Introducing the Delco Culture Vultures!
Betty Lou Roselle, Margie Royal and Christina Perryman all worked on the editorial/production staff of Delco News Network which produced six weekly newspapers in Delaware County. All three wrote theatre reviews. As Arts, Life and Leisure Editor for these newspapers, Margie also showcased a variety of cultural events happening each week in Delaware County and Philadelphia. When the newspaper eliminated its editorial staff in January 2016, Margie created delcoculturevultures.com.
We continue to cover the arts and theater primarily in the Philadelphia/Delco/tri-state region. But we welcome all kinds of cultural news. We are especially interested in keeping readers informed of streaming theater productions that they might otherwise never hear about.
Feel free to contact us and send us your news via our contact page.
The Delco Culture Vulture Team
Our Contributors:
Jeanne S. Alleva
Jeanne studied acting at People’s Light, performed in Arden’s first Acting Intern program, and won Maine State Music Theatre’s scholarship for scenic art, leading to a season with the Walnut Street Theatre. Favorite acting roles include the Narrator in Joseph…, Catherine in Pippin, Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, Hortense in Zorba, and Virginia in Bruce Graham’s premier of Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille. She has done voiceovers for Morgan Stanley, Mylanta, Loews, and Bryn Mawr Rehab, and played gigs at the TLA, 23 East (Ardmore Music Hall), and Tin Angel. She will be designing the set for Six Degrees of Separation at Players Club of Swarthmore in 2019.
Gwen Armstrong Barker
Gwen holds a degree in Theater Arts from Temple University and is a former Hedgerow Theater Company member. She’s worked at theaters throughout Philadelphia, Delaware County and Wilmington as a Director, Playwright and behind the scenes.
Steven Brodsky
Steven hosted a radio show for 3 and a half years. The show focused on coverage of entertainment, the arts, and all manner of culture. He is widely known for his many live on air interviews with guests such as: Rodney Crowell, Charlie Louvin, Richie Havens, Eric Whitacre (composer, conductor), Solomon Burke, Janis Ian, Percy Sledge, Billy Joe Shaver, Jack LaLanne, Bruce Morrow (Cousin Brucie), Jett Williams (daughter of Hank Williams), Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, curators, historians, scientists, and newsmakers. He welcomes email at ecandmore@outlook.com.
Ellen Wilson Dilks
Ellen is a director, actor, dramaturg, and theatre reviewer. She has written for B Sharp Productions, DC Metro Theater Arts, Delco News Network, and STAGE Magazine. She has worked at several local theatres including Hedgerow Theatre, People’s Light, and The Players Club of Swarthmore.
Tracy Hawkins
A native of the Delaware Valley, Tracy has been involved in theater for more than 30 years as a producer, director, stage manager, costumer, and actress. She has written for The Beacon newspaper, and her writing has appeared in the Social Innovations Journal. She has B.A. in History from Temple and a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership from Penn. “Although artists and critics are hardly natural allies, a vigorous public discourse about theater — and that necessarily means an assessment of its quality — is vital to the health of the art form that supports them both.”-Charles Isherwood.
Anne Lannak
Anne is an enthusiastic supporter of community theater. Her father, Bob Beavins, was involved in Gilbert and Sullivan productions for years and all four of her children act. Go see a show!
Lisa Panzer
Lisa has worked for many years in theater not only as an actor, but as a director, dramaturg, produced playwright, technical director, lighting designer, stage crew, reviewer, teaching artist and roustabout. Mz. Panzer holds an MLS from Drexel University and as an undergraduate studied film, journalism, theater arts, literature and music. Lisa has also dabbled in film as an actor, script supervisor, and also researcher via her company Continuity Research Services (See http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3355274/ for additonal information). Her cats disapprove.
Christina Perryman
Christina is a former award-winning journalist and editor for the Delaware County News Network. She wrote many articles and features while she was there, and is happy to continue covering theatre as a Culture Vulture!
Anthony SanFilippo
Anthony SanFilippo has been reviewing theatre for the better part of 20 years since his days as a journalist at the Delaware County Daily Times. He does so these days for both Delco Culture Vultures and PhillyLifeAndCulture.com. An actor and director himself, Anthony is currently the President of the Board of Governors at the Players Club of Swarthmore and does a lot of other non-theatre related writing both as a full-time job and through freelance work. He also can be heard talking about sports on ESPN radio in Philadelphia.
Edna Snidebottom (alias Betty Lou Roselle)
For many years, Betty Lou was a Graphic Artist at County Press Newspapers which eventually became Delaware County News Network.The last five to six years, she transitioned into the editorial department, writing reviews, opinion pieces and taking photos and videos. Along with her friend and co-worker Margie Royal, they created a character named Edna Snidebottom to present small videos with a comic flair which aired on the DCNN website. After leaving DCNN, sensing a need for coverage of local entertainment and cultural events, Margie created the delcoculturevultures website and brought Edna on board. Edna returned to her love of graphic design during the day and now works at Newspaper Marketing Associates which produces the Delaware County Magazine and the Main Line Chronicles.
Margie Royal
Site designer and Managing Editor of Delco Culture Vultures, Margie is a published author (Karma Train), produced playwright and award-winning journalist. For many years, she was the managing editor of the Delaware County News Network’s Arts, Life and Leisure section where she planned, assigned (and frequently wrote) features on art, theatre and leisure activities.