Misha Berson
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Misha Berson (1950 – 2025) was an American theater critic, arts journalist, and author known for her incisive writing on contemporary and historical theater.[1] She was the longtime theater critic for The Seattle Times and previously served as the theater critic for the San Francisco Bay Guardian.[2]
In the 1980s Berson worked in San Francisco, first as the executive director of Theatre Bay Area and as performing arts director of the Fort Mason Center before working as theatre critic for the San Francisco Bay Guardian for twelve years.[3] Since 1992 she covered the Seattle theatre scene for the Seattle Times.[4] David Cote, writing for the Theatre Communications Group, listed Berson among the most influential theatre critics in America in 2011.[3]
Berson wrote a book on the musical West Side Story, Something’s Coming, Something Good: West Side Story and the American Imagination. The book received positive reviews, with Brad Hathaway, writing for DC Theatre Scene, calling it the one West Side Story book one should own.[5] Jay Handelman, writing for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, said the book "could serve as a textbook study of the creation of a musical".[6]
Berson chose the winners of the Seattle Times' theatre awards, the Footlight Awards.[7] She was on the jury for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.[8]
Her publications include Between Worlds: Contemporary Asian-American Plays and two historical studies of San Francisco theater, San Francisco Stage: From Gold Rush to Golden Spike, 1849–1869 and San Francisco Stage: From Transcontinental Railroad to Great Earthquake, 1870–1906.[9]
On February 13, 2025, Berson died suddenly.[10]
References
- ↑ "Misha Berson, an influential Bay Area theater critic, dies at 74". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ↑ Davis, Melissa (18 February 2025). "Critic who reviewed Seattle and Broadway theater for decades dies at 74". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- 1 2 Cote, David (2011). "Critical Juncture". Theatre Communications Group. Archived from the original on 2016-01-26.
- ↑ "Critical I: Misha Berson, Seattle Times". The Clyde Fitch Report. November 21, 2014.
- ↑ Hathaway, Brad (August 16, 2011). "Something's Coming, Something Good: West Side Story and the American Imagination". DC Theatre Scene.
- ↑ Handelman, Jay (October 3, 2011). "Behind the Scenes: New book explores impact of 'West Side Story'". Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
- ↑ van Baker, Michael (February 1, 2012). "Seattle Theatre is Big Winner in New Gypsy Rose Lee Awards". The SunBreak.
- ↑ Ng, David (April 20, 2015). "Stephen Adly Guirgis wins Pulitzer for 'Between Riverside and Crazy'". Los Angeles Times.
- ↑ Hicks, Bob (2025-02-18). "A farewell to theater critic Misha Berson • Oregon ArtsWatch". Oregon ArtsWatch • Arts & Culture News. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
- ↑ Kelsall, Cameron (2025-02-24). "Misha Berson: Instant Friend and Theatre Champion". AMERICAN THEATRE. Retrieved 2025-10-08.
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