Yes, You Have Republican/Democrat Theatre Friends....No, They're Not Your Enemy

Chris Peterson

• OnStage Editor-in-Chief
• @onstageblog

Posted this a while ago but given yesterday's events, it felt worthy of an update. 

Ahhh....it's election season again. The beautiful period where America decides its leadership and path for the next four years. On the other hand, It's also the time of year where debates spring up on every Facebook feed, lines are drawn and friendships end. It's a vicious cycle. 

The theatre community isn't immune to this unfortunate process either, but it should be. Because when you sit and think about it, politics are the last reason why you're friends with these people in the first place.

It's more than likely it was because you were in a show together or directed each other or met them at a cast party. It was because you both love Lin-Manuel Miranda or hate Andrew Lloyd Webber. It was because of late night gab sessions at diners, griping about tech rehearsal or studying for Theatre History exams(Seriously, those exams suck) It was because on the first day of college, you walked into a classroom and found a group of people, maybe for the first time, who loved the same thing you did. 

Memories like this seem to get muddled when the Presidential primaries begin. 

Just because your theatre friend is a Republican doesn't mean they are a homophobic, gun-toting, Bible quoting bigot with a southern accent. And just because your theatre friend is a Democrat doesn't mean they want this country to become a Godless selfish communist/totalitarian state which succumbs to Russia's whims. 

Now if they're being bullies about it, that's a whole other issue. 

But let's just take a step back and remember that the theatre community is better than the land of Facebook Feed vitriol and cable news. This is a time when communities need to be more united than ever.  

Photo: The Best Man on Broadway