Berkeley Rep. Launches New Backstage Blog
By: Faetra Petillo Sep. 05, 2008
"Please don’t remain silent" That was Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s motto in 1968, and it remains true today. As part of a 40-year tradition of engaging theatregoers in passionate dialogue about its work, the Tony Award-winning company launched its backstage blog this week. The website at berkeleyrep.org already lets visitors watch videos, download podcasts, purchase tickets, and read interviews and reviews. It also helps them find out about free events, nearby restaurants, and special offers. Now it brings the audience behind the scenes at blog.berkeleyrep.org.
“So much effort goes into everything you see on stage – but you only meet a few of the hundreds of people who work here every year,” wrote Public Relations Director Terence Keane in the first post. “So we hope you’ll get to know us better through this blog. If we do it right, the blog will have interesting and insightful stories about what really goes on at Berkeley Rep. It isn’t a place for sales pitches or idle chatter… It’s a forum where staff and volunteers throughout our organization can speak directly to you, providing an authentic, unvarnished look at life behind the scenes. And, like all blogs, you’ll be able to comment or ask questions in return.”Berkeley Rep’s blog will take readers inside the scene shop, the costume shop, the prop shop, the sound booth, and the box office. It will stay up late at parties like 30 Below and night/OUT, and get smart by attending pre-show talks, post-show discussions, and Page to Stage. It will hang out with the Teen Council and the teachers at the School of Theatre. Many voices will be heard – from interns to the artistic director, from the bookkeeper to the dramaturg. (What’s a dramaturg? Come to the blog and find out.)Videos