Articles and Video of Tony Kushner and cast reacting to dismissal of Ari Roth at Theater J in DC

[hockeynut2]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 11:17am

I compiled articles and a video reacting to Theater J's Artistic Director Ari Roth's firing at Theater J this past Thursday As more reaction comes in I will update this article. Feel free to leave comments in the comment box under the article on DCMetroTheaterArts. We want to know what you think.

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts bestowed on Ari a 2014 Special Award (before this all happened). Read about it here:

http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2014/12/20/dcmetrotheaterarts-best-2014-special-awards/



Reaction to Firing of Ari Roth at Theater J in DCArticles and Video Updated On: 12/21/14 at 11:17 AM

[AHLiebross]

Posted: 12/21/14 at 5:52pm

Damn! Damn! Damn! I do not agree with plays that portray Israel as the aggressor. I also do not agree with plays that portray today's Palestinians -- especially Gazans -- as innocent victims of a brutal state. Instead, I believe most of them are innocent victims of their own governments' refusal to recognize Israel and to abandon terrorism, as well as the Israeli government's refusal to come up with a creative way to pull out of Palestine (the West Bank; it left Gaza years ago) while still guaranteeing its own security. I further do not agree with anything that supports the boycott.

Nonetheless, I believe in freedom of expression. I am outraged that Theater J has become so narrowminded. Haven't they heard of expressing all sides of a dispute? This just plays into the hands of anti-Semites and those who believe that Israel supplanted the rightful government in the region.

Audrey (a proud Jew and Zionist in the old-fashioned sense of the word)

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 12/22/14 at 5:14pm

I'm not going to get into an Israel/Palestine argument on a theatre board, but how can you say you don't agree with plays which don't share your personal opinion, then accuse Theater J of being narrow-minded?

The JCC made a very short-sighted decision by firing Ari Roth. They bowed to pressure from a small group of hysterical donors and instead pissed off the theatre community across the country.

I'm curious how this will effect Theater J next season. Peter Marks at the Washington Post is championing Ari Roth through this. I can't wait to see his reviews of Theater J's toothless offerings once the JCC board polls AIPAC and approves Fiddler on the Roof and Yentl.