From publicist Christine Quintana’s Facebook announcement:
VANCOUVER, BC: The show will go on, vows Fighting Chance Productions Artistic Director Ryan Mooney in the wake of threats by American anti-gay hatemonger Fred Phelps that his Kansas-based group will protest the company’s production of The Laramie Project, running November 26 to December 6 at East Vancouver’s Havana Theatre.
The Laramie Project explores the aftermath of the tragic death of Matthew Shepard, the gay University of Wyoming student whose horrific 1998 murder became a symbol of the movement for gay rights in America. Central to the storyline is Phelps, whose Westboro Baptist Church protested Shepard’s funeral. Phelps’ group regularly garners headlines across the United States for demonstrations at the funerals of gay activists and soldiers. Mooney was shocked to learn late last week via Phelps’ web site that representatives from the Westboro Baptist Church intend to travel to Vancouver to protest the production.
In response to Phelps’ threats, Fighting Chance Productions is organizing an anti-hate rally for 5:00pm on Friday, November 28: the same date as Phelps’ protest. Further details will be released upon confirmation.
What the! This douche is more of a douche than i previously thought possible in terms of douche-ness. The next time this hack tries to gain free publicity by piggybacking the theatre he should be thoroughly ignored.
It’s such a circus, isn’t it? He does pull the theatre outside of the confines of the stage though, when it’s this kind of subject matter…