Serenbe Playhouse Founder part of MAGA Mob

[MysteriousLady]

Posted: 1/9/21 at 3:29pm

https://twitter.com/robertmathisok/status/1347591592446750720?s=19

The twitter thread above details Brian Clowdus' recent journey from founder and director of the acclaimed Serenbe Playhouse outside of Atlanta to vocal Trump supporter on social media.

Serenbe is widely known as the outdoor theater company that used a real helicopter in Miss Saigon.

The thread also has a link to an article detailing the many claims of POC who experienced discrimination at the company, as well as safety concerns.

In June of 2020, the company shut down, claiming that they would work to rebuild a more inclusive space. This struck me at the time as being awfully convenient timing, seeing as how they probably wouldn't be able to operate during the pandemic anyway. Indeed, the article also sites they were operating at a loss, which might have more to do with why they shut down, rather than the desire to make a more inclusive space for theater. Clowdus had already left the company in Fall of 2019.

Updated On: 1/9/21 at 03:29 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/9/21 at 3:42pm

Oh yes, this has been quite the saga for those of us familiar with Clowdus' role in the industry. 

As you point out at the end of your post, it's important to emphasize that Clowdus had already left Serenbe when all of this came out. They decided to wipe the slate clean and take accountability for the stain of toxic culture that he left behind. Meanwhile Clowdus himself has only doubled down on his horrific views, and has brushed off all of the criticism with his philosophy of "ignoring the haters" and "leading with peace and love" and "ignoring the woke police" and all of the usual bullsh*t people use to deflect accountability for their actions. 

It's also essential to note that while he may have departed his role at Serenbe, his own for-profit theatre company "Brian Clowdus Experiences" is still operational (if not for the COVID shutdown), and he is still very much the driving force of that company. 

Updated On: 1/9/21 at 03:42 PM

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 1/9/21 at 5:18pm

Hes apparently friends with Jordan Craig who played Raoul on the recent Phantom tour. Jordan had a bunch of MAGA crap in 2016-2017 then deleted it all eventually and made it private . Though in recent 2020 days, he keeps liking Brians gross tweets and anti mask crap with other MAGa retweets/likes but no actual tweets . He even liked one recently making fun of a health department closing down a restaurant in CA for not following Covid protocalls . His fb even has a public post that people have the right on wearing a mask🤪🤪. His IG where all the fans follow has nothing political at all but shows him and his wife with groups of people without masks. Looks like after they came home from visiting family in Russia, they went partying in Vegas and didn't quarantine. .

 

Also, Clowdus ' new company is supposed to be a "MAGA Company " to perform shows appealing to that audience.  I also noticed Clowdus had Michael Urie on his podcast recently. I thought he was a liberal???

Updated On: 1/9/21 at 05:18 PM

[joevitus]

Posted: 1/9/21 at 5:27pm

Sickening to learn, but I appreciate being kept informed. Please 2021, in the end be happier than 2020! Follow Michelle's "Be Better" not Melania's "Be Best."

[Owen22]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 10:53am

MannPhan24601 said: "Also, Clowdus ' new company is supposed to be a "MAGA Company " to perform shows appealing to that audience. I also noticed Clowdus had Michael Urie on his podcast recently. I thought he was a liberal???"

Wh...wha...what?????

[Kad]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 11:53am

Owen22 said: "MannPhan24601 said: "Also, Clowdus ' new company is supposed to be a "MAGA Company " to perform shows appealing to that audience. I also noticed Clowdus had Michael Urie on his podcast recently. I thought he was a liberal???"

Wh...wha...what?????"

It looks like that was in last April, which was before Clowdus's re-branding of himself as a wannabe MAGA influencer and before the details of his leaving Serenbe were understood. Before this summer, Clowdus didn't really engage in any public discussion of politics, and the issues with his leadership at Serenbe were not public knowledge.

Clowdus absolutely should be treated as a pariah. Even during his tenure at Serenbe, he put his own profile above the safety of his performers. During his tenure, he created an extremely toxic work environment with allegations that go beyond racism (read between the lines here).

Once he was run out of the Atlanta area, he hightailed it to Florida and very quickly re-emerged as a full-throated MAGA groupie. The speed at which he did this is head-spinning. He deserves no place in the theater industry.

Updated On: 1/11/21 at 11:53 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 11:59am

Yep. Here's the post promoting Urie:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_gzqk2j9Sp/

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 12:11pm

Well if he actually went into the Capitol building he'll have bigger things to worry about than being cancelled online for taking a picture with a cosplaying shaman.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 12:13pm

I know this was just said by Kad (and linked by Lizzie), but I just think it's very important to emphasize again that Michael Urie wouldn't have known at the time about all this bad stuff around Clowdus. Urie should not be sucked into this mess. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 12:53pm

Agreed.

He’s gross. I mean, look at his production of hair where the leads all have waxed chests! Like... did you read the script?!

[fosterfan2]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 5:27pm

Kad said: "Owen22 said: "MannPhan24601 said: "Also, Clowdus ' new company is supposed to be a "MAGA Company " to perform shows appealing to that audience. I also noticed Clowdus had Michael Urie on his podcast recently. I thought he was a liberal???"

Wh...wha...what?????"

It looks like that was in last April, which was before Clowdus's re-branding of himself as a wannabe MAGA influencer and before the details of his leaving Serenbe were understood. Before this summer, Clowdus didn't really engage in any public discussion of politics, and the issues with his leadership at Serenbe were not public knowledge.

Clowdus absolutely should be treated as a pariah. Even during his tenure at Serenbe, he put his own profile above the safety of his performers. During his tenure, he created an extremely toxic work environment with allegations that go beyond racism (read between the lines here).

Once he was run out of the Atlanta area, he hightailed it to Florida and very quickly re-emerged as a full-throated MAGA groupie. The speed at which he did this is head-spinning. He deserves no place in the theater industry."

Atlanta does not miss him. We're glad he's gone.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 1/11/21 at 7:48pm

JBroadway said: "I know this was just said by Kad (and linked by Lizzie), but I just think it's very important to emphasize again that Michael Urie wouldn't have known at the time about all this bad stuff around Clowdus. Urie should not be sucked into this mess."

Michael is a sweetheart, and a person who (as evidenced by his ubiquitous presence on the covid internet, especially early on) very rarely says no to anyone in the theatre who asks him to do something. It is inconceivable that he knew what this ogre was, or that he would knowingly associate with him. And yes he is a progressive liberal. PS this was in April.

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 2:14pm

Welp, Here's his first production of his new company.. James O'Keefe is apparently some kind of "journalist" who has spread q-anon theories before q-anon even existed and 3/4 of these actors are openly conservative. What cracks me up is that the dream Laurie has this "Barbie Dream Camper project" to keep "Women in society" over gender-fluid/non-binary people. Guess she dosen't realize Mattel is a very liberal company and even has their own line of non-binary/gender -fluid dolls....https://www.instagram.com/p/COQLIHlAPvk/

[darquegk]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 3:40pm

Looks more like Lana del Rey’s California than Oklahoma…

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 7:03pm

This guy’s Instagram is something. It’s all homoerotic shirtless selfies and musical theatre stuff but he’s also a super-Christian MAGA dude? Looks like he has some things to work out...

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 7:07pm

Anyone else sick and tired of these insane people?  I hope someone is taking down the names of these "actors" who choose to work with such racist trash.

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 9:03pm

Impeach2017 said: "Anyone else sick and tired of these insane people? I hope someone is taking down the names of these "actors" who choose to work with such racist trash."

I don't work in the industry at all but I have screenshots,lol. James O'Keefe is apparently some kind of QAnon conspiracy theorist  "journalist" who tried suing Twitter. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 5/22/21 at 9:26pm

James Okeefe is a right wing nut who is always a few stuns away from jail time. Not sure what the deal is here, since this guy is no longer affiliated with Serenbe, though it i hard for me to reconcile a MAGA psychosis with an appreciation for theater, maybe im naiive

[DiscoCrows]

Posted: 8/9/21 at 7:55pm

https://www.americantheatre.org/2021/08/09/immersive-theatre-that-left-scars-behind-the-collapse-of-serenbe-playhouse/?fbclid=IwAR1kdal997noF_hW_k0As6R_tyX8abah9Kac5A6zzXG_k6qzJ5ThV1W3q6M 

Absolutely unreal. HR/board membership at it's worst. Beating a dead horse but this man should be facing trial.

[lucynewlife]

Posted: 8/11/21 at 9:47am

It's especially disheartening to read about the unsafe conditions on set, and the injuries. It's hard to think about the awe inspired by the atmosphere of the "Titanic" trailer without thinking about how someone was unable to work for half a year because of it. I'm surprised there weren't reports of other injuries on that set, or maybe other actors haven't spoken out about them.