ISSM is the International Society for the Study of Musicals.

We are the home of the annual conference Song, Stage and Screen and the journal Studies in Musical Theatre.


Our Mission


The International Society for the Study of Musicals serves as an intellectual home for the interdisciplinary field of musical theatre studies. ISSM's mission is to advance the study of musicals from global perspectives on pages, stages, and screens through the scholarly journal Studies in Musical Theatre and the annual international conference Song, Stage and Screen. Scholars from any discipline who research and write about musicals are welcome.


Song, Stage and Screen 2025

Meet Us in the Middle
June 25-28, 2025
Hosted by the College of Communication at DePaul University

Chicago, IL 


ISSM was co-founded in 2023 by Ryan Donovan (Duke University), Jessica Sternfeld (Chapman University), and Elizabeth L. Wollman (Baruch College, CUNY).

The International Society for the Study of Musicals is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to ISSM are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The International Society for the Study of Musicals, Inc. is incorporated in the state of New York as a domestic not-for-profit corporation.