SummerWorks: Freedom of What?

So, we all heard about the aborted (pun intended) great Pastor Phelps Project Protest of last week. How the real life Pastor Phelps (the subject of the Pastor Phelps Project by Ecce Homo) and his chums from the Westboro Baptist Church were going to come to Toronto and picket the SummerWorks production only to be turned back at the border.

The anti-Phelps protest protest went ahead regardless and there’s a great article on the Blog TO website, complete with photos, if you want to know more.

I hope I’m not alone in being thankful that Phelps didn’t show up but still curious as to what exactly was said to him at the border – if indeed he even got that far. I kind of like the idea of freedom of speech and right to protest myself but I guess I’m just old-fashioned that way.

When Michael Rubenfeld told me about the planned protest, my first reaction was “awesome” (for those who don’t know, I’m also a publicist for theatre and dance companies in Vancouver). Think of the publicity! Michael looked rather weary at my display of enthusiasm. And now, on reflection, I think I can see why. As much as this might give a boost to the Ecce Homo show, it also provides more oxygen to Pastor Phelps himself. Before all of this I had no idea who he was – and now I feel a little poorer as a human now that I do.

Anyway, enough of that. What about the show itself? What on earth is going on inside the Cameron House that’s getting fag-haters and fag-lovers all worked up? Well, the Plank Panel are here to give you the low-down. Safe from the protests, with the comforting glow of your own computer, let Alison Broverman and her crack team give you the inside scoop.

What is the Plank Panel? Well, we think of it as a roundtable of wisdom. What we’ve done is to get some of our favourite theatre artists (or at least the ones we're friends with on Facebook) and asked them to weigh in on various SummerWorks offerings. Be on the look out for more Plank Panels in the days ahead.

You can also find Anna Chatterton’s thoughtful review of A Soldier’s Story and for the first time in electronic print, a rave from me.

Meanwhile, Marjorie Malpass continues to network on your behalf at the Plank Referral.

The wonder of it all.