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From the publisher...
A.S. Waterman
Larry Stark solved a baffling conundrum. Reviews
are a theatre's lifeblood...but in New England, which
has hundreds of theatre companies and (fortunately)
far fewer newspapers, how could many productions
get reviewed? His answer, in 1994, was Theater Mirror,
a Web site that was far ahead of its time. Later,
Juree James launched New England Theater 411, a Web site
where theatre groups could post their casting emergencies,
performance schedules, calls for actors and production crews, and special
announcements, among other things.
When I moved to Louisville from Massachusetts, it was not without misgivings for leaving all of this behind. Now, two years later, I've realized that leaving it behind simply will not do. I've also realized, based on the amount of work and expense involved in just setting up this Web site, that Larry Stark is a saint! I can't begin to match his accomplishment. Nonetheless, I hope that this effort will prove as valuable to Louisville theatre as his was to New England.
When Tony Annicone and I covered the Providence area
for Theater Mirror (which I believe Tony still does),
local theatres -- from the nationally renowned Trinity
Repertory Company (Rhode Island's equivalent of Louisville's
Actors Theatre, with whom they have exchanged casts and held several cooperative
ventures) to the smallest black-box or student group -- welcomed us just
as heartily as they welcomed reviewers from the largest city papers. We
were offered the same comp tickets, greeted warmly on press night, sent
all the press releases, and found ourselves quoted in their promos.
Kentuckiana theatres large and small, I hope you
will do the same. Please feel free to upload your
listings, and please welcome our Peer Reviewers. Can we promise that you'll
always get a glowing review? Of course not. But we can promise that the
review will be
published -- not bumped for breaking news, hastily
trimmed to save space, or left on the electronic cutting board.
Peer Reviewers, and those who would like to be, I hope you'll carefully read our guidelines, then review judiciously, and help us to build a reputation that will make us all proud.
So here we are. Like its honored predecessors, this Web site will be an all-volunteer effort, offering equal access to everyone involved in area theatre. Now, it's time to get started.
Thank you, Larry. Thank you, Louisville. And welcome to theatrelouisville.org.
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