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June 2, 2014· santaclarita.com · SantaClarita.com (SCVTalk 5.0) · Wayback capture

Heckler's Anti-Gay Slur Earns a Shove From Actor, Actor Gets Fired, SCV Gets Infamy

By Mike Devlin

Part of the SCVTalk formula involves scanning the Internet on a regular basis for any mentions of our community from sources outside of our community. Most of the time, it's a very quiet channel.

Except when it's not. And when it's not, it usually means hills are on fire, cars have crashed, or someone's said something really stupid.
Image not recoveredreptheater.jpg
Photo credit: City of Santa Clarita.

This weekend, at Newhall's Repertory East Playhouse's production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, an audience member heckled the performance with at least one anti-gay slur. The play's lead actor responded by confronting the heckler and shoving him. The heckler fell, the audience applauded, the show went on...and then the actor was fired by the theater. Then some actors quit in solidarity; then the theater canceled the show.

As usual, we're partial to Perry Smith's report of the incident and the fallout, which includes some quotes from people involved. But it doesn't stop there:

Facebook and twitter seem to be standing with the fired actor (John Lacy), while directing ire at the theater for firing Lacy. Friend of SCVTalk and longtime actor Jeff Johnson poses a very interesting counterpoint In the Santa Clarita Community group on Facebook.

I don't know the first thing about running a community theater, so I don't know if stepping off stage to deal with this kind of heckler saying this kind of thing would get you fired anywhere, in any context. But in the larger picture, I think we'll look back on incidents like this as defining moments where lines were drawn because people like Mr. Lacy were willing to break the rules for a moment and take a stand. 

Or instead will this be another example of where SCV is made out to be a joke – a place where these kinds of things happen about 10 years after you think they had stopped, a place that's more concerned over anti-bigotry going too far than bigotry itself? 

I know we're better than that. And I really hope the heckler wasn't one of ours.


Comments (10)

  1. TheSpeakeasyBakeryTuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 7:03 am
    No bread for The Heckler. That's a lifetime ban btw.
  2. ErinTuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 7:47 am
    Thank you for putting into words what I was trying very passionately to convey when the story broke... there is indeed a line in the sand being drawn in town. Why it ended up on this issue...I wish I knew if it was by chance or circumstance or due to an abundance of LGBTQ peoples or allies or haters. But here we are. I really hope the heckler is from out of town.
  3. timothymyers02Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 8:55 am
    Several interesting and great things about this story. First, is there a better name for a community theater director than Ovington Owston? I think not. Second, the more interesting story, that will probably never be told, is the identity of the heckler and how they came to be at that production. I am pretty sure they were not a willing participant in the enterprise and obviously knew nothing about the play. It reminds me of a time in the late 80's when comedy clubs were rampant across the country (cue Patton Oswald) and my Nebraska bride and I went to a late show at a club in West Omaha. At the early show a couple of small charters had brought in some seniors from across the border in Southwest Iowa. At the late show the headliner mocked the rural folks saying that they continually shouted "Where's the buffet table? I thought this was a buffet place!" Fish out of water, while generally comedy gold, can also end up causing problems.
  4. V.Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 9:39 am
    Management should have been looking out for their actors and the "heckler" (is that what we're calling *******s these days?) should have been dragged from the theatre after the first incident, by crew or by the people who were with him. It is managements job to look out for their actor. ALWAYS. There is a stage manager who should have been on top of it and someone in the booth who should have noticed. Actors are never alone in a theatre. Ovington SHOULD have stood by his actors. He SHOULD have said that while he does not condone the actors behavior, he failed to protect his actors and the heckler was COMPLETELY out of line. I've been in the theatre for nearly 20 years. I've never seen this happen before because my crew has always protected their cast. This is Ovington's failure. That actor should not have been fired.
  5. Jennifer JhaveriTuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 9:55 am
    Producers and directors are supposed to back the actors. What the hell?
  6. WalkerTuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 10:32 am
    It's all so unfortunate. The heckler should have been dealt with, but perhaps the theater staff wasn't aware? It's not a corporate production, this is a little theater that may not have had the resources to notice something was wrong. Should the actor have confronted the heckler? Probably not. Was firing the actor warranted? Probably not. I'm sure we'll learn more about the confrontation in the days to come and perhaps that will make the action and/or inaction of the theater more clear. I hate that this incident has the potential to do irreparable damage to the theater.
  7. WalkerTuesday, June 3rd, 2014 at 2:23 pm
    It's all so unfortunate. The heckler should have been dealt with, but perhaps the theater staff wasn't aware? It's not a corporate production, this is a little theater that may not have had the resources to notice something was wrong. Should the actor have confronted the heckler? Probably not. Was firing the actor warranted? Probably not. I'm sure we'll learn more about the confrontation in the days to come and perhaps that will make the action and/or inaction of the theater more clear. I hate that this incident has the potential to do irreparable damage to the theater.
  8. SCVMJBWednesday, June 4th, 2014 at 1:22 am
    Now that I've had time to think it over and to talk to two friends (one is an attorney) who sat in front to the raucous group, who were served alcoholic beverages in the Theater Bar prior to the performance when they were obviously tipsy... Sadly, gay Tennessee Williams must be rolling over in his grave.
  9. SCVMJBWednesday, June 4th, 2014 at 1:23 am
    Why was my earlier comment deleted??? He queried.
  10. MikeWednesday, June 4th, 2014 at 9:50 am
    For reals? I see an earlier comment.

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