Penticton, B.C. theatre speaks out after queer performance targeted – Okanagan | 24CA News
Tempest Theatre and Film Society in Penticton, B.C., is talking out towards bullying and is emphasizing its assist for a present offered by an LGBTQ2-owned firm.
According to the theatre’s managing director, Jennifer Vincent, the theatre acquired a threatening e mail that steered a possible protest on the occasion Wednesday night time.
“We had one vociferous complainer who emailed yesterday indicating that they were unhappy with the content of the show and the fact that it is open to all ages,” stated Vincent.
“Despite there being an age recommendation on it and the show does actually request that any minors be accompanied by a legal guardian.”
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The play Unicorns Reawakened is offered by Kelowna-based Rebellious Unicorns and is a journey round queer performers and the way the pandemic has affected them.
The present options three folks together with a drag performer.
“If you read between the lines, I think this is a greater complaint that this individual has on the world and whose voices should be heard and whose shouldn’t,” stated Vincent.
“We don’t share bully tactics; we’re not interested in oppressing voices. We are interested in amplifying, questioning, talking, learning and growing together.”
After receiving the e-mail and earlier than the present, Tempest put out a press release on social media taking a stand towards the grievance.
“There’s been an increase in this aggressive bullying tactic like this over the past couple of years at a variety of performance events,” stated Vincent.
“We just really felt that we needed to stand up and say no and say no we don’t stand for that”
Although the threats by no means materialized, organizers say they’re annoyed with the continued hate expressed by a small group of protesters.
“I mean, it’s a sad state that when you reach out to the performers to say you’ve had such a complaint that you are willing to manage it and look after it – the response is ‘we know, this has happened before’ and it’s frustrating. It’s disappointing,” stated Vincent.
The e mail allegedly got here from an individual who has been concentrating on Rebellious Unicorn performers throughout the Valley.
“There are basically two people who have been harassing us since December at all of our events and frankly it’s tiring and exhausting. We are trying to work and earn a living and they constantly come and harass us day after day and they go to each of our venues and harass them, and enough is enough,” stated Rebellious Unicorns govt producer Dustyn Baulkham.
“It’s starting to feel threatening. We did have some shoving happening at one of our events back in December, so there has been some physical altercations.”
The present, nevertheless, will nonetheless go on. The free-to-attend manufacturing, which is funded by Heritage Canada, has already made many stops throughout the Okanagan.
The group is headed to the Fraser Valley subsequent.
“The scene is set where it’s backstage, it’s opening night, finally coming out of restrictions and it’s all of us backstage getting ready for that,” stated Baulkham.
“It’s great and we’ve had a lot of fun.”
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