We’ve talked a little bit of late around the idea of offending the audience. Whether it has a place, whether it’s indeed the goal of the performing arts.

I stayed out of that debate, because honestly… that’s not the theatre I’m making right now and taking a stand on something that far from my current reality is the perfect recipe for my typey-fingers writing checks my body can’t cash….

But that is not the case for friends-of-Cambiare Nova Arts of Houston. They push boundaries and buttons as a matter of course, and with their production of the opera Edalat Square to open the Opera Vista Festival on the 21st of May, they got pushback.

Edalat Square, one of the winner’s of last years festival,  “…by Atlanta-based composer R. Timothy Brady, the opera  recounts the true story of Mahmoud Asgari, 17, and Ayaz Marhoni, 16, who were hanged in Iran in 2005 for the crime of lavaat, or sex between two men. Brady was inspired by the story to craft a poetic work that offers an unblinking look at bigotry, but is also prayerful and mystical, said Viswa Subbaraman, artistic director and co-founder of Opera Vista.”

On May 5th, the artistic directors of Nova Arts received the following anonymous, hand-stenciled letter AT THEIR HOME:

“You are pigs to mix Islam with gays. You must stop! We will not let you do it.”

THAT is an offended (non) audience.

This won’t of course garner the attention that Ms. Churchill’s Seven Jewish Children did. It is a small production outside of the theatre capitals, and not written by modern theatre royalty, but when you bellow that “they would never DARE write this about Islam”, they would. They do. And then they produce their art in the face of personal, and very real threats.

You not hearing about something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Tell your friends.

(press release)

Popularity: 7% [?]

Let others know...

• 

Tags: Uncategorized // 2 Comments »