UPDATE, WEDNESDAY, 9:15 AM: “Playwrights For A Cause,” a one-act showcase launching the Planet Connections Theater Festivity, will now be presented on June 14 at the New York Theatre Workshop, but without Neil LaBute’s contribution. The playwright released a statement explaining he did not want his play to detract from “the fine work that Erik Ehn, Halley Feiffer and Israel Horovitz were also presenting that evening…and the cause of the evening itself.” The program is a benefit for the National Coalition Against Censorship.
A June showcase of four short plays addressing the critical and growing incursion of censorship into arts and culture has been cancelled by the presenting venue, Greenwich Village’s Sheen Center for Thought and Culture. The key issue was Mohammed Gets A Boner, a monologue that LaBute contributed to the quartet of plays.
William Spencer Reilly, executive director of the self-described non-sectarian Sheen Center, told the New York Times that when the contract for the event was signed in February, he wasn’t aware of the title of the play (which the Times deemed unfit to print).
Recent Comments
Glory Kadigan, the founder of Planet Connections, described the LaBute work as “a discussion of whether or not it’s all right to poke fun at religion or religious figures.” She said the group didn’t have titles or scripts when the contract was signed.
The decision reflects the held values of the Sheen Center, which is funded by the Archdiocese of New York. But it also points to a global climate of fear and self-censorship that has grown in recent years, and in particular since the January murder in Paris of staff members of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which had prominently published caricatures some Muslims deemed offensive. In New York theater circles, the cancellation also was a chilling echo of the threats against the leadership of the Manhattan Theatre Club in 1998, when it scheduled Terrence McNally’s play Corpus Christi, which some Catholics deemed offensive because of its nontraditional portrayal of Jesus.
After reading LaBute’s script, Reilly said, he nixed the show because of the play’s “clear offense to Muslims.”
“When an artistic project maligns any faith group, that project clearly falls outside of our mission to highlight the good, the true, and the beautiful as they have been expressed throughout the ages,” Reilly said, adding that the center “will not be a forum that mocks or satirizes another faith group.”
LaBute, whose new play, The Way We Get By starring Thomas Sadoski and Amanda Seyfried opens off-Broadway next week at Second Stage, said the Sheen Center was “was absolutely within their right” to cancel the contract but added that he’s “saddened” by the decision.
“This event was meant to shine another light on censorship and it was unexpected to have the plug pulled, quite literally, by an organization that touts the phrase ‘for thought and culture’ on their very website,” LaBute said. “Both in life and in the arts, this is not a time to hide or be afraid; recent events have begged for artists and citizens to stand and be counted.”
The play, which was written for the event, centers on an actor asked to perform in an offensive satire. A description posted online reads: “The prophet ‘Mohammed’ stands on a barren stage, recalling the first time he made love to a white woman. Is this reality or a theatrical convention? Where do the lines between ‘satire’ and ‘censorship’ intersect or is nothing sacred when it comes to the theater?” LaBute told the Times that the play does not depict “the actual prophet ‘Muhammad’ (spelled differently than my title).”
LaBute earlier praised the Coalition Against Censorship for “doing really important work at a time when people are actively striving to take away some of our most basic freedoms. I, for one, feel that these are the front lines for an artist–when you are asked to write/fight for what you’ve said you believe in. It is no longer enough to pay lip service to these ideas–it’s time to stand up and be counted.”
Islam has jumped the shark. #cancelislam
Cancel all religion.
Or at least send it back up for a re-write. This sh/t is tired and cliche. I want to see another draft. Might help to get a completely new writer on this too. You know, for a fresh perspective.
What utter crap by this LaBute person. Show some respect for aLL religions. REligion is a very personal and vital thing in the world. I don’t know LaBute’s religion, or even if he has one, but I’m sure he wouldn’t want someone trampling on it. ALL RELIGIONS ARE IMPORTANT.
Are you stupid!? The point is to send a message to all Islamic terrorists that using violence will not make people stop making fun of your religion!
What happened in Texas during the Muhammad drawing competition was awesome!! Bang bang! 2 extremists dead! They will think twice about disrupting people’s freedom of speech next time.
Also, sorry for calling you stupid, i always get irritated when freedom of speech is endangered.
12 charlie hebdo > 2 extremists = extremists W by points…
This is your opinion, which you’re entitled to express. I disagree completely and believe that religion is a joke. Labute’s play is important because he’s expressing himself and that’s something we hold in high regard in this county. We do not live in a theocracy.
LaBute is one of this generation’s most relevant and important playwrights. The fact that you’re not aware of this is almost as sad as your spouting off about the importance of all religions. What about Freedom of Speech? What about not having to self-censor lest you be murdered for offending the closed minded? What about tolerance of opinions other than yours? If the leading figure in LaBute’s ay was Jesus, Moses or Buddha then no one fears for his life but if it’s Mohammes then you’ve gone too far. Why the special treatment?
Fear.
Why do we have to show respect for religion? You shouldn’t be a member of any group that can’t withstand satire/cartoons/even outright mockery.
If you don’t like labute’s play, do one of your own.
I normally wouldn’t be able to get what you’re saying. But those caps, they really spoke to me.
No, all religions are not important. I think it’s a lot more likely that NO religion is important. And if that’s an artist’s “truth,” then it’s valid and should be considered part of the “center’s mission.”
If they’re not allowed to mock or satirize anyone’s sacred cows, they may as well consign themselves to doing vanilla, Disney-style stuff from here on out.
Being able to make fun of religions and criticize them is even more important.
Yet if it was called John Baptist Has A Boner, no one would make a fuss.
I find it funny that The Book Of Mormon is acclaimed and has sell out shows, but this LaBute monologue is going too far.
As Liberals you have to understand free speech means exactly that. I have to mock anyone’s idiotic belief system and you have the right to argue back with me or to ignore me, what you don’t have the right to do is physically harm me.
It’s nice that you wanna protect the feelings of minorities. But what you’re missing is that Islam isn’t a minority, it is 2 billion people. If you really wanted to stick up for a religious minority you would stick up for the Mormons who have 15 million in their number, or the Scientologists who have hundreds of thousands, but you don’t think they are oppressed because they are usually white.
Hate to tell you this but not all Arabs are Muslim; there are Africans, Asians, and Caucasians as well. The country with the largest Muslim population is Indonesia, and they clearly aren’t Arabs. Islam is NOT a race. It IS a religion. And as a religion it deserves to be mocked like every other religion. When you categorize all Arabs as Islamic, YOU are the racist. YOU are the one that sees things in simplistic terms.
La Verdad.
“it is important that this country not get on its knees before the religious right.” – 1998 theater owners about Catholic reservations about their play
“We won’t malign any religion.” – 2015 theater owner terrified of Muslim extremism
Or maybe the take away is just because you can be a piggish boor doesn’t mean someone is required to provide you a venue for it. Their speech is still free. They are free to do the play elsewhere.
You just don’t get it, do you? Attitudes such as yours exemplifies the cowardice that is so prevalent on our society right now.
So true, Swifty, so true
I don’t think you get it.
Having a personal filter and personal taste of what is offensive or going too far isn’t a problem at all.
Censorship, mainly government mandate of what it and what is not acceptable has mainly been the target of those who are advocating free speech and anti-censorship.
A private group telling LaBute we will pass, isn’t censorship, no more than performance hall telling the KKK, Catholic Group, LBGT, or any other group no thank you we will pass. Its the owner/owners exercising their own discretion on what belongs to them.
LaBute has a lot of money, he wants to do his play, he should be able to find a hall anywhere in NYC and self fund his reading or readings.
As long no government is making him alter his speech by force, all parties are exercising their freedom of speech.
Please say it again for the psuedo-liberals who wish only their side sides to be heard.
Thank you.
I guarantee you that his remake of “The Wicker Man” is far more offensive than anything he was going to present on stage.
Ha! So true. Best comment here in awhile.
Hahaha! So true
Of course he would write this. His entire oeuvre is based on “I need to offend someone so people will write about me.” Meanwhile the writing itself is as pedestrian as Three Blind Mice.
I bet these quislings would have killed to get “The Book of Mormon.” Cowards and hypocrites. With arts “champions” like this, who needs Muslims, er… … enemies?
That’s one sexy lesbian.
Everybody wants irony. Nobody wants to pay for it.
If he’d made fun of Jesus, they would’ve had no problem. They get sensitive about poking fun at “religious figures” only when it’s Muslim.
What makes you think the catholic church that was funding this event would accept a play attacking christianity?
Why wouldn’t they? People make fun of Catholics all the time in theater and film. Freedom of speech doesn’t suddenly stop applying when your subject matter is religion.
Freedom of speech in the US is in reference to the government limiting your language.
Not non-government entities on private property.
That said, my question still stands.
Learn the rules.
LIFE OF BRIAN, anyone?
In Ancient Greece, kids were conditioned into believing that Zeus hurled lightning bolts down from Mount Olympus and Apollo dragged the sun across the sky. Kids believe a fairy breaks into millions of houses around the world every night to replace teeth with money.
In short, kids will believe anything, no matter how outlandish, if it’s told by someone they trust. If that outlandish story is reinforced by other people, kids will carry on believing until adulthood.
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Judaism – all religions are fairy tales we tell our children to help them and us make sense of the cruel mortality that awaits them. They each give us rules to live by so that we can earn our way to eternal paradise, but they’re all nonsense, and just like the religions of Ancient Greece and Rome, in a thousand years they’ll be gone.
All these idiots killing in the name of Islam should keep in mind that their god is supposed to be all powerful. If he’s got a beef with someone, he can hurl down a lightning bolt from the top of Mount Olympus.
I wonder if the monologue would have been censored if it was called “Jesus Gets a Boner”. Doubtful. But then, Christians aren’t going around blowing people up for no good reason.
No Christians just practice genocide against entire cultures for the past few centuries; much neater ethnic cleansing, no stains…
If you’re going to play that stupid game then you should know the biggest mass murderers in history come from atheistic communism.
Hope you’re speaking to ‘Say whaaa?!”. So in the Fantasy Facists Game the scorecard so far goes:
1st – Atheist Communists
2nd – Christian Colonists
3rd – Manifest Destinationists
4th – Musilm Fundamentalists
Break out the brackets and pie-charts for All-time Genocidists…
You can satirize anyone or anything you choose…just be ready for the consequences.
Anyone know of any plays that satirized Israel or Zionism?
(ducks for the death threats)…
Mr. La Bute is free to “stand up and be counted.” He is free, fortunately, to be able to write whatever he wants. But when everyone knows that, given recent incidents, there could be violent consequences from certain people who feel it is their ‘religious right’ to respond in such a manner, it isn’t surprising that no matter how much someone may admire a writer’s work, their courage, their commitment, they may not wish to put their own personal safety at risk so that he can have his play produced. The problem is, that isn’t what they said. Instead of being honest and saying thanks, but I don’t want someone coming after me with a gun, they spouted moral platitudes and made politically correct excuses. It’s easy to be brave and indignant on the internet — but if you were in the same situation (no names required), what would you do?
Then when it stops? If they come with a gun and forbid all other religions, we obey because safety first?
Interesting, an anti censorship event that starts by censoring.
I find it hilarious that the oh-so-progressive New York theater scene can’t even get behind free speech to the extent of allowing a monologue about Mohamed. You people crack me up.
Christians and Jews are fair targets for satire and mockery. The musical satire, “Book of Mormon”, won critical acclaim. But I fear that I shall wait in vain for the theatrical performance “Hadith”. America is at war, only it is a strange kind of war, where only one side is willing to fight. A nation at war must use all the resources at its disposal. And, make no mistake about it, ridicule is a relevant modality. Walt Disney’s 1942 cartoon, “Der Fuehrer’s Face”, won the Oscar for best animated film.
Had the American cultural ethos of 2015 existed during the war years, we would have seen headlines to the effect: “German-American Bund Demands Destruction of Disney Film, Calls Studio ‘Anti-German‘”. “Controversial Cartoon is Provocative, Hateful”. “University Students Picket Theatres”. “Wall Street Journal: RKO Studios Face Divestment, Boycott, Sanctions”.”Der Sturmer: Himmler Says Clarence Nash and Spike Jones Will Die”. “President Says Germans Are Peaceful People, Small Minority Are Attempting to Hijack Beneficent Nation”. “Fanatic Jews Inciting Violence”. And Niemoller’s caveat would have begun: “First they came for the cartoonists…”
The sharia lesson to be learned regarding religious disapprobation: Don’t lose your head over it. (Klinghoffer corollary: Don’t go overboard.)