covered theater for the Voice for 35 years, will be assisted by other contributing critics, whose five additional weekly reviews will round out the paper's critical coverage.

An announcement of the paper's expanded commitment was made at last month's Obie Awards, the theatrical honors the Voice has bestowed annually since its founding in 1955. Among other things, theater patrons were promised a revamp of www.villagevoice.com/theater that will allow readers to take a guided tour of the best in New York theater. In addition to seeing all the relevant particulars about the productions, on-line readers will be able to link to dozens of Voice reviews and previews in an easy-to-navigate format.

The paper's renewed commitment to theater dovetails with its recently announced hiring of new Voice editor-in-chief Erik Wemple, who will take the helm on July 24. In his past job as editor of Washington, D.C.'s City Paper, Wemple pushed for more reporting on the local arts scene and launched the award-winning "Show & Tell" column about the business of entertainment in the nation's capital. During his tenure at the top, City Paper also won the 2003-2004 George Jean Nathan Award, the leading honor in American theater criticism.

Visit www.villagevoice.com for more information.