Women Theatre Bloggers
The end of a year and a decade has given way to many lists with rankings for everything from songs, albums, and bands to films, plays, and, even, theatre blogs. See for example, the Guardian blog’s top 10 list, replete with honorable mentions. August Schulenburg of Flux Theatre Ensemble runs through several other blogs’ top 10 lists here.
Of course, the lists themselves spawn further analysis, in the way of affirmations and objections and in this day and age, demographic assessment. As George Hunka pointed out in a comment thread on his blog, Superfluities Redux, which received an honorable mention from the Guardian, the Guardian’s list lacked diversity: “Looking at the Top 5 list, I see five white males — no women or bloggers-of-color, nobody over the age of 35 or so…”
I thought I would use this post to compile a working list of women who maintain active and compelling blogs about drama and/or theatre. They may be actors, critics, directors, designers, dramaturgs, editors, stage hands, ushers, (freelance) writers, academics, playwrights, etc., just as long as they’ve established a track record of credible, original posts on some aspect of the subject. There are several women theatre bloggers who are members of the Independent Theater Bloggers Association (ITBA), and I have noted this below with an (*) before the person’s name. I debated whether or not to limit this list to US bloggers, but decided to make it inclusive; therefore, it includes Lyn Gardner of the Guardian theatre blog, several women who write posts for the London Theatre Blog, as well as Australian blogger, Alison Croggon, who received an honorable mention on the Guardian list. I also debated whether or not to include paid critics on staff at major papers throughout the country who also have blogs, such as Miami Herald critic, Christine Dolen’s Drama Queen and NY Post critic, Elisabeth Vincentelli’s The Determined Dilettante. Thoughts?
**Do read the COMMENTS because Simon of The Next Stage blog has added a fantastic list of Canadian women theatre bloggers.
THE LIST:
Bekah Brunstetter. I Care Deeply.
*Linda Buchwald. Pataphysical Science.
*Jodi Schoenbrun Carter. Off-stage Right.
*Wendy Caster. Show Showdown. (Collaborative blog)
Alison Croggon. Theatre Notes. (recipient of Guardian hon. men.)
Diana Damian. London Theatre Blog.
Cara Joy David. The Huffington Post.
Adrienne Dawes. Oh the Joy.
Jill Dolan. The Feminist Spectator.
Esther. Gratuitous Violins.
Lyn Gardner. Guaridan theatre blog.
*Diana Glazer. Lezbehonest.
Stephe Harrop. London Theatre Blog.
*Yvonne Korshak. Let’s Talk Off-Broadway.
Sinead Mac Manus. London Theatre Blog. Also check out her new website: StartaTheatreCompany.com
*Tulis McCall. Usher Nonsense.
Kristen Palmer. Plays with Others.
Carolyn Raship. Caviglia’s Cabinet of Curiosities.
*Monica Reida. Fragments.
*Sarah Roberts. Adventures in the Endless Pursuit of Entertainment.
Wendy Rosenfield. Drama Queen. (An Artsjournal weblog)
*Jan Simpson. Broadway and Me.
Chloe Veltman. Lies Like Truth.
*Kim Weild. Blog.
If you know of someone I’ve missed, please add the name(s) and link(s) in the comment section.
DRAMA, DAILY 
I think the list shouldn’t be based so much on whether or not they get paid to blog, but on whether their blog inspires a debate on the ideas it offers, or informs you in some significant manner.
Hey Nicole, great post, happy to add to the list. Hello from Canada, we’ve got…
Rebecca: http://artofthebiz.wordpress.com/
Nancy: http://nancyjkenny.wordpress.com/
Lois: http://www.loisbackstage.com/
Sabrina: http://twentysomethingtheatre.blogspot.com/
MK: http://onebigumbrella.blogspot.com/
Megan: http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/
Jessica: http://jessicaruano.wordpress.com/
Catherine: http://playanon.blogspot.com/
…and for their companies:
Nicole: http://blog.artsclub.com/
and Emma: http://pitheatre.com/blog/
Jess is in Chicago, but she’s an honorary Canadian: http://violenceofarticulation.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the new additions to my own blogroll!
~Simon
Thanks for the list. Is it worth pointing out that I blog from Australia, where there are quite a number of interesting woman theatre bloggers? And that I also review for the national daily here?
CL, I agree completely with you.
As a related but slight digression, the days of conventional journalism/commentary vs. the blogosphere are long gone. It’s interesting to see how mainstream media and blogging are merging…with so many papers and magazines in print now, not just online, but also with blog components, it’s all getting even grayer. Given the fact that online articles/columns have comments just like blog posts do, it seems most writers have become bloggers, too, whether by conscious choice or default. What I actually am most surprised by these days is the writers/critics I come across who DO NOT blog yet.
Simon,
Thanks for the links…I’ve checked them out, and they’re great!
Alison,
Please do share the names of Australian women theatre bloggers you know. I’d love to make this list as comprehensive as possible. It’s one small step towards shedding positive light on what women in theatre are saying and doing, given the bleaker findings of several studies last year, along with Marsha Norman’s Nov. ’09 article in “American Theatre” magazine on gender inequity in the industry.
Toronto: http://www.workingartist.wordpress.com !
A big thank you to Simon for adding me to that list. I didn’t realize there was an actual Independent Theatre Blogger Association.
The print media/ electronic divide has always been fuzzy in Australian arts blogging, because a great number of performing arts bloggers review professionally as well.
As for the blogs: ak and ye shall receive!
Jana Perkovic Guerilla Semiotics
Cluster Joanna Erskine Cluster
Augusta Supple
Chloe Smethurst Dance Out There
Katherine Lyall-Watson Brisbane Performing Arts blog
Anne-Marie Peard Sometimes Melbourne
A collective of Tasmanian women run Write Response
Alison, thanks for adding the Australians!
There are, indeed, lots of women in theatre getting their blog on… exciting stuff…
English, Irish, Scotch, Dutch, French,etc… women theatre bloggers…if you are out there…make yourself known…
http://www.greyzelda.blogspot.com
Don’t forget me!
Angela Sauer – http://www.AngelaActs.com
Jenn Zuko, pirate, theatre and fight choreography teacher: http://bonzuko.com/
And RVCBard, “a Black woman and HBCU graduate too close to thirtysomething for her own comfort. Playwright, web marketing strategist, and sometime film and theater reviewer, RVCBard identifies as a lot of things: queer, Black, Jewish, woman, and more. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, she now lives in Brooklyn.”
They do come and go, so not sure if she’s still kickin’, but I have enjoyed Trailing Spouse Blues:
http://chicagoaninithaca.blogspot.com/
Oh, and did anyone mention Rochelle Denton’s playwright blog?:
http://blog.nytesmallpress.com/
Thanks for putting this list together; it’s most helpful and informative. To avoid potential conflicts, I don’t write about theater on my personal blog, The Determined Dilettante, though I do link to all the reviews I write at the New York Post. My Post blog often includes reviews that didn’t make it to print for various reasons (most recently, “Versus — In the Jungle of Cities” at the Public Theater). I can only encourage writers at “mainstream” publications to blog, and I myself welcome feedback and debates. Bring it on!
I’m also a theatre blogger based in Australia. My blog Groundling is theatre-related tho’ seasoned with tips on using digital technology. Drop by and say hello. http://katefoy.com
Are you planning on updating your post to reflect the additions in comments? Cheers!
Kate,
Thanks for adding your blog to the list! I do, indeed, plan to post an updated list soon…just holding out a little longer to track down some women in the England, Ireland, etc…
Nicole
I’m a blogger based in Australia who writes about non-exclusively about theatre in Melbourne – along with everything else that’s HOT or NOT in Melbourne. Please come and have a look – to check out theatre reviews just click on the relevant category.
Cheers Jetsetting Joyce
Thank you so much for the mention of my Cabinet and for this wonderful list. I would just like to point out though that my old friend Kelly McAllister is a man playwright/blogger.
Thanks for letting me know this…will be posting updated list soon! 🙂
Me! I’ve run a Broadway musical web site for the past 10 years and this last spring launched a blog to satisfy growing requests for daily coverage of news and gossip. I’m under consideration for the ITBA, but haven’t reached that one year mark yet… Check it out: broadwaymusicalblog.com
Thank you for the mention of my blog!
There’s a real lack of female bloggers in Chicago. I can only think of three, including myself.
Monica, what are the other two? Do I already have them listed?
One has already been listed in the comments. (grayzelda.blogspot.com). The other one, while not primarily about theater, does have some opinions on shows and is http://thekidsgotmoxie.wordpress.com/. I find the opinions there really interesting.
What a great idea — and great group! I love that it’s international. I’m posting a link on my website to Drama Daily, Women Theatre Bloggers
: )
Love your blog! Thanks for all the news!
Rosalie, thanks for reading! Welcome!