Theatre Blogging: The Emergence of a Critical Culture

Description

In this epic history-cum-anthology, Megan Vaughan tells the story of the theatre blogosphere from the dawn of the carefully crafted longform post to today’s digital newsletters and social media threads. Contextualising the key debates of fifteen years of theatre history, and featuring the writings of over 40 theatre bloggers, Theatre Blogging brings past and present practitioners into conversation with one another. Starting with Encore Theatre Magazine and Chris Goode in London, George Hunka and Laura Axelrod in New York, Jill Dolan at Princeton University, and Alison Croggon in Melbourne, the work of these influential early adopters is considered alongside those who followed them. Vaughan explores issues that have affected both arts journalism and the theatre industry, profiling the activist bloggers arguing for broader representation and better working conditions, highlighting the innovative dramaturgical practices that have been developed and piloted by bloggers, and offering powerful insights into the precarious systems of labour and economics in which these writers exist. She concludes by considering current threats to the theatre blogosphere, and how the form continues to evolve in response to them. Cover page Halftitle page Title page Copyright page CONTENTS ILLUSTRATIONS PREFACE PART ONE HISTORY AND PRACTICE CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The earliest blogosphere The web as platform A moving target Attempting a working definition Theatre bloggers as antagonists? The joy of oral text CHAPTER 2 THEATRE BLOGGING SINCE 2003 – A HISTORY Foundations: America Foundations: Australia Foundations: United Kingdom 2006: My Name Is Rachel Corrie The impact of the Corrie debate 2007: On writing for theatre 2007: Attempts On Her Life 2007: Comment thread disputes 2007: Yep, there’s still more from 2007 A level playing field? 2010: ‘Paint Never Dries’ 2011: Ethical questions and ‘cynical practices’ 2011–12: Embedding 2012: Three Kingdoms Experiment, professionalism and experimenting with professionalism 2017: Payment, protectionism and the ATCA A sustainable future CHAPTER 3 THEATRE BLOGGING IN PRACTICE – A WHATSAPP DIALOGUE CHAPTER 4 THEATRE BLOGGING UNDER THREAT Eight threats to the future of theatre blogging PART TWO SELECTED POSTS CHAPTER 5 A NOTE ON THE TEXTS CHAPTER 6 THEATREMAKING AND AUTHORSHIP Director vs. Playwright – Intro Director vs. Playwright Part 1 Directors and Writers (perhaps part one) Would You Like Ketchup With Your Worms? Imagine people took me seriously What’s It All About Albee? The Writer, The Theatre, The Play a hammer Rules for the Writing of Plays Opening the house [. . .a short thing on work. . .] CHAPTER 7 ANGER AND DISSENT Bye Bye Sir Trevor Nunn Don’t Cry for Him It’s All About The Money Michael Billington Being Rather Silly Fussing Over Foss I could have screamed but instead I wrote this Why Isherwood Should Just Blog Instead A Response, From a young and unpaid critic (or theatre blogger – up to you) Thoughts on The Writer and this DANG INDUSTRY CHAPTER 8 REVIEWS AND REVIEWING Forumitis Attempts on Her Life at the National A major event in our theatre Review – Love Never Dies, Adelphi Theatre how you do this is up to you Embedded Embedded Criticism: some Arguments, an Offer and a Dare Translunar Paradise & Critical Distance The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart Criticism Redux Redux Redux Got life, got music, got theatre Behaviour: Lippy and Western Society Application for review Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. revew: Walter Meierjohann – Uncle Vanya CHAPTER 9 REPRESENTATION AND VISIBILITY On Women Directors “a fiercely provocative, insightful mediation on race” Wondering about The Fiddler On The Roof at Arena Stage Why I Wrote True Brits In the Depths of British Theatrical Racism @the_printroom Feature: Scenes From A Yellowface Execution The “Playwright’s Intent” and the Dangers of the “Purist” Road @ Royal Court: Somehow a Somehow CHAPTER 10 ON MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE Censorship Comes To Downtown NYTW It Just Gets Worse and Worse The saga of Rachel Corrie Response to Walter Kabak Infamous Words Ideas and text, the body and Rachel Corrie CHAPTER 11 ON THREE KINGDOMS Three Kingdoms – Lyric Hammersmith Three Kingdoms: New Ways of Seeing, Experiencing, Expressing Three Kingdoms Review: Three Kingdoms, Lyric Hammersmith An incitement to smash some fucking shit up on walking out of Three Kingdoms fanning the bonfire Revisiting Three Kingdoms BIOGRAPHIES OF WHATSAPP DIALOGUE PARTICIPANTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES INDEX