THEATRE | POP CULTURE | MENTORSHIP | WHO AM I

Theatre

“SIX” feels like a New Year’s resolution set to a killer beat: ditch the old hierarchies, turn up the volume, and let the queens run the show. All hail, indeed.

The 2025 Theatre I Kept Thinking About, Long After the Applause

Think of it not as a “Best of” but as a yearbook of some of the San Diego shows that lingered with me long beyond closing in 2025

Interview: Andrew Polec of DR. SEUSS’S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! at The Old Globe

Interview with 5-time Grinch, Andrew Polec, about slipping back into Grinch-mode, backstage Whoville traditions, audience antics, and the fan mail (and fan art)!

A MAGICAL HOLIDAY: CHRISTMAS AT THE JOAN at Cygnet Theatre

Cygnet Theatre’s “A Magical Holiday: Christmas at The Joan” is precisely what its title promises: a bright, polished, joy-forward holiday revue that knows its job is to lift spirits, sparkle confidently, and send you back into December humming.

RENT at New Village Arts

New Village Arts’ production of "Rent" understands the heart of the piece, even if some of the sharpest edges are softened.

Interview: Erica Marie Weisz of MISTLETOE MELODIES WITH ERICA MARIE! at Scripps Ranch Theatre And New Village Arts

Interview with Erica Marie Weisz about her new one-woman show “Mistletoe Melodies with Erica Marie!” is a brand-new, stripped-down holiday gem—just Erica, a piano, and a sleigh-full of warmth.

THE WAVERLY GALLERY at Backyard Renaissance

Backyard Renaissance delivers an exquisite reminder: we do not choose when the people we adore begin to fade, but we do get to decide how fiercely we hold them while they do.

TO MY GIRLS at Diversionary Theatre

“To My Girls” has an excellent cast and direction, and what begins as a sun-drenched escape quickly turns into a messy, deeply funny excavation of chosen family, generational baggage, and the versions of ourselves we perform for the people who know us best.

MASTER CLASS at Roustabouts And Scripps Ranch Theatre

"Master Class," running through December 14 in a co-production between The Roustabouts Theatre Company and Scripps Ranch Theatre, revisits Maria Callas in the final chapter of her performing life; when her voice had faded, yet her fervor for her art had not

WORKING GIRL at La Jolla Playhouse

Based on the beloved 1988 film but modernized around the edges, “Working Girl” at the La Jolla Playhouse has big expectations and even bigger hair, but never quite hits the mark.

Pop Culture

Cue the Magic: Pop Culture, Storytelling, and Theatre an interview with Kiri Callaghan

Interview with USA Today bestselling author, voice-over artist, actor, and self-identified world-hopper, Kiri Callaghan, on her new book 'The Hearth Witch’s Guide to Magic & Murder.'

Interview: Alex Stompoly of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN at Broadway San Diego

Interview with Alex Stompoly from 'Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern' as it makes its West Coast debut at Broadway San Diego, November 18- 23, 2025.

San Diego Goes Bananas: Baseball Meets Broadway at Petco Park

The Savannah Bananas and the Firefighters came to do battle at Petco Park last weekend, but it’s not the baseball you may be familiar with seeing there. Baseball is played, but there was also dancing, singing, and many entertaining shenanigans.

Interview: Author and Playwright John Wells III talks about the upcoming DIVERSITY IN FANTASY panel at San Diego Comic Con

Interview with Author, playwright, and educator John Wells III ahead of this Friday’s Diversity in Fantasy panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

Interview: Michael James Scott on Friendship, Fandom and the HER UNIVERSE FASHION SHOW at San Diego Comic Con

Michael James Scott is back for his third turn as co-host of the epic opening night event alongside Her Universe founder and Star Wars icon Ashley Eckstein. Here, he talks about all things Her Universe, from what makes this fashion show unlike anything else at San Diego Comic-Con, to how the new HypeFriend! podcast with Ashley Eckstein aims to spark a “friendship revolution.”

From Screen to Stage, Christopher Linnertz Makes ROGERS: THE MUSICAL Sing

Interview with composer Christopher Linnertz about creating ROGERS: THE MUSICAL for TV, then to the stage, and wanting to make Marvel and theatre fans both happy with the result.

Review: The FORCE is Strong with THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK: THE UNAUTHORIZED STAR WARS™ BURLESQUE PARODY

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK brings Star Wars-inspired sexy, nerdy fun to San Diego through April 30th. This burlesque brings comedy, pop culture, humor, and the art of the strip tease to the stage for an incredibly entertaining time.

Raymond Lee on Costumes, Crew and How Theatre Prepared Him for “QUANTUM LEAP”

Interview with 'Quantum Leap''s Raymond Lee about taking on this series reboot, how he gets into character, and how doing theatre helped him prepare for this role..

Mason Alexander Park on Roles, Representation, and Starring in 'QUANTUM LEAP'

Interview with Mason Alexander Park, who plays Ian Wright, from the new 'Quantum Leap' to talk about theatre, playing this character, representation, and what the next dream career opportunity might be.

PUFFS Comic Con exclusive special event!

Theatre fans and pop culture have always had a passionate fan base overlap, and nowhere can that be seen and celebrated more than this Comic Con weekend! Fenix Theatre Collaborative not only brings PUFFS to stage this weekend through Aug 13th but to correspond with Comic Con this weekend some alumni from the original PUFFS cast will be at the Saturday, July 22nd show!

Mentorship

The art of writing about and critiquing theatre arts is one that is a crucial part of the arts conversation.

Being able to facilitate conversations about art, amplify the arts in public discussion, and offer thoughtful critiques and reviews of productions is a honed skill in all formats - writing, audio, or video. I am committed to working with anyone interested in learning and/or refining their skills to help grow the future of arts journalism into a more inclusive, and progressive landscape.

If you’re interested, please contact me here.

Who Am I?

ErinMarie Reiter is a feature writer and critic who specializes in theatre and pop culture.

She has been involved onstage and off since she was young and has written about theatre for over a decade on multiple sites. She is also the President of the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle. ErinMarie works in entertainment production travel and has worked on many Broadway shows, as well as theatre, movies, and tv shows worldwide.