Meet The Theater Mirror team!
Julie-Anne Whitney (she/her), Editor: Julie-Anne is a Queer writer, dramaturg, and arts advocate. Her 10-minute plays have been performed at the Boston Theater Marathon, the SUNY Plattsburgh Climate Play Festival, and the Lake Creek 10-minute Play Festival. She has worked as a dramaturg with Central Square Theater, Company One Theatre, Hub Theatre, Advice to the Players, and BoCo at Berklee. With an MFA in Creative Writing (Writing for the Stage and Screen) and a BA in Theater Arts, she is a lifelong theater lover and has devoted her professional career to working for non-profit arts organizations. She has been reviewing with The Theater Mirror since 2019, and is on the BTCA nominating committee for the 26-27 Season. She lives in Somerville with her wife and their many, many houseplants. www.julieannewhitney.com
Mike Hoban (he/him), Associate Editor: Mike is a journalist who began reviewing theater with Events Insider in 2011. He is a former actor and sketch comedy writer/performer who retired just after the turn of the century after appearing in a number of fringe productions. Mike was Editor of The Theater Mirror from 2016 to 2026, and is a former member of the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE).
Michele Markarian (she/her), Associate Editor: Michele is a fiction writer, playwright and occasional performer who began reviewing theater with Events Insider in 2013. Michele is a former member of the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE), as well as the Dramatists Guild of America. She has been reviewing with The Theater Mirror since 2016.
Kilian Melloy (he/him), Interviewer: Kilian is an entertainment journalist, fiction writer, and media critic whose work spans theater, film, books, and other areas of entertainment and culture. He currently writes for The Theater Mirror, QulturVultur, and his film Substack, CineSaurus Rex.
Shelley A. Sackett (she/her), Reviewer: Shelley is a freelance journalist and arts and theater critic who writes for The Theater Mirror, Jewish Journal, JTA, Salem Gazette and Swampscott Reporter. Her blog, “Insights“, which she started after an editorship at the Jewish Journal, is a compendium of all her published works. She is also an attorney who practices divorce mediation and has been an organizer and member of the selection committee of Salem Film Fest for over a decade. She is thrilled to be a member of Boston Theater Critics Association and a staff reviewer for The Theater Mirror since 2015. She received a B.A. from Swarthmore College and a J.D. from Denver University. Her article on conversion of not-for-profit health care providers was published by the Stanford Law & Policy Review and cited by the S.J.C. She has taught law at the Bertolon School of Business at Salem State University and yoga at various studios on the North Shore. In addition to being a “culture vulture,” she ocean kayaks, reads voraciously, plays mah jongg and regularly chants Torah at her synagogue.
Larry Stark (1932-2026), Founder: Once dubbed the “Dean of alternative theater critics,” Larry Stark began reviewing professional theater in 1966 as a writer for Boston After Dark. In 1994, he launched Theater Mirror, one of the country’s first online review websites. In 1997, Larry co-founded the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE), a collection of volunteer theater reviewers devoted to recognizing actors, directors, choreographers, and designers for excellence in their craft through the annual IRNE Awards. The 14-member organization played a vital role in Boston’s theater community for 23 years, especially in reviewing the lesser known fringe companies.
Are you interested in joining our volunteer reviewing team? Email us at thetheatermirror@gmail.com and we’ll set up a time to chat!
