Dear editor,
I am writing on behalf of Courtenay Little Theatre, in response to concerns expressed by members of Support Our Seniors, who took offence at the use of an admittedly poorly chosen quote in an article about the play reading of Play It Again, Sam which took place at our rehearsal space on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
I was able to meet personally with Jennifer, Greta, Doreen, and Jack outside of the play reading as they were handing out copies of their letters to the editor to audience members. I apologized for the insensitivity I showed toward women in the community who have suffered abuse by not editing out the quote which caused concern in the article. I explained that the play itself, ironically, rejects the objectification of women by such Humphrey Bogart type stereotypical characters. It was a poorly chosen quote out of context of the play. We chatted amicably for quite some time and I believe that my apology was accepted. They declined my invitation to attend the reading but showed interest in attending the next reading on March 15, “A Murder of Crows”, directed by Debra Wiens.
I spoke before the play reading to the audience, apologized again for any hurt caused, and asked that anyone who experienced discomfort during the reading talk to a board member immediately. The cast who read the parts were mostly in their 60s and 70s and it was very well received, with no subsequent concerns raised by the audience members. The freewill donations at the door, received from the 60 people who attended, are being donated to the Comox Valley Transition Society.
Courtenay Little Theatre in no way promotes or condones violence against women, children, or any members of society. I apologize to any member of the community who was offended by the quote.
Thanks to the support of Comox Valley audiences, CLT has been able to use our talents to make donations to such groups as the CV Food Bank, Dawn to Dawn Society, Christmas Hamper Drive, and Sid Williams Theatre Society, among others. We are now pleased to be able to make a donation to the CV Transition Society as part of our commitment to speak out against violence against women. There are not two sides to this issue: we are on the same side and are grateful that this oversight was brought to our attention so that we could clarify our position on this important subject.
Val Macdonald
President
Courtenay Little Theatre