My primary goal as a theater reviewer is to write an honest critique of a play that promotes interest in the production and/or theater company, and prompts conversation about the play's core themes. My approach is respectful, compassionate, and constructive. I try to be insightful and look for nuance. I do not believe in tearing down artists. I see theater critics as a bridge between artists and their potential audience. I want to encourage engagement between theater makers and theater goers. I want you to love theater as much as I do.

I have been reviewing plays for the Theater Mirror since 2019. Below is a catalog of those reviews. You may also find my reviews on Instagram: @ReviewsByJulie

Julie-Anne Whitney 3/30/26 Julie-Anne Whitney 3/30/26

LSC’s ‘...Shamelessly Gorgeous’ Puts Black Women Center Stage

We should always uplift Black playwrights, and we should be producing more plays that center Black women. But, surely, there must be better plays out there that can share these stories more effectively.

Julie-Anne Whitney 2/9/26 Julie-Anne Whitney 2/9/26

ASP Brings modern ‘little women’ to watertown

Hamill’s script does take some liberties with the original text– especially in her choice of ending.

Julie-Anne Whitney 10/10/25 Julie-Anne Whitney 10/10/25

‘Hang Time’ is a Searingly Powerful Call to Action

Hang Time forces you to bear witness, to lean in, to confront. It is a reckoning and a powerful call to action. It demands that you think about the lives these Black men deserved but didn’t get to have.

Julie-Anne Whitney 6/13/22 Julie-Anne Whitney 6/13/22

‘Common Ground, Revisited’ Asks Us to Look Back to Move Forward

Common Ground, Revisited offers a sharp, clear-eyed perspective of a challenging part of Boston’s history and in doing so gives insight into the city’s present problems.

Julie-Anne Whitney 4/23/22 Julie-Anne Whitney 4/23/22

In the Huntington’s ‘Our Daughters Like Pillars',’ Family comes first - but at a price

Our Daughters, Like Pillars is a story about complex family dynamics and the struggle to break free from the roles we are forced into playing within the family unit. Kirsten Greenidge’s new play focuses on a Black family at the center of which are three sisters doing what they can (or must) to hold themselves and each other together.

Julie-Anne Whitney 2/8/20 Julie-Anne Whitney 2/8/20

Huntington’s ‘Sweat’ Shows The Dark Side of American Dream

Director Kimberly Senior masterfully builds, suspends, and expands the tension throughout the play with moments of stillness and breathlessness followed by rapid action and rampant activity.

Julie-Anne Whitney 12/16/19 Julie-Anne Whitney 12/16/19

Moonbox productions’ ‘Parade’ is an Ugly Tale, Beautifully Told

Steve Shack’s lighting design plays with the emotional effects of light and dark, spreading shadows of branches and staircases and cell bars throughout the space, emphasizing the mystery and suspense at the core of the play.

Julie-Anne Whitney 10/22/19 Julie-Anne Whitney 10/22/19

‘Marie and Rosetta’ Shines light on Two Unsung (S)Heroes of American Music History

Dazzling audiences with their powerhouse vocals are Lovely Hoffman as Sister Rosetta and Pier Lamia Porter as Marie. Hoffman’s energy is infectious, bringing a natural vitality to the bigger-than-life character of Sister Rosetta, and Hoffman’s singing is positively scintillating.