Opening the Curtain
A civic tragedy in 4 tweets
"Julius Caesar can be read as a warning parable to those who try to fight for democracy by undemocratic means" or …not.
By Anthony Byrnes • • 3m ListenThis is Anthony Byrnes Opening the Curtain on LA Theater for KCRW.
Julius Caesar as their opening production this year. Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis, who's directing the show, has cast Julius in the Trumpian mold: blue suit, too long red tie...you get the picture.
I wonder how much of this "art" is funded by taxpayers?”
No taxpayer dollars support Shakespeare in the Park's production of Julius Caesar."
Hamilton tweet,
And with that and the proposed elimination of funding for the NEA and others -- let the latest culture wars begin.
You might not have heard this because he didn’t tweet it.
Anand Giridharadas said speaking at the TCG conference of theater leaders last weekend, "You can't outsource your civic life ...Your civic life is as good as you make it. The ancient Greeks knew that; the Romans knew that."
Oskar Eustis speaking right now at the opening of JULIUS CAESAR @PublicTheaterNY important truth here about art and choice. pic.twitter.com/sekXavplRm— Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn)
This is Anthony Byrnes Opening the Curtain on LA Theater for KCRW.
Photo: Gregg Henry (C) and the company in The Public Theater's Free Shakespeare in the Park production of Julius Caesar (Joan Marcus)
Here is an email that the Public Theater sent out on Monday.
We Are One Public
A NOTE ABOUT JULIUS CAESAR AT THE DELACORTE
The Public Theater stands completely behind our production of Julius Caesar. We understand and respect the right of our sponsors and supporters to allocate their funding in line with their own values. We recognize that our interpretation of the play has provoked heated discussion; audiences, sponsors and supporters have expressed varying viewpoints and opinions.
Such discussion is exactly the goal of our civically-engaged theater; this discourse is the basis of a healthy democracy. Our production of Julius Caesar in no way advocates violence towards anyone. Shakespeare's play, and our production, make the opposite point: those who attempt to defend democracy by undemocratic means pay a terrible price and destroy the very thing they are fighting to save. For over 400 years, Shakespeare’s play has told this story and we are proud to be telling it again in Central Park.
And here are the links to Delta's tweets pulling their funding:
https://twitter.com/Delta/status/874021627293573124
https://twitter.com/Delta/status/874046702554157056