How Can Theatre Fandoms Be Less Toxic

by Chris Peterson

Let’s be honest, theatre fandom can be a blast until it suddenly feels like a hostage situation.

I love passionate theatre people. I am one. We care deeply. We notice everything. We can hear one weird vocal choice in a bootleg clip and discuss it for three days. We will debate a costume choice like it is a Supreme Court case. That passion is part of what makes theatre fandom so fun.

But sometimes that same passion curdles. Fast.

A disagreement about casting turns into a pile-on. A spoiler gets posted and suddenly people are acting like someone committed a crime. A performer makes one choice somebody does not like and now we are in full “cancel them” mode by lunch. At a certain point, it stops being about loving theatre and starts becoming a sport built around outrage.

And honestly, it is exhausting.

The part that gets lost in all of this is that fandom is supposed to add to the joy of theatre, not suck the life out of it. It is supposed to be the place where we scream about our favorite songs, share stage door stories, obsess over understudies, and recommend weird little cast albums nobody talks about enough. It is not supposed to feel like walking into a battlefield every time you open your phone.

Also, and this really should not need to be said as often as it does, these are real people. The actors, the writers, the designers, the directors, even the fans on the other side of your comment. Real people. Not avatars built for your entertainment. Not punching bags because you did not get the casting announcement you wanted.

If someone misses a line, tries a different interpretation, or gets cast in a role you pictured differently, you are allowed to have an opinion. That is part of being an audience member. But there is a huge difference between having an opinion and being cruel. One is conversation. The other is harassment. If you would never say it to someone in person outside the stage door, maybe do not type it from the safety of your couch.

And while we are at it, can we normalize the idea that people are allowed to like different things?

Theatre is deeply personal. The show that changed your life might do absolutely nothing for somebody else. A performance you found transcendent might leave someone else cold. That is not a problem. That is actually what makes theatre interesting. If every person had the exact same taste, every conversation would be over in thirty seconds.

I also think fandom has gotten way too comfortable treating disagreement like betrayal. Someone says they did not love your favorite show and suddenly it becomes a character issue. Relax. They are not insulting your family. They just did not connect to Act Two the way you did.

And yes, spoilers. We need to talk about spoilers.

I know people get excited. I know when you see something incredible your first instinct is to run online and scream about it. I get it. But some of you are out here posting major plot twists five minutes after curtain like you are breaking Watergate. A little restraint goes a long way. A spoiler warning is not hard. Letting people experience a moment for themselves is not hard. We can be excited and considerate at the same time.

Same thing with shipping. Shipping can be fun. It is one of the most fandom things to ever fandom. I have no issue with people rooting for fictional couples, writing theories, making edits, all of that. But the line gets crossed when people start projecting all of that onto real actors and then getting angry when reality does not match the fantasy. Cheer for your ship all day long. Just do not drag actual human beings into your fan fiction.

The other thing I wish more fandom spaces did is celebrate more.

There is so much energy for complaining, and sometimes the complaints are valid. I am not saying everything has to be sunshine and Playbills. But imagine if we put even half that energy into championing what we love. Post about the swing who saved the show. Share the regional production that surprised you. Hype the new writer. Talk about the ensemble member who made a bold choice. Theatre is full of magic if you are looking for it.

And if the online noise starts making you miserable, take a break. Seriously. Step away. Watch a show without checking reactions. Listen to a cast album without reading comments. Talk to a friend about theatre in real life like it is 2007. The world will keep spinning and you will probably come back remembering why you loved this stuff in the first place.

And when you do see toxic behavior, say something if you can. Just do not become the same thing you are calling out. We do not need more dogpiles disguised as righteousness. We need people who can hold a line without losing their humanity. You can be firm and still be kind. You can call out bad behavior without performing cruelty.

That is really what this comes down to for me. Theatre is about connection. It is one of the few things left that asks people to sit in a room together and feel something at the same time. That is rare. That is sacred. Fandom should protect that energy, not poison it.

So the next time you are about to jump into some ridiculous feud or fire off a nasty comment because somebody liked the “wrong” Elphaba, take a breath. Ask yourself if what you are about to say adds anything. Ask yourself if it sounds like someone who actually loves theatre.

Because the magic deserves better than this.

And honestly, so do we.