March, 2022

Listen to Bad Mouth Theatre Company’s reading of MODERATION.

About MODERATION

MODERATION is a new play by Kevin Kautzman. Over three acts, the play follows social media content moderators struggling at work. People have called it “dark and funny” and a “psychological thriller.” If you enjoyed the plays of Beckett and Pinter or dig BLACK MIRROR, you’ll probably get something from MODERATION.

The play has received Zoom readings from Spooky Action Theatre, UP Theatre, Broad Horizons and the Blank. The Spooky Action reading was adapted into an audio podcast, accessible here or via iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

While it avoids the partisan proselytizing deadliness of polemical “issue” theatre, MODERATION speaks to important issues like brainsickness from overexposure to the fringes of the Internet and social media, as well as our troubling dependence on “big tech” even as it seems to threaten our very humanity.

In the spring of 2020, Spooky Action Theater conducted a public reading of MODERATION via Zoom, from which the podcast release on this website was adapted. This performance features the talent of Amanda Forstrom and Robert Bowen Smith with stage directions from Liz Divine. Music by Shawn Phillips and sound design by Resonate Recordings. Brandon McCoy directed this public reading, conducted over Zoom in the spring of 2020, organized by Spooky Action Theater – artistic director Richard Henrich. This podcast is brought to you by Crying Hill Media and executive producer Jeff Giesea.

MODERATION is intended for an adult audience.

Listen now here or via iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.