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editorial
Bravo to ion theatre
Published Thursday, 12-Feb-2009 in issue 1103
It’s been said countless times: If you stand for nothing, you fall for everything.
The adage is a bit tired – but it also proves true. And it’s refreshing to see members of our community take stands, particularly when it may not be in their best interest.
Such is the case in a story reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune this week.
ion theatre, a relatively small theater company, has vacated its space at the Academy of Performing Arts because the building is leased to them by Caster Cos., owned by Terry Caster, who gave nearly $700,000 to support Proposition 8, the California Constitutional amendment that bans same-sex marriage.
Supporters of same-sex marriage launched a boycott of Caster’s A-1 Self Storage business after his contributions were widely reported. Caster, meanwhile, defended his support of Proposition 8, and shot back with a wordy recorded message on a business phone line that touts his record of giving back to the community.
The folks at ion recently realized Caster owns the building they lease in, and, rather than wait out their current lease and proceed with the 2009 season, they immediately vacated the space, making clear they cannot contribute to Caster’s discrimination.
“We don’t mean him any malice; we don’t mean him any harm,” ion executive artistic director Claudio Raygoza told The San Diego Union-Tribune, referring to Caster. “We understand he was expressing his rights as a citizen in a democracy.” But, he said, “We couldn’t sleep at night knowing we were funneling money to an organization that was seeking aggressively to prohibit people’s rights.”
Bravo to Raygoza and his partner, Glenn C. Paris, the company’s producing artistic director. The arts are hit hard in a tough economy, with fewer people having the disposable income to spend a night out at the theater.
Staged performances at ion are frequently featured in Jean Lowerison’s theater reviews in the Gay & Lesbian Times. With an annual operating budget of just $120,000, ion has executed a number of outstanding, diverse, entertaining shows.
Its abrupt departure from the Academy of Performing Arts space has postponed indefinitely its production of The Labyrinth of Desire and bumped its production of The Cripple of Inishmaan to spring.
Raygoza and Paris’ decision to move the company may not be the most wise business decision – but it stands on principle. They’ve put their money where their mouths are, and so should we.
When the company’s production of The Cripple of Inishmaan opens at the San Diego Rep’s Lyceum Theatre in April, the show should be sold out each night; the company and ion’s directors deserve our support, because they’ve made clear they will champion our causes.
There’s been so much news surrounding Proposition 8 recently; the courts ruled donors to the Proposition must be listed online, the Supreme Court announced it will hear oral arguments in legal challenges to Proposition 8 in March, and the leaders of the No on 8 campaign admitted they made grave errors in their failed campaign to keep same-sex marriage legal in California.
Our leaders have accepted responsibility for the loss, and so must we; we must also support those who support us.
Terry Caster is one of hundreds of business owners who contributed to Proposition 8; and ion theatre is one of hundreds who have taken a stand against discrimination. We must simultaneously pull our support from businesses owned by business owners like Caster, and pool our support for businesses owned by people like Raygoza and Paris, whose risky move is inspiring.
Joyce Marieb, executive director of the Greater San Diego Business Association, makes a good point in a letter to the editor appearing in today’s magazine. She writes, “If we stand together in our personal and communal integrity the journey is easier and a lot more fun. Find ways to collaborate. Use the goods and services of community businesses. Make a commitment to our nonprofit organizations. Offer time, energy and goodwill. We can redefine these times and stamp them with the mark of LGBT pride.”
Well said.
Nature prays on weakness. Our community needs to step out from the safety of the few and hard-fought-for rights we have and begin to stand up more often, in greater numbers, using more dollars, stronger political clout, and larger and louder demonstrations to keep fighting until the war – not just the battle – is won.
Joe
says:
While I totally agree with boycotting companies that supported proposition 8 this is an unfortunate situation where the ion theater company leaving The Academy for Performing Arts (APA), because of their landlord, Caster Cos, will have no effect on Caster whatsoever. This only hurts APA. They are the ones leasing from Caster. Ion theater was a sub-lease of APA. I know it would be great to say that APA should pick up and move but a dance studio has a huge investment in floors, mirrors, sound systems, etc. Those things are built in and can’t just be pulled out and transported to another location. It sucks if one has to do business with someone they disagree with, but sometimes you just have to deal with it. It’s great that ion theater can pick up and move to make a statement, but unfortunate because the ones they want to get the message to will never hear it. The only one loosing income on this is APA.
Feb 16, 2009 10:51 PM
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