Play Sheds Light on Content Moderators' Invisible Work

The thought-provoking play 'The Moderate' at Central Square Theater explores the toll of monitoring the darkest parts of the internet.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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The play 'The Moderate' focuses on the people who monitor the darkest parts of the internet, and the toll it takes on their lives. The story follows Frank Bonner, a content moderator who reviews disturbing videos and images for a social media company during the pandemic. As Frank confronts the gory, racist, and sexually explicit content, the audience is immersed in his work, highlighting the often overlooked role of content moderators.

Why it matters

Most social media users may not consider the impact on the people who have to review the disturbing content that gets posted online. 'The Moderate' pushes the audience to think about the emotional toll this work takes and the difficult choices content moderators have to make.

The details

The play takes place during the pandemic, when Zoom became ubiquitous. Frank, played by Nael Nacer, takes a job as a content moderator for a social media company, earning $17 an hour to accept or reject videos based on company guidelines. As Frank reviews the content, the audience is surrounded by the disturbing images and videos, making the work feel inescapable. The play also explores Frank's personal life, as he is separated from his wife Edyth and struggling to balance his job with his desire to intervene and help people he encounters through his work.

  • The play 'The Moderate' is running at Central Square Theater through March 1, 2026.

The players

Frank Bonner

The protagonist of the play, a content moderator who reviews disturbing online content for a social media company during the pandemic.

Edyth

Frank's wife, who is separated from him and mentioned but does not appear on stage.

Martin

Frank's boss, who is learning how to manage the content moderation team.

Rayne

Frank's colleague, a kind-hearted gamer who confronts child pornography as part of her work and turns to her pandemic pod of friends for support.

Gus

A boy whose life Frank becomes familiar with through his work, and with whom Frank has to make a difficult decision about how to help.

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What’s next

The play 'The Moderate' is running at Central Square Theater through March 1, 2026.

The takeaway

The play 'The Moderate' sheds light on the often overlooked work of content moderators, highlighting the emotional toll it takes to review the darkest parts of the internet and the difficult choices they have to make in their work.