WHAT IS THE FOURTH WALL?
The Fourth Wall is a weekly newsletter exploring the intersection of theater, culture, creativity, and the internet.
It’s a place to think out loud about how art meets its audience—how stories travel, how attention moves, and what it means to make work in public right now.
Some weeks that looks like industry analysis.
Some weeks it’s cultural commentary.
Some weeks it’s a question I can’t stop circling.
WHAT DO YOU WRITE ABOUT?
The weekly essays are grounded in theater but reach far beyond it—into media, fandom, marketing, creative labor, and the emotional realities of making work in the age of visibility.
The lens is theatrical.
The questions are human.
The goal is clarity, not hot takes.
WHAT DO PAID SUBSCRIBERS GET?
Paid subscribers receive two things:
Monthly Process Letter
A members-only newsletter focused on the process behind The Fourth Wall—what I’m thinking about, how the essays come together, and the ideas shaping the work.
Fourth Wall Live Hour
A monthly live session featuring AMAs, guest conversations, interviews, and creative deep dives.
Think of it as closer proximity to the thinking—and a way to help keep The Fourth Wall independent.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
The Fourth Wall is for:
artists and creative people
theater-makers and culture-watchers
marketers, producers, and builders
anyone curious about how stories move through the world
You don’t need to work in theater to read it.
You just need to care about how things reach people—and why that matters.
WHO’S WRITING THIS?
I’m Matt Rodin—an actor, writer, and creative generalist working at the intersection of performance, media, and audience.
A grown-up “professional” theater kid.
I’ve spent the last decade building work onstage and online, and The Fourth Wall is where those worlds meet.
This newsletter is both a public practice and a shared room for thinking.
ONE LAST THING
This newsletter is built slowly and intentionally.
With a lot of love.
And a good amount of espresso.
