Nick Olivero, the executive director and co-founder of SF's Boxcar Theatre — most well known for their immersive piece The Speakeasy — has resigned from the organization after a social media vigilante posted a video accusing him of attempting to meet up with a minor for sex.

The video, shot at a grocery store in San Diego, is one of over 500 posted to the social media accounts of People v. Preds. It's a group run by someone who calls himself Tim Johnson, who regularly uses apps like Grindr to pose as a 14-year-old boy and exchange messages with men. If they're receptive to meeting, he films the encounter, very much in the style of the TV series To Catch a Predator, which aired on NBC for three seasons 20 years ago.

In the video, a person whom Johnson identifies as Olivero, is seen walking away from the camera and not responding as it chases him into a parking lot, with the voice, presumably Johnson's, saying, "Nick, I just want to have a conversation with you. I have pictures of you, I can turn them into the cops if you want... you're here to meet a fuckin' 14-year-old kid bro... This ain't gonna look too good."

A subsequent post to the People v. Preds X account from August 8 purports to show the text exchange that Olivero had on Grindr with the fictional boy, who talked about needing to wait for his dad to leave the house. The messages say that he is "'bout to be 15," and notes that he can't share photos on the app because he legally shouldn't be on there.

It is unclear if police are involved in San Diego, or if Olivero will face any criminal charges. As the Chronicle explains in a piece today, cases like this, brought by vigilantes, can prove tough to prosecute — and the vigilantes themselves, seeking social media clout, often ignore the legal nuances around entrapment. As the host of To Catch a Predator himself, Chris Hansen, was careful to say, the subjects of the show should be considered "potential sexual predators." (The TV show was canceled after three seasons following the on-camera suicide of one those subjects.)

The board of Boxcar Theatre was made aware of the videos last week, and had planned to meet Monday to begin a removal process for Olivero, as they informed SFist.

The theater company subsequently posted a message to its Instagram account Monday saying that Olivero had resigned.

The post refers to the "private citizen's social media accounts" that had made the accusations against Olivero, adding, "We are shocked and appalled by these allegations and take them very seriously."

The post goes on to say, "Thankfully we have expert leadership ready to assume executive duties, and keep Boxcar Theatre's mission moving forward." Managing Director Stefani Pelletier and Executive Producer Laura Drake Chambers are stepping into the role, apparently as co-executive directors.

Olivero's alleged activities in San Diego are unrelated to his work at Boxcar Theatre, and it's unclear how long he had been staying in Southern California. The Speakeasy, the immersive show that Olivero created and directed, had its most recent limited run last year, after first premiering in 2014, and moving to North Beach in 2016. Pre-pandemic, the show ran for 425 performances.

In April 2024, the Chronicle published an investigative piece detailing allegations from performers of misconduct and professional neglect at the production. In particular, performers complained that they were often harassed or touched inappropriately by (often drunk) audience members, and the sale of alcohol combined with the interactive nature of the show often left performers unsafe.

As a result of the complaints, Olivero and another producer said they were stepping back from daily involvement with the remount of the production. Olivero gave a statement at the time saying, "Some of the people who worked on the show during its previous iteration expressed the opinion, in social media and elsewhere, that leadership didn’t always act consistently or equitably. Only a handful of the hundreds and hundreds of individuals whom we employed made such complaints."

One of those who was quoted in the Chronicle piece, local actor Ezra Reaves, commented on the People v. Preds video, saying, "I’ve been leading a crusade against this man in SF but even after an article came out about the culture of abuse he created as a boss and director, he could never get pinned for any wrongdoing."

Lately, Boxcar Theatre has been using the Palace Theater in North Beach — the subterranean venue that was home to The Speaseasy — to host magic shows, one called Magic Cocktail Hour, and another called The Illusionist. Olivero appeared in an April video posted by the theater discussing how they created Magic Cocktail Hour to celebrate both cocktails and the art of magic. A spokesperson for the company tells the Chronicle that they are "working on a new haunted house production concept," but a planned production this Halloween season at the historic Haas-Lilienthal House has reportedly been cancelled.

Previously: Performers at Immersive Theater Piece 'The Speakeasy' Allege Harassment and Other Problems as Show Remounts