artists fight back

Rachel Corrie co-creator Katharine Viner tells her side of the story in--of all places--the LA Times. One must assume it was submitted to NYT, no? Could they have passed?

I would cite the other side...but as of yet there is none. No one has come out and provided a justification for the decision with a reasoned argument, that is. Viner rightly dissects James Nicola's bungled lame attempt in his one statement so far:

The director of the New York theater told the New York Times on Monday that it wasn't the people who actually saw the play he was concerned about."I don't think we were worried about the audience," he said. "I think we were more worried that those who had never encountered her writing, never encountered the piece, would be using this as an opportunity to position their arguments."Since when did theater come to be about those who don't go to see it? If the play itself, as Nicola clearly concedes, is not the problem, then isn't the answer to get people in to watch it, rather than exercising prior censorship?

Nicola's reasoning is so tortured, it ends up sounding like he is doing us all a favor by removing something that would embolden Al-Quaeda. What "opportunity" to "position" what "arguments"? Who the hell's he talking about??? Such dodging would make Scott McClellan proud.

Isn't it time New York Theatre Workshop clarified their position? When will the New York theatre community (particularly the politically activist downtown theatre community) put the pressure on them to do so...?