THEATRE | POP CULTURE | MENTORSHIP | WHO AM I

Theatre

THORN & PETAL by History Theatre Co at Trinity Theatre

“Thorn and Petal,” Daniel Ian Redman’s new play through History Theatre Co., performed at Trinity Theatre in Mission Valley is an intriguing premise with flashes of humor and heart, though one that still feels like it’s finding its shape.

FOLLIES at Cygnet Theatre

“Follies” remains a glittering ghost story about theatre itself, what it means to chase applause, and to live forever in memory. With Cygnet’s production, “The Joan” gets its first haunting, and it’s a glamorous one.

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT at Moonlight Stage

Moonlight’s new production brings a beloved animated movie to life on stage with “The Prince of Egypt.” Bringing biblical spectacle to the outdoor stage with a 43-member cast, a 17-piece orchestra, and more dance numbers than you’d think one Exodus story could contain.

Interview: Daniel Redman & Dr. Katie B. Turner of THORN & PETAL at Trinity Theatre Company

Interview with playwright Daniel Redman and director Dr. Katie B. Turner of 'Thorn & Petal' to discuss their journey in bringing this piece to life, reflecting the history, humor, and heartbeat of San Diego.

THE HEART at La Jolla Playhouse

At La Jolla Playhouse through September 28, “The Heart” rides its wave with courage, empathy, and a beat that stays with you long after the curtain falls.

SPRING AWAKENING at Oceanside Theatre Company

Oceanside Theatre Company’s “Spring Awakening” directed by Gerilyn Brault with musical direction and choreography by E.Y. Washington, doesn’t tiptoe around the messiness of adolescence: repressed sexuality, parental silence, mental health struggles, and the devastating cost of ignorance. It runs through September 14th at the Sunshine Brooks Theater in Oceanside.

Interview: Gerilyn Brault of SPRING AWAKENING at Oceanside Theatre Company

Interview with director Gerilyn Brault, who talks about why SPRING AWAKENING hits so hard right now, and how mentoring emerging artists is shaping the production.

]TITLE OF SHOW[ at New Village Arts

[title of show] at New Village Arts is charming, heartfelt, and strangely profound about the terrifying business of putting your creative heart out into the world.

FRAGMENT/O/S OF AIR/E at OnStage Playhouse

' Fragment/o/s of Air/e' at OnStage Playhouse explores love, identity, exile, and the inescapable grip of history.

DECEIVED at The Old Globe

DECEIVED entertains as an elegant thriller, with the audience on opening night booing the villains and cheering the heroes.

Pop Culture

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!

Director Rhiannon McAfee on PUFFS from Fenix Theatre

Director Rhiannon McAfee talks about PUFFS: OR SEVEN INCREASINGLY EVENTFUL YEARS AT A CERTAIN SCHOOL OF MAGIC AND MAGIC, what she loves about this show, her talented cast, and showing the world of Hogwarts to stage with a distinctly Hufflepuff perspective. PUFFS is playing at the Tenth Street theatre July 14th - August 13th.

Jennifer Connelly brings the hospitality to 'Snowpiercer'

Jennifer Connelly talks about "Snowpiercer' "I think all of the characters find themselves in a very extreme situation and find themselves doing things they never thought possible."

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.