Performer Code

NOTE: Everything in the House Code applies to you too. On top of that:

On stage

• Don’t fight the audience. Engage to a point, if you’re comfortable, but if someone’s being a problem, look to staff. That’s what we’re here for.
• Recording policy. We record by default. Please inform us in advance if you have reason to not be recorded. We do not allow audience recording, though we acknowledge the potential is real for violations of this policy.
• Stage time is never for sale. Slots are earned by applying. Anyone who offers stage time in exchange for compensation is out, including being paid to promote a particular position, brand, or institution without disclosing to the organizers and the audience.

What you cannot say on stage at The Lather

We expect that many topics you might cover are specifically sensitive and/or unpopular, so we aim to exercise restrictions under only a narrow and rare set of circumstances where harm is evident. Most such filtering occurs by curating each session by understanding the tone, topic, and intent of each person who takes the stage.

By default, you can say anything that is not specifically illegal. We are not neutral, however. Calling out institutions, public leaders, and groups that collectively work against us is what we do. We are not here to shock the audience with taboos, so we aim to curate stage time for those who have a truth to share. Our rejection of saying things because they are shocking without an earnest intent is one of the key differences between the culture of The Lather and a comedy show, where choices are made with a different intent. By design, The Lather opens up topical and tonal territory that doesn’t work in most other contexts, so we accept our restrictions as necessary to our mission.

We will draw hard lines on specific areas that hurt the audience or are deemed abusive by the House Lead, who has final say during any given session of The Lather.

Restrictions enforced at The Lather:

• The Lather does not accept denigrating abstract groups of people defined by demographic characteristics (race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, gender, sexuality, gender identity, disability, or age). We are not here to rant about stereotypes or ascribe behaviors of some to all who share their demographics. We enforce this restriction because we find that most such material essentializes behaviors, intent, or moral agency to characteristics of entire groups that are, in reality, extremely heterogenous in thought and actions. We believe every person has moral agency, so we do not accept dehumanizing of generalized groups of people. In general, we strongly encourage anyone taking the stage to come with the truth as close as they know it, and that often involves speaking at a conscious granularity rather than throwing slogans and generalized groupings around. A simple test: does belonging to the group mean ipso facto someone is in the target of your anger? Aim at what people did or chose rather than who they were born as. For example, “immigrants” is an abstract group of people with a particular disposition to their geographic location and the government’s citizenship controls, so to talk about “immigrants” as a group or express anger at what “immigrants” do would be both specious and cruel. A group like “MAGA” or “The DNC/RNC” is defined by their agenda and their actions, and those groups do specific things by choice that impact many people, so they are very fair game. Murkier territory would be groups like “Evangelicals” or “Liberals”, which do have value systems implicit in the grouping but are so non-specific as to likely be a sign of muddy thinking. Murky means subject to judgement calls that you might not like, so avoid murkiness through better insight and granularity about who you are truly talking about. The Lather is most effective when stage time cuts like a knife because of its undeniability.

• The Lather does not accept calls for violence against any person, public figures included. Example: Wishing a life of sadness and ruin on a senator is fine. Telling people to hurt a senator is not accepted.

• Doxing or otherwise identifying or outing any person without their explicit consent. This does not apply to naming or stating publicly available facts about public figures.

• No personal beefs. The Lather is a gathering to inform, commiserate, and commune. We don’t want to hear about problems with a parent, a roommate, or some asshole at your work/school. In general, if you’re talking about an identifiable person it should be because their actions impact many people outside a particular institution, family, or friend group.

Aftercare

Getting on stage at The Lather can be trying and/or exhausting. It’s common that before, during, and after a stage slot at The Lather that performers seek particular comforts. We keep a dedicated quiet zone for performers, before and after your set. Ask us for whatever helps: water, a blanket, an eye mask, headphones. You don’t need to explain why. Performers are expected to give each other space and be understanding of the emotionally volatile nature of performing at The Lather. We’re in this together.