Tuesday, June 13th
(Adapted from Rogan's List)
Apparently corporate sponsors only like art when it behaves itself. Both Delta Airlines and Bank of America have withdrawn their funding from NYC's Public Theatre, which is staging a production of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar.
Why? In this interpretation of the play, Julius looks a lot like Trump, and the other characters are recognizable analogies for contemporary political figures as well. And we know what happens at the end of the play, right?
Was this interpretation of the play meant to "provoke and offend," as the spokesperson for Bank of America said? Obviously. That was the role of the original play, too. This production has been the target of criticism in recent days from right-leaning outlets such as Breitbart and Fox News, which may have had an effect on the decisions by Delta and Bank of America to stop advertising. (Read more.)
That's part of what art does -- it makes us think.
Losing funding from these big companies is likely to be a major blow, and the Public Theatre could use our help.
Actions You Can Take Today
- Support this edgy and timely production of a classic play by making a donation at: https://www.publictheater.org/en/Support/Donate-Now/
- Contact the advertisers asking them to reconsider their decision:
Bank of America: http://www.corporate-office-headquarters.com/bank-of-america-corporation and Delta: http://www.corporate-office-headquarters.com/delta-airlines
