As the new year begins, exciting chapters are opening in the world of Pittsburgh in the Round, the comprehensive online magazine covering theatre, dance and opera for the Greater Pittsburgh region.
January 19, 2019 marked PITR’s five-year anniversary—an impressive milestone of five remarkable years exhaustively and passionately reviewing, previewing, discussing and spotlighting every facet of Pittsburgh’s bustling theatrical community. In addition, January 19 marked a changing of the guard, as PITR creator and Editor-in-Chief Mara Nadolski steps down from her leading role, and Staff Writer and Editor Eva Phillips takes her place.
Nadolski has worked tirelessly and consistently sacrificed for the past five years to make her dream of an exclusively-theatre online magazine the amazing reality it is today.
About Mara Nadolski
Upon graduating from West Virginia University in 2012 with a BFA in Theatre Design, Nadolski relocated to San Diego to work as an Artistic Department Intern at the La Jolla Playhouse. Through a fortuitous series of events, Nadolski found herself in Pittsburgh a year after. In Pittsburgh, her continued work in theatre and desire to explore and uphold the uniquely dynamic Pittsburgh theatre scene led her to creating Pittsburgh in the Round in 2014.
On her time at PITR and her ambitions for the future, Nadolski said, “I’ve been given the gift of connecting with Pittsburgh theatre and Pittsburgh artists on so many levels, and I’m very grateful for everyone’s support and cooperation. It was an incredibly difficult decision to make, but I hope everyone will continue to support my new endeavors while still supporting PITR in my absence.”
PITR was started as a platform to not only review and promote the plethora of shows and companies in Pittsburgh, but to also give a forum to gifted writers of diverse identities and backgrounds to be an active part of the theatrical community they love. These five years with Nadolski at the helm have been ones of outstanding growth, with the number of companies covered by PITR swelling yearly (from Pittsburgh Public Theater to Throughline, to PICT Classic Theatre, among many others); and the number of reviews and features published yearly numbering in the hundreds.
Nadolski’s innovative work and unyielding commitment to covering all things Pittsburgh theatre (and theatre within a 25 mile radius of Pittsburgh) is unparalleled. Her decision to step down comes with a heavy heart, but with the hope of launching her directing career. Moving forward, Nadolski will work as Assistant Director and Dramaturg for Kinetic Theatre’s upcoming production of An Octoroon, directed by Andrew Paul.
About Eva Phillips
Faced with filling very big shoes, Eva Phillips is ecstatic to take on the role as Editor-in-Chief of PITR after working for the publication for two and half years.
Phillips says, “It has been an honor to write about the electric Pittsburgh theatre scene with PITR, and I am thrilled to take over for Mara and guide PITR into new waters. I am so looking forward to enriching the diversity of voices and stories at PITR and create opportunities to have discussions and make change within the theatre community, while still representing all the wonderful companies we have been grateful to cover the past five years.”
Phillips moved to Pittsburgh after graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English to receive her MA LCS from Carnegie Mellon University. In addition to her professional work, she has worked extensively as a freelance writer and editor, with pieces focusing on film and gender being published in several publications and journals.
Phillips says she was delighted when she was approached by Nadolski and given the opportunity to write for a publication that cherished her self-proclaimed “theatre-nerd” identity.
Looking to the future, Phillips is excited to add new members to the writing staff to cover even more shows and companies. Phillips also is eager to develop upon Nadolski’s work to strengthen fundraising and financial support to support PITR.
About Pittsburgh in the Round
Initiated on January 19, 2014, Pittsburgh in the Round brings comprehensive information about the local theater community to the Greater Pittsburgh area. PITR aim to promote the diverse and ever-growing theater scene in Pittsburgh; treating every company equally, benefiting artists and audiences alike. While fostering strong relationships within the Pittsburgh theater community, PITR is the only online magazine covering shows that are strictly produced locally within a 25-mile radius of Pittsburgh. The site’s 16 writers generate previews, features, interviews and reviews. PITR is a fiscally sponsored project of New Sun Rising.
Categories: Feature