Anti-LGBTQ Ruling In Florida Touches West Hartford Theater Group

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A West Hartford-based theater group Thursday issued a video pledging support for Jacksonville, Fla., high school theater students whose school play was shut down by school officials there because it included an LGBTQ couple in the storyline.

The Douglas Anderson School for the Arts in Jacksonville, Fla., was putting on "Indecent," a play about the true story of Sholem Asch, a Jewish novelist, and his controversial production in 1906 of the Yiddish play "God of Vengeance."

Central to the storyline is a lesbian couple, something deeply-red Florida appears to oppose, evidenced by that state's new "Don't Say Gay" law in education there.

As a result, the school board overseeing the magnet school in Florida shut down the production, which was slated for March and rehearsals set to begin last week.

On Thursday, the West Hartford-based theater group "Playhouse on Park" issued a 1-minute, 36-minute video via Youtube pledging its support for the students at the high school.

Managed by the Playhouse Theatre Group Inc., "Playhouse on Park" is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford.

Unlike the Florida high school students, however, Playhouse performers are also rehearsing for a production of "Indecent" that will take place Jan. 25 to Feb. 26.

The production is directed by Kelly O'Donnell, with music direction by Alexander Sovronsky and choreography by Katie Stevinson-Nollet.

On Thursday, the cast released a video criticizing the decision to pull the play in Florida and urged school officials there to reconsider.

They said the play explores the issue of prejudice against the LGBTQ community and represents a chance to enlighten people.

For more information on West Hartford's "Playhouse on Park's" production of "Indecent," click on this link.

For more information on the Jacksonville, Fla., school board pulling "Indecent," click on this link.