Playbill is pleased to announce that Diep Tran has joined the team as its new Editor in Chief, only the sixth in more than four decades. Tran succeeds Bethany Rickwald, who has departed for new challenges.
Tran joins Playbill as a presence that will likely be familiar to all theatre fans, having previously written about theatre for such publications as New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News, New York Magazine, Playbill, Andscape, Broadway News, Time Out New York, New York Theatre Guide, TodayTix, and Backstage, among others. She was previously features editor of Broadway.com and senior editor of American Theatre magazine, where she spearheaded the creation and launch of AmericanTheatre.org, the publication's first official website. Tran was also a contributor to Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now, published by Harper Collins earlier this year. Along with her writing work, Diep has served as a judge for the Drama Desk Awards, Obie Awards, and the Lucille Lortel Awards.
“When I first moved to New York City over a decade ago to pursue a career in journalism, one of my goals was to get a byline in Playbill. I guess today I’m getting more than a byline," shares Tran. "I’m so excited and honored to lead Playbill in this next chapter. Playbill is iconic for theatre fans and professionals alike; for many, it is their first welcome to Broadway. I’m looking forward to continuing Playbill’s legacy as a loving chronicler of the theatre industry, while making it a leader in the important conversations happening now: around diversity, accessibility, and how to build a more joyful environment for all.”
Tran, who will report to Vice President and COO Alex Birsh and President and CEO Philip S. Birsh, will lead a largely new editorial team at Playbill, which newly includes Features Editor Talaura Harms, Managing News Editor Logan Culwell-Block, Staff Writer Leah Putnam, Night and Weekend Editor Margaret Hall, Photo Editor Michael Wiltbank, Staff Photographer and Assistant Photo Editor Heather Gershonowitz, Social Media Manager Jeffrey Vizcaino, and Social Media Coordinator Andrew Mckie. Continuing with the team are Senior News Editor Andrew Gans and Director of Video Production Roberto Araujo.
"We are extremely excited to have Diep as the newest Editor In Chief of Playbill," says Alex Birsh. "It has been a pleasure reading her work for many years, and we look forward to the continuation of her excellence as she leads our talented editorial staff to new heights."
