THEATRE | POP CULTURE | MENTORSHIP | WHO AM I
Theatre
Interview with Joy Yvonne Jones, the co-founder of the San Diego Black Artist Collective and a driving force behind the Juneteenth Black Arts Festival, June 19 - 22nd. In this interview, Jones discusses what it means to build a festival rooted in Black joy, legacy, and liberation, as well as what’s in store for this year’s powerful programming.
“Indian Princesses' delves into subjects like identity, communication, and father-daughter relationships, all with humor, heart, and a touch of YMCA-sanctioned cultural appropriation, premiering at La Jolla Playhouse through July 6th.
Director Sean Murray brings a fresh twist to this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic with a spirited, skillful blend of the classic and the contemporary. There is toe-tapping joy with frontier tension in a land where romance is risky, rivalries are real, and the possibilities rise "as high as an elephant's eye."
Interview with Ariella Kvashny on playing Laurey in Cygnet's 'Oklahoma!' and shares what it’s like stepping into this iconic role, blending old and new in the show’s revival, and what it means to be part of Cygnet’s final production before their big move.
“The Book of Mormon” has landed in San Diego again. This irreverent juggernaut of musical comedy remains equal parts send-up and strangely sincere love letter to the power of belief (no matter how embellished).
“Birthday Candles”, now playing at North Coast Repertory Theatre, is a curious mix because existentialism and birthday cake are not a combo I usually crave. Yet thanks to a charming cast and a moving central performance by Margot White, this blend of humor, heartache, and hope is something richer than expected.
TuYo Theatre’s “La Llorona on the Blue Line”, written by Mabelle Reynoso and directed by Maria Patrice Amon, is an immersive production that blends myth and memory into a powerful, time-jumping ghost story—where La Llorona doesn’t just wail, she bears witness.
“The Mountaintop,” now at New Village Arts through June 22, imagines a very human Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the last night of his life. He’s tired, cranky, chain-smoking, and wants a cup of coffee. What he gets instead is a cosmic surprise disguised as a hotel maid.
Gloria Calderón Kellett’s “One of the Good Ones,” now onstage at The Old Globe, is like a live taping of your favorite sitcom—complete with fast banter, heartwarming family chaos, and the kind of well-meaning disaster that can only be caused by bringing a piñata to a dinner party.
Pop Culture
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.
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.
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..
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.
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 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 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."
Daveed Diggs talks about "Snowpiercer," action scenes, and the power of good science fiction.
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.
The Old Globe gives “All’s Well That Ends Well” the royal treatment with glam costumes and a game cast, but that only goes so far in distracting from the lack of romance in this romantic comedy.