There's a moment in American Theater where the gathered group of (mostly) self-described "cancelled" performers and crew discuss Mike Pence and how he isn't actually hateful towards gay people.
Brian Clowdus, the gay leader of the troupe and creator of their Salem witch trials-inspired show, says that Pence once came to a gay conservatives conference and thanked them for their support. But when another member of the group notes that one of the former vice president's charities supports a camp that offers conversion therapy, Clowdus makes a face and let's out: "Oh, that's bad."
It's a rare instance of clarity from a gay man who was once a star of the immersive theater scene, but rebranded to an aggressively outspoken Trump supporter after accusations of racism and sexual harassment. It's a tale as old as time: someone is confronted about their unacceptable behavior, and rather than reflect and adjust, they double down. And in today's America, it's an increasingly political phenomenon. Clowdus explicitly says, "Had I not had this personal experience, I would not have become this really outspoken conservative Republican."
It's one of several moments of revealing, if not unique, psychological portraiture of the current-ish (the film was shot in the fall of 2021) American right, and those friendly to the right. Tatiana Harman, who describes herself as "moderate," is perhaps the most interesting figure in the film. She says art "brings people together... you set whatever beliefs aside and work together," at which the film cuts to an official The Daily Wire merch travel mug with "Leftist Tears" inscribed that belongs to someone else on set.
That cut from Harman's words of unity to a cruel coffee container is one of the few times that filmmakers Nicholas Clark and Dylan Frederick show their hands. The others come during the introductory talking head interview with Clowdus, cutting to headlines and snippets of articles as he speaks.
When he says "I had a past employee come after me very publicly claiming that because I was demanding to work I was a racist," the filmmakers show the Atlanta Journal-Constitution headline "Serenbe Playhouse staff removed amid charges of racism." He continues, "When she did that, then a handful of other people were like 'You know what? Brian is really demanding, I bet it's because he's a racist,'" and the screen flashes several choice quotes from former employees in another article, including the accusations of sexual harassment that Clowdus does not comment on in the interview.
American Theater is a portrait with context. It's not a film that seeks to demonize these people and arguably humanizes them by showing simple communal laughter and genuine sweetness between them. But the inherent antagonism of their desire for negative attention stops the doc from becoming about recognizing the humanity of those on the other side. Instead it gives us a view of how those on the far right feel about and perform their position in culture and politics, while offering real time fact checks.
As with many excitedly liberal people, much of that performing politics comes in the form of apparel. There are, of course, the slogan-style tee shirts with "Slow the spread [of socialism]" and "PRO LIFE" on them, as well as an alternative version of the classic "Coexist" logo, which trades the symbols of various faiths for letters made from various guns, bullets, and a target.
Alongside these are more niche shirts, including one for Project Veritas, a right wing activist organization known for duplicitous practices, and the pro-Trump Lions Not Sheep clothing brand, which at one point removed "Made in China" tags and replaced them with "Made in USA" tags.
The majority of the cast and crew join Clowdus in his assertion that cancelled conservatives are "an actual marginalized people in the arts," and of course some extend this further or into their own areas. Former Olympian Anthony Watson speaks of his teammates not wanting to pray and ostracizing him for his love of Jesus. Savannah Craven, a Black pro-life activist, says that she's been discriminated against because of her faith and Trump support, but never her race.
Watson, who is also Black, and Craven are the only two people of color in the production, and their presence inspires some of the film's funniest scenes. When a crew member alerts Clowdus to potential protesters based on the director's alleged racism, he says he knows Clowdus can't be racist because "he's got Black people working for him."
A conversation between Craven and Harman sees Craven respond to Harman's belief that some level of systemic racism exists with two modern classics of delusion that are simultaneously hilarious and dangerous. The first, that anyone in the US can become whatever they want (which isn't harmful in itself) and that the US is "the only country you can do that in." The second, that "white people, currently, are the ones getting the most hate."
Another meaningful and chuckleworthy moment comes when we learn that Clowdus, while mounting a show in Georgia, is running for State Representative in Florida and follow him to a fundraiser. A supercut of the gracious host asking attendants "Y'all want some wine?" is simply, unpolitically funny.
The moment of insightful comedy comes when we see Clowdus's best attempts at smiling through clear discomfort while listening to offscreen supporters talk about their increasing knowledge of conspiracies. As with the "oh that's bad" reaction to Pence's support of conversion therapy, this conversation allows us to see true recognition of his allies on Clowdus's face.
These instances of complexity and the freedom with which the cast and crew speak make American Theater feel special. It's more than a cataloguing of far right talking points in a unique context, it's a valuable portrait of how these people think and feel about those talking points.
The film screened at the 2026 Chattanooga Film Festival.