Community Supports Seacoast Repertory Theater After Hate Group Protests Drag Performance

The local community showed up to support the Seacoast Repertory Theater on Saturday, three weeks after a neo-Nazi group protested the theatre's drag queen story hour "Honey Punch & Pals", Seacoast Online reports.

The group of members of the Nationalist Social Club or NSC-131 showed up on December 18 to Veterans Memorial Park, where they threatened staff, and held a sign equating drag performers with pedophiles.

Brandon James and Ben Hart, the Rep's artistic directors, were told that the group would return on January 8 when the drag performance was set to take place.

"It was really scary," James said. "We heard there were protesters in front of the theater ... when we pulled up and saw 18 men in full black regalia with their masks and a giant banner heiling in the street...it was not what we were expecting and we were very thrown."

"The sliver lining to it all is the support the community has surrounded us with," he went on to say. "We've received donations and notes of love from Australia and Japan, Germany and Canada. And that's been really beautiful and wonderful."

An independent fundraiser was started and so far over $30,000 has been raised for the theater.

The Portsmouth Police Department closed Bow Street to traffic on Saturday in case the group held their promise to return, but the day turned out to be peaceful.

"These are trying times, and we want people to see that we have our limits," said State Rep. David Meuse. "It's good they didn't come here."

Read more on Seacoast Online.

Seacoast Repertory Theatre is a nonprofit, professional regional theatre in historic downtown Portsmouth, NH with the mission of enriching the culture of the community through the shared experience of live theatre. It is a bold innovator on the American theatre scene, with award-winning art that has been featured in the New York Times and shared through live streams around the globe.

Honey Punch & Pals is described as "a drag queen story hour with Honey Punch and her puppet pals!" A staple of Seacoast Rep's nationally recognized and award-winning live streams, Punch and Pals is filled with song, dance, life lessons, silliness and more! This tongue in cheek show is truly for all ages - perfect for adults and kids alike. Learn more at https://seacoastrep.org/honeypunchandpals/.

To post a comment, you must register and login.