Well done indeed. From one "expat" trying to find her way in a cancelled theater world to another, I send congratulations. Comprehensive, accurate, well-researched and balls-to-the-wall courageous. Thanks.
Jan 24Liked by Salomé Sibonex, Kevin Ray, Joseph (Jake) Klein
Heartfelt thanks from a fellow dissident in education. "Instead of spreading the joy and excitement of theater, I was to use theater instruction as cover for indoctrinating children into a worldview that taught them to see themselves as victims or “oppressors” based on their race and sex. When I voiced concerns, I wasn’t offered further work."
Another thing people can do is follow and get involved in K-12 education to stop this train wreck. CSJ is now embedded in public policy in health and education, and political pressure is urgently needed since internal dissenters are being canceled. Let art be the inspiration! Bravo!👏🏻
Thanks Reni. You could send Chautauqua a letter and let them know why you prefer the smaller theater. That gives the leadership evidence that the reason they are losing audience is not Covid related, it’s content related.
Loved this. Interesting to read how “social justice” was already entrenched before COVID hit. I was not aware. All I knew was that as I watched the country react after George Floyd, I didn’t recognize America. Like how the author draws parallels between the Westboro church and the SJ movement--the same fundamentalist mindset that allows no dissenting opinion. Excellent writing.
I'm glad you appreciated that parallel Karen! And yes, I think a lot of us had that same feeling as we watched some activists exploit a moment of collective panic to push a divisive ideology. I agree that critical social justice is un-American. It attacks our most unique strength: unity and freedom amid our differences.
Institutionally, America is now a one-party town with diversity of everything except thought. With the possible exception of academia, nowhere is the moral, ethical, and intellectual decay of American institutions more evident than the entertainment industry -- including sports -- at all levels.
All have devolved into Soviet-style agitprop: what happens when state interests enlist mediocre artists to produce mediocre propaganda.
You said it! Glad you see these problems so clearly too. I hold hope that artists like Kevin and independent productions (like this publication!) will serve an important function of highlighting just how hollow and dysfunctional a critical social justice captured arts industry is.
Though this strategy shows how crucially important it is to have enough of a free market and alternative options that it's feasible for artists to work outside the mainstream institutions! And "misinformation" and "hate speech" censorship attempts have shown there's plenty of desire for snuffing out the freedom to work outside the mainstream.
Jan 25Liked by Salomé Sibonex, Kevin Ray, Joseph (Jake) Klein
Kevin, I love how you wrote this like a play. Very clever. Yesterday, Biden was interrupted multiple times by Ceasefire protesters, and then the administration said they support the right to protest. I think there's a big difference between the "right to protest" vs. interruption, disruption, and cancellation.
Jan 24Liked by Salomé Sibonex, Kevin Ray, Joseph (Jake) Klein
“I owe both the Westboro Baptist Church and Critical Social Justice activists heartfelt gratitude because their efforts backfired: instead of culling a gay, white, middle-aged artist from the field, they created a resourceful, resilient and persistent artist, committed to freedom of expression, fairness, a belief in common humanity, and hellbent on finding joy and fulfillment as a theater director – isn’t that a great thing.”
I’m so glad you’re doing well and didn’t knuckle under. I think it’s time we build our own institutions.
Glad you enjoyed this one Alison! I loved that line too and totally agree. Working outside the mainstream when the mainstream goes crazy is always a good strategy, though I appreciate any steel-nerved people in the right position who want to take back old institutions from this ideology!
Thank you for writing this. Unfortunately, this isn’t new in the late 1980s I was a student at a state university with a fantastic reputation for theater. I was studying under a professor who had been exiled from Chile for his political beliefs. I was working with a la Raza theater company on campus. The piece was inspired by Joanne Didion’s little houses
, and regarded the plight of central American peoples under the Reagan administration, specifically US funded aggression in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.
Our poster was created. By a latino agit-prop El Salvadoran artist. It depicted a generalissimo, riding on top of a large Paesana, who was clearly being oppressed by a greater force. This was political latin American theatre at it’s best. F
The campus feminists looked at the poster, and saw an over sexualized BDSM image (it wasn’t, it was a peasant woman in handcuffs being taken prisoner) rather than a military force destroying the lives of women in central America. They issued a complaint to the university, accusing us of racism and sexism. No one from this feminist group contacted us, or asked us any questions had they asked us they would’ve understood. This was a pro Salvadoran,Nicaraguan, Honduran, central American, South American project, that was pro- women and and anti-oppression.
Still they tried to cancel us. Without ever trying to find out that we were on their side.
These people are so much like those during the Chinese Cultural Revolution! Authoritarian know -it-alls!! ...little Stalins and Napoleons! ....Always ready with their holier than Thou pronouncements! It’s time they stopped trying to control everything and everyone. I do think more people are now aware of the damage they do, and there is hope that we can get back to respect of people for who they are instead of their” identity”!
You know, their beliefs and ideals weren’t necessarily in the wrong place. The problem was their assumptions about who the enemy was - leftists are always attacking other leftists (or at least left leaners) without discernment, never realizing there is a larger and common enemy - and it’s not the people who are innocently ‘micro-aggressing’.
A livestream is a cool idea, if I had my own space, it would be more doable, but as an independent producer who rents space, it’s hard. I went to Jamie’s show in person and I believe that venue included video as part of the rental. The logistics and cost of live-streaming 8 actors in a play is like doing a production on top of a production - I’ll just have to work on finding a way to get my own space (!), but until then, it’s live and in person.
yep, recurring theme in the arts now is great artists having to go outside mainstream paths to share their work. Luckily, that's exactly what great artists have done throughout history.
Just read this whilst on my way to a show. It’s an inspiring story and good for you for sticking with it. I’m in the UK and work in theatre. I’ve not experienced anything as extreme as your examples but those CSJ ideas are most certainly prevalent here in the arts, and have been for a long time now. I was only saying yesterday, that’s in a minor miracle I’m still in this game but thankyou for that. If you’re shows ever make it over to London, I’ll come and support
Thank you so much Paul! Glad to hear it was inspiring and I'm so happy to know you're putting up work in the UK - I'm a huge fan of UK theater, some of the best things I've seen in NYC came here from the UK. Also really enjoying your podcast on Marcus Aurelius!
So true: Our politics today is the result of cultural shifts years ago. And that's not necessarily a good thing. People keep saying "Time for a change". But they seem to never claim that it's "Time for an improvement". Perhaps they realize that they are NOT making things better.
Such an important point: change isn't inherently progress!
That's the issue with a worldview based on knee-jerk anti-traditionalism. The good things we have today are the result of solving past problems. Throwing everything out in the name of "progress" means relearning lessons the hard way.
Extraordinary work, Kevin.
Thank you for speaking up, as do few will.
Thank you so much Clifton! Your podcast and writing is always insightful and inspiring - hopefully one day we’ll meet at the theater.
Well done indeed. From one "expat" trying to find her way in a cancelled theater world to another, I send congratulations. Comprehensive, accurate, well-researched and balls-to-the-wall courageous. Thanks.
Thank you so much Mary! It means a lot to know you liked it!
Thank you for highlighting this and subverting the subversion.
Heartfelt thanks from a fellow dissident in education. "Instead of spreading the joy and excitement of theater, I was to use theater instruction as cover for indoctrinating children into a worldview that taught them to see themselves as victims or “oppressors” based on their race and sex. When I voiced concerns, I wasn’t offered further work."
Another thing people can do is follow and get involved in K-12 education to stop this train wreck. CSJ is now embedded in public policy in health and education, and political pressure is urgently needed since internal dissenters are being canceled. Let art be the inspiration! Bravo!👏🏻
Thanks Reni. You could send Chautauqua a letter and let them know why you prefer the smaller theater. That gives the leadership evidence that the reason they are losing audience is not Covid related, it’s content related.
Loved this. Interesting to read how “social justice” was already entrenched before COVID hit. I was not aware. All I knew was that as I watched the country react after George Floyd, I didn’t recognize America. Like how the author draws parallels between the Westboro church and the SJ movement--the same fundamentalist mindset that allows no dissenting opinion. Excellent writing.
I'm glad you appreciated that parallel Karen! And yes, I think a lot of us had that same feeling as we watched some activists exploit a moment of collective panic to push a divisive ideology. I agree that critical social justice is un-American. It attacks our most unique strength: unity and freedom amid our differences.
Terrific piece of work, Kevin.
Institutionally, America is now a one-party town with diversity of everything except thought. With the possible exception of academia, nowhere is the moral, ethical, and intellectual decay of American institutions more evident than the entertainment industry -- including sports -- at all levels.
All have devolved into Soviet-style agitprop: what happens when state interests enlist mediocre artists to produce mediocre propaganda.
You said it! Glad you see these problems so clearly too. I hold hope that artists like Kevin and independent productions (like this publication!) will serve an important function of highlighting just how hollow and dysfunctional a critical social justice captured arts industry is.
Though this strategy shows how crucially important it is to have enough of a free market and alternative options that it's feasible for artists to work outside the mainstream institutions! And "misinformation" and "hate speech" censorship attempts have shown there's plenty of desire for snuffing out the freedom to work outside the mainstream.
Kevin, I love how you wrote this like a play. Very clever. Yesterday, Biden was interrupted multiple times by Ceasefire protesters, and then the administration said they support the right to protest. I think there's a big difference between the "right to protest" vs. interruption, disruption, and cancellation.
Thank you so much! Yeah I agree - people should not be interrupted or cancelled because they have different views.
I’ll cancel a death camp operator any day of the week, anywhere. That is not “censorship.”
“I owe both the Westboro Baptist Church and Critical Social Justice activists heartfelt gratitude because their efforts backfired: instead of culling a gay, white, middle-aged artist from the field, they created a resourceful, resilient and persistent artist, committed to freedom of expression, fairness, a belief in common humanity, and hellbent on finding joy and fulfillment as a theater director – isn’t that a great thing.”
I’m so glad you’re doing well and didn’t knuckle under. I think it’s time we build our own institutions.
Glad you enjoyed this one Alison! I loved that line too and totally agree. Working outside the mainstream when the mainstream goes crazy is always a good strategy, though I appreciate any steel-nerved people in the right position who want to take back old institutions from this ideology!
Thank you for writing this. Unfortunately, this isn’t new in the late 1980s I was a student at a state university with a fantastic reputation for theater. I was studying under a professor who had been exiled from Chile for his political beliefs. I was working with a la Raza theater company on campus. The piece was inspired by Joanne Didion’s little houses
, and regarded the plight of central American peoples under the Reagan administration, specifically US funded aggression in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.
Our poster was created. By a latino agit-prop El Salvadoran artist. It depicted a generalissimo, riding on top of a large Paesana, who was clearly being oppressed by a greater force. This was political latin American theatre at it’s best. F
The campus feminists looked at the poster, and saw an over sexualized BDSM image (it wasn’t, it was a peasant woman in handcuffs being taken prisoner) rather than a military force destroying the lives of women in central America. They issued a complaint to the university, accusing us of racism and sexism. No one from this feminist group contacted us, or asked us any questions had they asked us they would’ve understood. This was a pro Salvadoran,Nicaraguan, Honduran, central American, South American project, that was pro- women and and anti-oppression.
Still they tried to cancel us. Without ever trying to find out that we were on their side.
These people are so much like those during the Chinese Cultural Revolution! Authoritarian know -it-alls!! ...little Stalins and Napoleons! ....Always ready with their holier than Thou pronouncements! It’s time they stopped trying to control everything and everyone. I do think more people are now aware of the damage they do, and there is hope that we can get back to respect of people for who they are instead of their” identity”!
You know, their beliefs and ideals weren’t necessarily in the wrong place. The problem was their assumptions about who the enemy was - leftists are always attacking other leftists (or at least left leaners) without discernment, never realizing there is a larger and common enemy - and it’s not the people who are innocently ‘micro-aggressing’.
Bravo, Kevin!
Do you offer livestream options of your shows, like my friend Jamie Beaman did with Lived Experience?
Thank you so much Xander! Glad you liked it.
A livestream is a cool idea, if I had my own space, it would be more doable, but as an independent producer who rents space, it’s hard. I went to Jamie’s show in person and I believe that venue included video as part of the rental. The logistics and cost of live-streaming 8 actors in a play is like doing a production on top of a production - I’ll just have to work on finding a way to get my own space (!), but until then, it’s live and in person.
Gotcha! I look forward to being able to see one of your productions one day.
Is there any other experience, if you’re alive than a “ lived experience “? Can you have a “ died experience “?
One would think... Standpoint epistemology is a SJW fan favorite.
Hey Kevin, I wrote something similar recently. Would you be interested in coming on Due Dissidence as a guest so we can commiserate and bitch? https://duedissidence.substack.com/p/the-art-scene-is-dead-and-the-liberal Drop us a line at duedissidence@gmail.com if so. Great work!
The good news is, they failed.
"...or I could create my own opportunity."
yep, recurring theme in the arts now is great artists having to go outside mainstream paths to share their work. Luckily, that's exactly what great artists have done throughout history.
Just read this whilst on my way to a show. It’s an inspiring story and good for you for sticking with it. I’m in the UK and work in theatre. I’ve not experienced anything as extreme as your examples but those CSJ ideas are most certainly prevalent here in the arts, and have been for a long time now. I was only saying yesterday, that’s in a minor miracle I’m still in this game but thankyou for that. If you’re shows ever make it over to London, I’ll come and support
Thank you so much Paul! Glad to hear it was inspiring and I'm so happy to know you're putting up work in the UK - I'm a huge fan of UK theater, some of the best things I've seen in NYC came here from the UK. Also really enjoying your podcast on Marcus Aurelius!
Thankyou. Glad to hear some good things have made it over the water. Look forward hearing more about what you do
So true: Our politics today is the result of cultural shifts years ago. And that's not necessarily a good thing. People keep saying "Time for a change". But they seem to never claim that it's "Time for an improvement". Perhaps they realize that they are NOT making things better.
Such an important point: change isn't inherently progress!
That's the issue with a worldview based on knee-jerk anti-traditionalism. The good things we have today are the result of solving past problems. Throwing everything out in the name of "progress" means relearning lessons the hard way.