Getting Married

Another excellent night at Project Shaw, David Staller's monthly Monday night reading of a George Bernard Shaw play. This was my fifth!!

David Staller (centre) with the men of the cast: back row from left- Robert Zukerman,

Bradford Cover, Richard Gallagher, Sheldy and Thom Sesma

Front row-Stephen Shore & Darius De Haas

Me and Thom Sesma with the ladies, Cynthia Darlow, Kelly McAndrew, Rachel Botchan and Kimberley Immanuel

Robert Zukerman, Bradford Cover, Darius De Haas et moi.

Curtain call, with narrator Daphne Gaines (L)

I was honored to work with two-time Tony nominee Mary Beth Peil.

Mary Beth was Yul Brynner's last "Mrs. Anna" in THE KING & I on Broadway and she is currently starring in ANASTASIA.

Photos by Genevieve Rafter Keddy.

Key West

There was an art exhibition inside the Tropic cinema

And in the window of Timmy's Tuxedos

Tennessee and Butterflies

A small but effective Tennessee Williams exhibit at the KeyWest LGBT Center.

and a lovely serene visit to the Butterfly House

Julius Caesar at the Delacorte

A STATEMENT FROM THE
DRAMATISTS LEGAL DEFENSE FUND

Yesterday, Delta Airlines and Bank of America announced their withdrawal of support and funding from the Public Theater and its production of Julius Caesar, currently running at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. After the production opened, Breitbart and other right-wing outlets on social media objected loudly to the production’s portrayal of Caesar as a Trump-like figure. In response to this interpretation of the character, Delta issued a statement yesterday that the production didn’t reflect their “values,” and the “artistic and creative direction crossed the line on the standards of good taste,” and Bank of America stated that the production “intended to provoke or offend,” as reasons for their withdrawal of support. 

But good taste is a matter of opinion and an “intention to provoke” may be an integral part of a play’s mission. The works of Shakespeare are replete with representations of regicide, and potentially objectionable and graphic violence of all sorts, but Delta doesn’t appear to have had a problem with the “values” or “taste” of such depictions before. The fact is that, for hundreds of years, this particular play has been understood to be a critique of political violence, not an endorsement of it. As director Oskar Eustis explained, “Julius Caesar can be read as a warning parable to those who try to fight for democracy by undemocratic means. To fight the tyrant does not mean imitating him.” So those criticizing this production for endorsing violence against President Trump seem to be willfully misinterpreting it, for their own political ends.

Delta and Bank of America are private corporations that are entitled to support or not support anything they choose. However, the withdrawal of significant financial resources from a theatrical institution based on the content of its work is an act of political bullying that endangers public debate of the critical issues of our day. So we condemn the actions of Delta Airlines and Bank of America for undermining free expression, and we support the Public Theater and its courage in moving forward with its production, despite the potential cost to their institution.

Signed,

John Weidman, President
Ralph Sevush, Executive Director
The Dramatists Legal Defense Fund.

Key West Pride

Key West

Our new favorite place on earth.