Description
Book SynopsisIn 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 off
Trade ReviewFascinating ... This is an important and persuasive book which has certainly made me stop and think about my own brand, writing style and goals for future pieces. I heartily recommend it to critics and theatre bloggers at any stage in their careers, with the excerpts being reproduced being worth the purchase of the book alone. * Lou Reviews Blog *
[A] timely survey of online criticism … a stimulating snapshot before the bits and bytes melt into techno-oblivion. * Critical Stages *
I can’t imagine there will ever be a more reliable history of the period ... [Megan Vaughan's] prose is delightfully light-footed. * George Hunka Blog *
The theatre blogosphere is a big and sometimes scary place. From its beginnings in 2003 in the diary entries of theatremakers and journalists, to the proliferation of online magazines and communities, to the formal experiments conducted by a new generation of web-literate, critically reflective thinkers, the community is a prolific and assertive and complexly multi-referential beast that can be difficult to navigate. Happily, Megan Vaughan – erstwhile Blogger of Renown, and a doctoral researcher into the subject – is the perfect guide. * Come To The Pedlar blog *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgements
Part 1: history and practice 1. Introduction 2. Theatre blogging since 2003 – a history 3. Theatre blogging in practice – a WhatsApp dialogue 4. Theatre blogging under threat
Part 2: selected posts 5. A note on the texts 6. Theatremaking and authorship 7. Anger and dissent 8. Reviews and reviewing 9. Representation and visibility 10.On
My Name Is Rachel Corrie 11.On
Three Kingdoms Biographies References Index
