TikTok's Final Bow 👋🏼

Good morning 👋🏼 As TikTok faces an uncertain future in America, I dove deep with thirteen of #TheatreTikTok’s leading players to uncover how this weird, wonderful corner of the internet became a home for theater kids everywhere—and quietly reshaped how we experience, create, and share theater in the digital age.

These conversations were so enlightening, and there was no way to fit it all into this week’s newsletter. So, I whipped up a handy-dandy Creator Profile Pack. Just share the newsletter with at least one friend (using this link) and I’ll send it over to you!

Special thanks to this incredible group of theatre geeks (pictured below) who took the time to chat with me this week—I’m so grateful 🥲

March 2020: Broadway goes dark. Tours cancel. Regional theaters close their doors. And in the weird silence that followed, theater kids started doing what theater kids do best – they found a way to put on a show.

"I downloaded TikTok as a joke," says Tyler Joseph Ellis (@tylerjosephellis), "but when I started making videos about theater, I saw that I wasn't the only theater kid depressed that theater was gone."

"I had so many friend crushes on these people," Oliver Richman (@olivesongs11) remembers of those early days. “I was just craving community."

"My first video was just me organizing my playbills, and it got a couple hundred views," Ashley Hufford (@ashleyhufford) remembers. "That's when I thought, 'Oh, there's something here.'"

“And we could stitch each other's content,” says Kate Reinking (@theatreislife). “It was like having a conversation in real-time.” That collaborative energy made it feel less like posting into the void and more like being part of a giant game of Zip Zap Zop (iykyk.)

"The sensation I had watching Bridgerton the Musical come together in real time... I didn't know what to do with that energy," Katharine Quinn (@itskatharinequinn) recalls. "I had to be part of it."

For performers like Cara Rose DiPietro (@cararosedipietro) TikTok became an unexpected creative outlet. "Even when I working at a coffee shop 40 hours a week," she says, "I had this little creative thing in my pocket that was just mine."

JJ Niemann (@jjniemann), who had made YouTube videos as a teenager, found TikTok freeing. “When everything shut down, I was back in my childhood bedroom, surrounded by wigs I hadn’t touched in years. TikTok gave me a reason to start creating again.”

But it didn’t just inspire performers and engage fans—it empowered educators, too. Emily Kristen Morris (@emilykristenmorris) shares, "I joined TikTok to find more voice students, but within months I was hearing from people around the world about how my videos changed their singing. It was surreal to have that kind of reach."

And it wasn't just about filling time until theaters reopened—it was the beginning of a whole new way for theater fans and performers to connect online.

As theaters reopened, the community grew wider and deeper, creating space for people to start sharing about their hyper-specific interests and ideas around theater-making.

"What I really love about TheatreTikTok is how niche and specific it can get. It’s not just like, ‘Who’s your favorite Elphaba?’ It’s about talking through directing choices or that set reveal that happens in act II.” Mickey Jo Boucher (@mickeyjotheatre) explained.

Grace Walker (@notkristenbell), a dramaturg, also saw an opportunity to expand the conversation, “There was plenty of content about musicals, but no one was really talking about plays…I know what it’s like to be a college student thinking, ‘I don’t know what plays are out there for me.’ TikTok gave me a way to share those hidden gems with people.”

It became clear that no matter who you were or what you loved, there was an audience. And it opened the door for songwriters like Eleri Ward (@eleriward) to lean into what made her different than other actors and writers.

“I've been able to connect with people within the theater wold that not only like the work that I put out, but align with my belief system. TikTok allowed me to find the fans that were actually meant to be in my circle and could really see me and receive me.”

And those deep connections across the community inevitably lead to real, in-person friendships. When Ben Lebovfsky (@broadwayben) had a birthday party recently, “Half the people there I met through TikTok."

Tyler echoed this: "I've met some of my dearest, closest friends from an app that I downloaded on my phone.” And Ashley told me, "I have more friends now than I've ever had in my whole life.”

But those relationships weren’t just personal, they turned pro too—and it made our beloved, once ignored, digital drama club a hot topic for the powers that be in the industry.

In show business, connections have always been currency. And as TheatreTikTok grew, those digital connections created unprecedented opportunities for creators and shows alike.

"Almost every new project I've done has come from TikTok," says Cara. “I remember asking a casting director 'How did you find me?' They said TikTok."

• For Tyler, "Being able to cover red carpets, attend the Tony Awards—I’ve met some of my heroes."

• For Eleri, “My record deal essentially came from TikTok.”

• For Emily, “Within months of joining TikTok, I had more students than hours in the day.”

• For Grace, ““I’ve gotten really cool dramaturgy opportunities through TikTok—opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

• For Katharine, “It introduced me to some of the industry’s most powerful players and completely transformed my career."

And by 2023, TheatreTikTok creators started getting invited to shows the same way traditional press outlets were. TikTok content had become an integral part of theater marketing…well, at least for the productions that were clued in to the fact that a new generation of theater lovers was discovering shows through their phones.

“I’ve had so many people tell me they went to see a play because of something I posted. It’s amazing to know that my videos can help connect people to shows they wouldn’t have known about otherwise.” Grace told me.

"Shows started to realize they couldn't ignore what was happening on TikTok," explains Andrew Patino (@andrewpatino), a young producer who also runs a creative agency. "But many of them were still figuring out how to use it effectively…new musicals like EPIC or In Pieces, have already gotten huge followings online from just sharing their music or the journey of writing a musical.”

During his run in Back to the Future, JJ's content reached an estimated 180 million people. At the stage door, fans regularly told him they bought tickets after seeing his videos.

“Some of the best TikTok marketing moments happened not because of producers—it was cast members or fans who sparked those viral moments.”​ Mickey explained.

The impact TikTok had on ticket sales was undeniable (even though there’s a generation of producers and marketers still trying to deny it 🙃)

For many creators, the potential shutdown runs deeper than just numbers or reach. "It's a really creative part of my heart that I'm going to have to mourn,” Cara reflects. "Creating content on TikTok right now kind of feels like being a musician on the Titanic, but what are we gonna do?”

"Not to be dramatic, but it’s changed my life," Ben said. "It's given me a social circle that I didn't have, a community that I didn't have, and a creative outlet that I didn't have.”

"TikTok kept me afloat, gave me a creative outlet when I was working a day job I hated," Tyler shared. "to write a video and feel like I did something creative that day and not have to wait for permission." Oliver added: “The platform gave me the space to create something every day without overthinking it.”

Emily shared similar feelings: “It helped me build a community that cheers me on, even when I’m not performing.”

As for what comes next, "Social media isn't going anywhere," Andrew told me. "It has been and always will be about adapting. How fast can you pick it up the ball and go in another direction?" Ben pointed to history for perspective: "Some of my favorite YouTubers are people that started on Vine.”

When I asked Grace about the lessons the industry can learn from the rise of TheatreTikTok, “There’s so much power in allowing people to have nuanced conversations about theater. Sharing your perspective doesn’t mean you’re saying the show is bad—it means you’re trying to understand it from all sides.”

And Katharine Quinn’s message for producers trying to market a show? "People don’t want to be sold something—they want to connect with something. This (the phone) is word of mouth now. Millennials and Gen Z are allergic to bullshit, and TikTok amplified that.”

Whatever platform emerges as theater's next online home, something has changed within us, something is not the same. We’re through with playing by the ru—sorry, bad habit. But no matter what corner of the internet ends up holding space for us next, it’s clear that the digital theater revolution has really only just begun.

Because I wasn’t able to squeeze in all the truly incredible insights from our conversations, I put together this fancy (and free) Creator Profile Pack:

What’s inside (yes, that’s a WAITRESS reference):

• Behind-the-scenes stories: Discover how each creator got started and the moments that defined their success.

• Community connections: Learn how these creators fostered engagement, built opportunities, and inspired a movement.

• Actionable insights: Practical tips and lessons to help you grow your audience, connect authentically, and share your voice.

Share The Fourth Wall with at least one friend, and when they subscribe, I’ll send The Creator Profile Pack straight to your inbox!

Thanks for reading all the way through. If you haven’t already, stay awhile and subscribe.

See you next week!