#NOTALLFEDORAS Comes to Streetcar Crowsnest Guloien Theatre This Month

#NotAllFedoras is a sketch comedy show that dismantles toxic masculinity in geek communities. At this year's Toronto Fringe Festival, Eric Weiss (Co-creator and Writer) and Miroki Tong (Co-Creator) peel back the layers in an attempt to create safer and more inclusive spaces for their fellow nerds.

The content of the play draws on Eric and Miroki's lifelong experiences as geeks and artists, as well as conversations with women in their community. #NotAllFedoras was first created in 2014 in response to the Gamer Gate online harassment campaign, which exposed a dangerous social undercurrent in online video game circles. Women were faced with a culture rife with gatekeeping and gender-based hostility that extended into personal and professional spaces.

The show debuted at the IMPACT International Theatre Festival in 2017, and has now been updated for the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival to reflect events of the past five years, such as J.K. Rowling's transphobic comments or the Freedom Convoy's occupation of Ottawa. The names may have changed, but the themes and issues feel just as urgent today as they did in 2017, as problems that were once relegated to fringe corners of the internet have now spread into the world at large.

As Miroki quips in #NotAllFedoras, "It's toxic masculinity! We could do a 100hr show if we wanted to!"

Eric spent eight years in the trenches as an entertainment critic, serving as the Games Editor for ThatShelf.com while freelancing for outlets like Polygon and Playboy. He has also worked as a Narrative Designer for the Mysterious Package Company and the EMBERWIND Tabletop RPG. His experiences in those games industry circles were integral to the creation and writing of #NotAllFedoras.

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