Proposition 8 controversy hits theater community

Should a theater person's private political beliefs affect his employment?

That's a major question being wrestled with nationally in the arts community, and I've seen it rear its ugly head in Vegas.

This time out, it has to do with Proposition 8 -- a ballot measure that just passed in California banning same-sex marriage. It was revealed shortly afterward that Scott Eckern, the artistic director of Sacramento's influential and highly successful California Musical Theater, had contributed $1,000 of his own money to support the issue.

What followed next is pretty predictable: An uproar ensued and Eckern resigned. The Mormon was quoted in The New York Times as saying he was "deeply saddened that my personal beliefs and convictions have offended others."

The incident kept theater chat boards busy across the nation. Some argued that Eckern's actions amounted to discrimination against many of the very people he works with on a daily basis. Among the biggies who have worked with the theater and vowed never more was Marc Shaiman, the composer of "Hairspray." Susan Eagen, star of "Beauty and the Beast," urged a boycott. Jeffrey Seller, a producer of "Avenue Q," which opens at the theater this season, said in the Times: "That a man who makes his living exclusively through the musical theater could do something so hurtful to the community that forms his livelihood is a punch in the stomach." The show will go on, though. "We don't break contracts," he said.

Eckern supporters (including many gays) argue that any person has the right to privately support any political group he chooses. They also point out that not everyone believes Proposition 8 is discriminatory.

No matter how you feel about same-sex marriage, there's another issue here that's just as disturbing. To what extent should we demand "political correctness"? There's no evidence I can find that hints Eckern mistreated his gay employees, or that he made any effort on the job to advance his Mormon beliefs. His political leanings came to light only because his private donation was public record.

What happens in California doesn't stay in California. There's a local theater troupe with a healthy dose of Mormons on its board. I've heard actors say they will not work with them for that reason, even though the troupe specializes in mainstream musicals, and, like most playhouses, they don't rake in the big bucks. What's next? Will actors soon be made to list their voting record before being considered for roles?

I'm very sorry Proposition 8 passed. But theater folks --- whose artistry is in illuminating different ways of looking at the world -- need to be very careful in how they retaliate. Forced resignations for private beliefs can work both ways.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.