Jessica Doherty

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Awarded Work

Making It: Playwright Larissa FastHorse and Director Michael John Garcés on what it means to bring the world premiere of Fake It Until You Make It to the Taper.
-> National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Finalist for Diversity in the Music/Performing Arts/Arts Industry

Performances Magazine October 2024: Green Day’s American Idiot produced by Center Theatre Group in collaboration with Deaf West Theatre
-> National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Finalist for Entertainment Publication
-> Los Angeles Press Club Southern California Journalism Award Finalist for In-House Corporate Publication

Getting to Know Kristina Wong: A look at the ways Kristina Wong is changing the world by performing as herself, even offstage
-> National Arts & Entertainment Finalist for Online Theater Feature

BoJack Horseman is Over and Everything is (Maybe) Better Now
-> Los Angeles Press Club Southern California Journalism Second Place Award for Commentary/Analysis of TV/Film across All Platforms
-> National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Finalist for Commentary/Critique (Student Journalism)

A New Generation of Zines
-> National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Third Place Award for Arts or Entertainment Feature (Student Journalism)
-> Los Angeles Press Club Southern California Journalism Second Place Award for Arts Reporting (Student Journalism)

Selling the Stereotype of Sunset Boulevard
-> National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards Finalist for Commentary/Critique (Student Journalism)

Center Theatre Group / Performances Magazine

Center Theatre Group’s Performances Magazine is one of the only independently written and edited Performances Magazine issues in the Southern California reigon. With a monthly circulation of over 50k, each issue serves as a look behind the scenes of CTG’s current productions, artistic development processes, and Education & Community Partnerships programs as well as fun and engaging features and essays about the ways our productions connect to Los Angeles communities.

Our Store, Your Story: Local Los Angeles small business owners on building community and legacy in their neighborhoods.

(Ins)ide Kim’s Convenience: Kim’s Convenience’s Ins Choi on finding community through theatre. [In English with Korean translation]

Serving Up Stories: Chef Stephanie Pyetwetmokwe DeSpain celebrates her Indigenous and Mexican heritage through food at Abernethy’s at The Music Center.

Pillow Talk with Sutton Foster and Michael Urie: The stage and screen royalty dish about Once Upon a Mattress’ Broadway run and their behind-the-scenes moments.

Redefining Courage: Mama of the Row, Luis Alfaro’s adaptation of Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage, puts Los Angeles’ inequities in the spotlight.

The Loop: A look ahead to A Strange Loop at the Ahmanson Theatre in June with Writer Michael R. Jackson.

Serious-ly Funny: Comedian Alex Edelman’s ongoing conversation about Jewish identity returns to Los Angeles five years after its creation.

Making a New Home at Abernethy’s: While the venues at The Music Center each house a season of shows, Abernethy’s on the Jerry Moss Plaza hosts a season of chefs as a part of the Emerging Chefs Series.

A New Standing Order: The creatives of A Transparent Musical on the process behind developing a new musical at the Taper and the power it can have.

Remembering How To Swim With Mike Birbiglia: Through his new one-man show, Birbiglia tackles life, death, and the unexpected gradations between them.

Outlook Newsgroup
(Outlook Pasadena, San Marino Tribune, Glendale News-Press, South Pasadena Review, La Cañada Outlook)

Outlook Newsgroup is a local collection of weekly print and digital publications serving neighborhoods across Burbank, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Glendale, and more.

Greenline Housing Foundation Helps Families Heal At Home: Born and raised in Altadena, Dana Brumfield had only moved four times in 50 years. But after the Eaton Fire devastated Altadena and destroyed her family home in January, she found herself moving 14 times in the first 100 days after being evacuated from her home.

The Little Red Hen Press That Could: What started as a micropress is now “the biggest little Indie nonprofit publisher,” seeking to platform writers overlooked by the traditional publishing industry and support a diverse new generation of writers.

Constructing a New Future With Flintridge Center: For 40 years, Flintridge Center has served as an invaluable hub for formerly incarcerated individuals when they return home to Pasadena.

Healing Through Paint at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital: USC Verdugo Hills Hospital often treats medical needs for patients with medicine. But through the hospital’s Healing Arts Program, visual art acts as medicine, too.

World Central Kitchen Feeds Fire Victims: Over the past three weeks, World Central Kitchen has been hosting sites for residents impacted by the Southland fires to enjoy free meals—including at least seven locations for Pasadena and Altadena residents.

Altadena Town Council Chair Helps Lead Fire Recovery: Over the past year, [Victoria] Knapp had to navigate losing her own home while helping her neighborhood recover and rebuild a new future.

PUSD Students Rebuild Lives With Educational Foundation’s Help: The Pasadena Educational Foundation has spent 50 years supporting PUSD schools—but its role has never been more critical than in the wake of the Eaton Fire.

Late Councilman Honored With Pool-Naming Ceremony: Pasadena city officials and community members recently revealed the plaque for the Honorable John J. Kennedy Pool at Jackie Robinson Park.

The Eastsider

The Eastsider LA is a local daily web publication serving communities across the Eastside of Los Angeles, stretching from Thai Town and East Hollywood to Boyle Heights to Eagle Rock. Good Taste is a biweekly email and web roundup of restaurant, bar, and lifestyle news in the area.

Heavy Manners Library amplifies Echo Park’s creative community: Local resident Matthew James-Wilson founded Echo Park’s Heavy Manners Library in 2021 with the goal of making art books and other expensive and rare reference materials more accessible.

Making his mark at Highland Park’s The Letter Shop: The elegant black text reading “The Letter Shop,” stenciled across the top of a small white building on Figueroa Street, is an eye-catcher. That’s intentional: The sign woos and welcomes visitors to a new space and, by extension, a new craft.

Free short film screening at El Cid fosters community for creatives in Silver Lake: Silver Lake Shorts, a monthly-ish short film screening event at El Cid, is a free outlet for creatives and audiences.

Echo Park ‘brewmaster’ is always learning her craft: Some call Kimberly Rice, the head brewer and manager at Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery, a “brewmaster.” But Rice says she feels she hasn’t ‘mastered’ anything in the art of brewing beverages.

Los Feliz restaurant workers cook up a film festival: Messhall Kitchen is hosting its first film festival this month, featuring shorts created by staff in collaboration wtih customers and filmed in the restaurant.

How an Eagle Rock piemaker and her high school sweetheart built their business from humble homemade beginnings: The couple has always shared a passion for music, but culinary creations became their next creative outlet.

Good Taste March 5, 2026: Praise for the thick burger in Hermon | San Francisco discovers Los Feliz | Middle Eastern Mexican fusion in Lincoln Heights

Good Taste June 26, 2025: Supporting the immigrant community in Boyle Heights | ‘Sing Out, Los Feliz!’ | Love Island in Silver Lake

Good Taste November 12, 2025: Eastside Eateries rally to aid SNAP recipients.

Good Taste January 23, 2025: Eastside restaurants continue to support wildfire relief efforts.

Freelance

Steak, Well Done: The Steak was inspired by a real story from [Kiarash] Dadgar‘s co-writer, Ali Narimani’s, ex-girlfriend, who escaped the south of Iran when Iraq attacked her town as her family was cooking dinner. Dadgar wondered: “What happened to the food?”

Alta and Disel celebrate an evening of the write stuff: David L. Ulin, Jonathan Lethem, Stacey Grenrock Woods, and Gustavo Arellano headlined Alta Journal’s Issue 25 party in Los Angeles.

In the N.Y. vs. L.A. bagel war, Belle’s Bagels rises above: For two self-described “born and bread” Angelenos, Nick Schreiber and J.D. Rocchio make East Coast-approved bagels in Highland Park

Wasteland: An integrated focus on environmentally conscious art: The event brought together individual artists and musicians for a night of music, workshops, and gallery browsing.

AmpersandLA

AmpersandLA is an online arts and culture magazine with features, personal essays, and criticism about music, dance, the performing arts, film, television, food, visual art, and more.

Surrendering to Laurel Hell: Surrender to the sound of Mitski. Maybe, finally, you’ll actually hear her. She’s here to let everyone know they’re not in charge of her anymore. Offline, they never actually were.

Punishing The Punisher: Phoebe Bridgers on SNL: While The Weeknd took to the Super Bowl stage on February 7th, it seemed that both my mind and social media feed were still somewhat fixated on a performance from the night before—Phoebe Bridgers’ “I Know the End” on Saturday Night Live.

A Short Hike After A Long Summer: With around 20 hours of leisurely, open-world sandbox gameplay, A Short Hike feels like a digital weekend getaway tucked inside of an indie game.

Home Is Where You Call My Name: A Beginner’s Mind feels like coming home. A return to Sufjan Stevens’ best form; whispered confessions over intimate orchestrations.

USC Annenberg Media

USC Annenberg Media is a student-run newsroom with over 450 journalists producing daily web content, TV news, and radio and podcast programming.

One Year of Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Real-world and virtual reflections on one of 2020’s biggest titles.

USC Annenberg Professor to lead BuzzFeed News as new Editor-In-Chief: In an exclusive interview with Annenberg Media, Mark Schoofs shared his plans for BuzzFeed News and its collaboration with the Annenberg school.

USC students and alumnus stuck in Peru due to COVID-19 travel restrictions: After Peru declared a state of emergency on Sunday, all borders have been closed for the next 15 days.

Dean of the USC School of Dramatic Arts resigns: The dean of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, David Bridel, resigned on Thursday, effective immediately, according to an email sent to SDA faculty, staff and students by the Provost.

Ratatouille: From movie to meme to musical: The online musical event developed during the pandemic raised more than $1 million for the Actors’ Fund.

punkplay smells like teen spirit: The play by Gregory S. Moss transports audiences back to the ‘80s to experience the angst, confusion, and energy of adolescence and teen rebellion.

Record wins of the 2020 election: A look at some of the notable wins down the ballot this year.

Art as climate activism: A new USC pilot program funds 12 students to create projects centered around issues of sustainability.

SC Unplugged: Kid Hastings: The England-born, New Jersey-raised and California-based artist breaks down the creative process behind his latest single, ‘Call Me Up.’

46 Los Angeles theater companies leave the Los Angeles Stage Alliance: Theater organizations and artists used #LeavingLASA on social media to express their disappointment with the group after the recent Ovation Awards.

Felicity Huffman sentenced in Varsity Blues scandal: The actress is the first parent to receive jail time for involvement in the nationwide scandal.

Last Updated 24.10.37