The Blogs of Boston

A Slog through the Online World of Boston Theatre

The Company Blog

Many theatre companies keep ongoing blogs each season, but the approaches vary as much as the theatres themselves.

The New Repertory Theatre fills their “Backstage At New Rep” blog with posts from artists working on the current shows.  This results in a verbal and visual collage of the process behind the scenes.  Recent New Rep actress Zillah Glory posted journal-like entries about the effect that working on the play EURYDICE has had on her, as well as a character analysis from the eyes of the portrayer.  More technically curious readers will find fascination in Steven Tolin’s post documenting his work on the production of “The Lieutenant of Inishmore”.  A Philadelphia-based effects designer, Tolin was brought in to create body casts the literally explosive violence of the play.  His explication of the life-casting technique comes complete with photos of the actors being painted with latex to make the casts Tolin used to replicate their heads for the production.

           While the New Rep blog offers specific insights from the eyes of the craftsmen, the A.R.T.’s online community takes a “town hall meeting” style, with ongoing conversations moderated and prodded by posts from the staff and artists, in addition to ongoing behind-the-scenes journals from actors and artists involved.  After each performance of this fall’s production of Anna Deveare-Smith’s “Let me Down Easy”, audience posted their own reactions to the questions posed by the author: their favorite characters, their personal definition of “grace” – a main theme of the work.  As Mrs. Deveare-Smith continued to craft the show nightly, the immediacy of this audience feedback served as a direct tool for the evolution of the piece. 

            The Mill 6 Collaborative Blog forges a different kind of online community.  While mostly given to tales of their current or planned productions, the collaborative nature of the company lends itself to an interesting blend.  Mill 6 works with many independent local artists, be they playwrights or actors, and continues to support and keep tabs on their collaborators through the blog.  Thus, when local writer Pat Gabridge – who’s work the 6-ers have produced in the past – recently published a 10-minute play, Mill 6 posted the news.  The blog shows the true collaborative nature of the company, supporting their fellow friends and artists even as they drift on to different projects.  The audience can get involved as well: during their production of the competitive T Plays this fall, Mill 6’s blog kept a running poll of audience favorites updated on the site.

Theatre Company Blogs in Boston:

-         Actors Shakespeare Project

-          A.R.T.     

-          Bad Habit Productions

-          Huntington Theatre Company

-          Makeshift Theatre Productions

-          Mill 6 Collaborative

-          New Repertory Theatre’s

-          Trinity Rep:

-          Wheelock Family Theatre:

-          Central Square Theater

-          Blue Spruce Theatre

The All-Purpose Blog

A few locals keep tabs on the Boston (and national) issues – theatrical and otherwise – while keeping a foot firmly grounded in the local theatre scene.

            Nora Long’s “Boston Turg Talk” runs the gamut from current local theatre to current politics, to the politics of theatre.  Long maintains a politely stoic distance from criticizing or reviewing specific shows, and instead puts her focus on the state of the art in generis.  She has devoted a number of recent posts to local and national politics, but eyeing each from the perspective of a local theatre practitioner, offering suggestions both to artists and elected officials on how we can all make the art world a little healthier

            Art Hennessey’s “Mirror Up to Nature” blog is part theatre, part politics, part display case.  Hennessey takes blogging about local theatre to a more integrated level, maintaining links to just about every source of theatre online (other local blogs, national daily arts pages).  He also engages readers and local theatres in projects, using his own site as a host.  His latest calls for “at work” photos from Boston productions: images of artists at work in the process of creating live theatre.  Mirror currently hosts a series of photos from two local shows: Zeitgeist Stage Company’s fall production of SEASCAPES, and behind-the-scenes snaps from a fully-costumed photo shoot for next spring’s SUPERHEROINE MONOLOGUES.  By supporting other local writers thru links, and offering his site up as a place for local productions to strut their stuff, Hennessey has created a kind of local pub of an online community: all types are welcomed.

Local All-Purpose Blogs:

-         Arts Fuse: www.theartsfuse.com/category/theater/

-         Nora Long: www.turgtalk.blogspot.com

-         Art Hennessey: http://mirroruptolife.blogspot.com/ 

-         Playwrights’ Platform News section: www.playwrightsplatform.org/news.html

The Personal Artist Blog

Contrary to common belief, some actors live a life beyond the boards.  And some of the most entertaining blogs with a finger in the local theatre scene are those written by local theatre artists about their offstage lives. 

Actor Barlow Adamson mixes up a nice cooking and recipe blog, “B. Home For Dinner,” with the stated goal of recording “recipe tasting…and random food obsessions.”   Adamson whips up a fun combo: a dash of kitchen imagination mixed with nutrition, and a pinch of backstage life (what DO actors munch on backstage, or when they trudge in from rehearsal after midnight?).  The wit and detail of his discourse (not to mention the mouth-wateringly beautiful photos of dishes) make this one a tasty stop on the Boston Blog circuit.

            Bill Donnelly’s blog “They Will Use You For Food,” brings the intelligence and indispensible humor of the local playwright to the blog form.  With his hilarious list of the “Least Visited Booths and Wedding Expo 2008” and a personal response to Sarah Palin from Mr. “Joe Sixpack” himself, Donnelly’s blog is as relevant as it is random, and as inane as it is inspired.

Boston Artist Blogs:

-         Kelly DuMar, Playwright: www.diarydoor.typepad.com/stagedoor

-         Ian Thal, Performance Artist: http://ianthal.blogspot.com/

-         Christine Evans: http://xtine3.wordpress.com/

-         Pat Gabridge, Playwright: http://writinglife3.blogspot.com/

-         Meron Langsner, Playwright: http://ludimagist.livejournal.com/

-         Marianna Bassham, Actress: http://dreamsandfalsealarms.blogspot.com/ 

-         Barlow Adamson, Actor: http://bhomefordinner.blogspot.com

-         Bill Donnelly, Playwright: http://theywilluseyouforfood.blogspot.com/

-         SerahRose Roth, Educator and Director:  http://serahrose.wordpress.com 

Whether ‘tis nobler or not to make blogs against a sea of troubles, the Boston theatre scene is certainly alive and well online. 

We will be adding a page of Blog listings in the coming months.  If you are a StageSource member and you keep a blog, please feel free to e-mail John with your blog address.  We will update this list as entries arrive.