Where is Shakespeare County, anyway?
Boy, that Shakespeare guy, he had a hell of a nerve, right? Insulting our president that way. Somebody ought to go spit on that church in Stratford – in Connecticut is it? Alabama? Idaho? I forget. Anyway they should, and all his novels should be banned out of the schools and libraries, and his descendants should be thrown out of their local churches what denominationsoever they may be. Plus those government art Nazis should all be fired.
Several theatres in the US have received threats and complaints after a show in New York depicted the assassination of a Julius Caesar made to look like President Donald Trump.
Messages wished death upon theatre staff at unrelated establishments in an apparent mix-up.
It appears complainers did not check which theatre they were angry about.
Never mind that, smarty, it’s all part of the same conspiracy.
Although the show’s run has now ended, protesters have been getting in touch with theatres with Shakespeare in the name to voice their disgust.
Shakespeare Dallas, in Texas, has had 90 emails, while Shakespeare & Company in Massachusetts has had nearly 50, plus about 10 angry phone calls.
I should hope so. That guy was a Democrat, and a Muslim, and a faggot, and a witch-hunter, and an FBI director. He was a bad hombre.
Shakespeare & Company shared some of the messages with the BBC. (Some have been edited to remove swearing.) They included:
- “Your play depicting the murder of our President is nothing but pure hatred. You are vial [sic] despicable excuses for human beings. I wish you all the worst possible life you could have and hope you all get sick and die.”
- “Hope you all who did this play about Trump are the first to die when ISIS COMES TO YOU… scumbags.”
- “What exactly were you idiots thinking about producing a play that depicts the killing of our President? Does anyone over there have an ounce of morality, decency, and or common sense? Your organization is a disgrace to the community and to the arts. If you have a problem with the president protest, as is your constitutional right or just vote him out. I will do my best to ensure taxpayers’ dollars are not used in the future to fund your disrespect and stupidity!”
And your dressing rooms, and your roof, and your costume department, so there!
Not enough facepalms
And don’t forget the Shakespeare Fishing Tackle Co of Coloumbia, SC. Start writing letters. folks….
When I first moved to Nebraska, we came to a production of MacBeth done by one of the theatres here. The allusions to Dubya were, let’s just say, not subtle. They included footage during the runup to the first act of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, of dead Iraqis and Afghans, and it was obviously an anti-Dubya statement.
In case anyone forgets, MacBeth loses his head – literally – at the end of the play, and it is carried around the stage on a sword.
I heard no indication that death threats were made.
People have been using theatre to make political statements since the beginning of theatre. Are we now to stop doing what theatre does? The problem is, during the Dubya administration, everyone said you should stand behind the president, you shouldn’t complain about him, and other such bullshit. During the Obama administration, people hung Obama in effigy on trees. Now, we’re back to the same people who spent the last eight years screaming at the president, and wanting to kill (or jail, for the milder ones) one of the presidential candidates, complaining about a bit of theatrical dissent.
Well I’ll criticise Shakespeare in the Park. Yes Caesar smashed the norms and traditions of the republic; but it seems he was an intelligent and capable administrator. Analogy fail!
I am reminded of a guy who wrote to the times in the 60’s complaining that too much Beethoven was being played at the Promenade Concerts. The BBC should not, so he argued, be shelling out Licence Payer’s money as royalties to foreigners.
You just want some of that Big Theatre money…
This takes the prize for comment of the day. I can’t stop laughing. Thanks. I needed that.