Broadway’s Playbill joins Twitter Exodus, citing the platform’s “hate, negativity and misinformation.”

Playbill, the monthly magazine that serves as the official program for Broadway, most off-Broadway and other arts institutions, is permanently opting out of Twitter, citing the platform’s “vastly expanded” tolerance for “hate, negativity and misinformation.”

“As a respected news outlet serving the Broadway community, we feel we can no longer operate a platform where the line between timely news and insidious rhetoric has blurred beyond recognition,” the company said in a statement today.

The announcement was made by Playbill Chairman and CEO Philip S. Birsh and Chief Operating Officer Alex Birsh in a closing tweet today to its more than 412,000 followers.

The exit is a major blow to what is commonly known as theatrical Twitter, the posters and commentators who enjoy everything on Broadway from official news to behind-the-scenes gossip. While Playbill has traditionally steered clear of the latter, its presence on the platform has long served as a kind of Broadway bulletin board.

But the trusted brand found itself at the center of a theatrical Twitter controversy last month when new editor-in-chief Diep Tran tweeted on her personal Twitter account what some followers interpreted (or misinterpreted) as anti-Semitic. In the quickly deleted tweets, she appeared to belong to Tom Stoppard LeopoldvilleA fictional but autobiographical drama about the Holocaust and Stoppard’s own subsequent turning to his Jewish roots, it achieved success at the Broadway box office, at least in part at the expense of black plays such as Topdog/Underdog, The Piano Lesson and the reloading of death of a seller. (For the record, The piano lesson with Samuel L. Jackson proved to be one of the stronger newcomers of the fall season on Broadway.)

Although Tran praised him Leopoldville In a glowing and thoughtful review for Broadway News, her new comments drew some heat. One of her followers commented, “…as Playbill’s new EIC, you actually owe an explanation as to why you’re peddling anti-Semitic tropes.”

Tran, who wrote about theater for New York Magazine, The New York Times and other publications before taking the top job at Playbill last month, apologized, tweeting: “Sorry for the tweets. What I wanted to show was how great it was Leopoldville was successful in such a difficult time, and I wish other plays could be as successful. I want people to see this piece and all the other pieces. But I was indifferent. I will get better.”

A Playbill spokesperson said the incident was unrelated to today’s decision.

The company says it will continue to participate in Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, but noted that its participation in those platforms is “subject to ongoing review.”

Here is the full statement released today:

To our dear friends and valued followers,

Playbill celebrated its 138th anniversary this year. As a family company, we have always strived to be a constant source of support for the entire theater community, engaging fans and highlighting the incredible professionals who work tirelessly to keep the lights of Broadway shining brightly in our country . Our core values ​​have always focused on community, kindness, collaboration, inclusion and truth.

In the last few weeks, Twitter, Inc. greatly expanded his tolerance for hate, negativity and disinformation. As the respected news outlet for the Broadway community, we believe we can no longer operate a platform where the line between breaking news and insidious rhetoric has blurred beyond recognition.

As of today, Friday November 11th, Playbill is no longer active on Twitter.

The following accounts are no longer active: @Playbill, @PlaybillTravel, @PLAYBILLder, @PlaybillArts, @PlaybillStore. Regardless of the blue or gray checkmarks, if you see a tweet from a Twitter account that includes our name, please understand that it is not us.

We hope you will continue to follow us on Playbill.com in the future. We continue to participate with Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Our participation on these three social media platforms is constantly monitored.

This decision reflects the standards for us at Playbill.

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