When Did Theater Become a Competition?

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 10:47am

Lately I've been feeling like theater is partly for enjoyment, but now it has also become a competition. A competition for who can see shows the most amount of times. A competition for who can get a shoutout or recognition from a performer on social media. A competition for who knows casting, when a show is coming in before everyone else.

Has this always been a thing? Why is it a thing? Why can't we just be happy to be surprised by things instead of claiming to know everything before the public? It's silly. Why can't we just enjoy theater?

[Kad]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 10:50am

Perhaps people enjoy things in different ways than you.

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 10:52am

Kad said: "Perhaps people enjoy things in different ways than you."

I want to know things too, but I don't scrounge around looking for any scrap of information about casting and other things. I don't tell people I know about things but I can't reveal them yet.

Can you explain why you perhaps need to have the upper hand and know before the general public? Do you need to feel superior by doing so?

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 10:54am

Just ignore it.

[James885]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:09am

I think there’s always been a subset of super fans who enjoy obsessively making predictions, revealing ‘insider’ info, tracking rumors and gossip, etc. It’s just a lot more visible and prevalent with social media and the rise of influencer culture. Not just in theatre, but in a lot of pop culture fandoms - a great zeitgeist example right now is the Stranger Things fandom and all the ConfirmityGate drama.

 

Updated On: 1/15/26 at 11:09 AM

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:12am

TotallyEffed said: "Just ignore it."

It's hard to ignore when theater "influencers" are getting invited to things, free tickets, and other huge theater fans don't get the same opportunities because what- they don't have a huge following? That's stupid 

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:13am

Who cares?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:13am

 

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:18am

BrodyFosse123 said: "

 

"

This kind of helps my annoyance/feeling of being left out. Brody thank you 

[Kad]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:29am

So you're actually just annoyed that you're not in what you perceive to be an in-crowd. 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:37am

Some people (cough, cough) follow their favorite shows much like those individuals who follow players of their preferred sports teams.  Others see their fave shows repeatedly over the years (cough).  It gives them great joy, much like fans of their favorite pro hockey drama on cable.  Broadway shows appreciate their fandom because they fill seats.  Theatre is definitely a business....sometimes a cut throat business....(i.e. the recent firings / non renewals at Chicago).  

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 11:46am

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "Some people (cough, cough) follow their favorite shows much like those individuals who follow players of their preferred sports teams. Others see their fave shows repeatedly over the years (cough). It gives them great joy, much like fans of their favorite pro hockey drama on cable. Broadway shows appreciate their fandom because they fill seats. Theatre is definitely a business....sometimes a cut throat business....(i.e. the recent firings / non renewals at Chicago)."

Totally off topic but do we know how long the longest running cast member has been at Chicago and has their contract finally not been renewed?

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 12:01pm

I mean everything you're describing is kind of the social media effect.  It's not a big deal on social media if you've seen the show once, so people brag about seeing it multiple times.  Many of those people genuinely enjoy the show and that's fantastic! It shouldn't have any bearing on how you feel about a show, like you aren't "less" of a fan just because you haven't seen the show as many times.  The attention economy is about bigger and louder but there are plenty of people who are perfectly fine enjoying theater on their own terms as well.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 12:04pm

witchoftheeast2 said: "TotallyEffed said: "Just ignore it."

It's hard to ignore when theater "influencers" are getting invited to things, free tickets, and other huge theater fans don't get the same opportunities because what- they don't have a huge following? That's stupid"

Delete your social media, it's a great way to get "deinfluenced". Overconsumption applies to theater tickets too. Once you get rid of social media, you'll find yourself being much more selective and the actual theater you get to see much more enjoyable.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 12:15pm

Also: influencer events are not very fun. They're marketing. Whenever an influencer is invited to something, they are there with the understanding they will be making content and plugging the show on social media in exchange for perks or payment. Influencers are shills and it's a full-time job. 

 

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 1:58pm

Kad said: "Also: influencer events are not very fun. They're marketing. Whenever an influencer is invited to something, they are there with the understanding they will be making content and plugging the show on social media in exchange for perks or payment. Influencers are shills and it's a full-time job.

"

While I admit I'd love to do something like that, this is putting it in perspective for me. Thank you Kad. Truly. 

[spicemonkey]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 2:09pm

Reading the title, I thought this post was about which show got a theatre on Broadway and what could happen behind closed doors (I’m actually interested in this) LOL 

[schubox]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 2:21pm

Everything in life has turned tribalistic and competitive. Politics, fandoms, theater, professional wrestling. The world sucks

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 2:41pm

I recommend logging off and enjoying theatre because you love theatre, not because you want to keep up with influencers or even friends who obsessively see shows. It’s actually super easy to ignore the exact things you’re frustrated by.

[quizking101]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 2:51pm

Kad said: "Also: influencer events are not very fun. They're marketing. Whenever an influencer is invited to something, they are there with the understanding they will be making content and plugging the show on social media in exchange for perks or payment. Influencers are shills and it's a full-time job.

"

This about sums it up. I acknowledge that I go to a lot of shows and often multiple times. I’ve been asked if I was or wanted to become and influencer and I rebuke the idea for this reason - it commoditizes my hobby into a hustle. When I fall in with a new show, I go and engage because I enjoy it, not because I seek out any secondary gain. 

Example: I have only went to BroadwayCon once in the 10+ years it’s been on because I find it primarily to be an “influencer” type event and conventions aren’t really fun for me. I only went last year for a few hours to see the Real Woman Have Curves and Jellicle Ball panels.

Honestly, I think “influencer” is such a dirty word.

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 3:38pm

I mean truly mean it when I say thank you, all of you, for your inputs on this. 

[darquegk]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 5:05pm

"When did it become so parasocial and such a competition?" It never wasn't. Look up the Astor Place Riots: the rivalry between two pre-Civil-War Shakespeare companies and their leading men became a pop culture phenomenon and then a political hot button issue, which escalated to the point of an all-out riot leaving many dead.

[Kad]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 5:30pm

witchoftheeast2 said: "Kad said: "Also: influencer events are not very fun. They're marketing. Whenever an influencer is invited to something, they are there with the understanding they will be making content and plugging the show on social media in exchange for perks or payment. Influencers are shills and it's a full-time job.

"

While I admit I'd love to do something like that, this is putting it in perspective for me. Thank you Kad. Truly."

I apologize for being curt about this with you earlier. But yeah, as others have said, you can fully ignore all this stuff- influencers especially, who are annoying and also never living as much of a glamorous or fun life as they present it on social media. As for the inside knowledge, it can be fun- people want to know and folks with legitimate industry knowledge are happy to oblige. 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 1/15/26 at 9:30pm

Get off social media. It’s nearly all fake.