Artisan turns down 'emotionally charged' performance
Feb. 23, 2007
Controversy continues among some members and allies of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community on campus after the cancellation of this year's production of "The Queer Monologues," but a Columbia café presents more reason for uproar.
Freshman Abby Rowe, a former student director of "The Queer Monologues," said in a previous interview that she is working alongside the LGBT Resource Center to organize a replacement production tentatively titled "Pride in the Arts."
The Cherry Street Artisan was one venue considered for the performance, but it denied the production for various reasons.
"We're not the kind of place that's going to have something politically and emotionally charged," manager Luke Daugherty said. "Especially when we're an establishment that has such a wide array of people coming in, especially families."
Daugherty, also the director of arts and culture at the café, said he turns down more prospective acts than he accepts.
"I get pretty consistent inquiries of people looking to perform here," he said. "Most stuff here has already been established as regulars who come to perform."
Daugherty said the monologues performance was something different from the normal programs at the Artisan.
He said certain events have been rejected in the past because of people or groups looking to push a potentially controversial cause.
Rowe was unavailable for comment on the Artisan's decision not to allow the performance.
The action of the Artisan caused some disturbance within the MU LGBT community.
Triangle Coalition President Charlie Calvin said the Artisan seemed like it was trying to divert attention from the issue at hand by defending its decision with the argument that the performance was "different" from the regular ones.
"To me, that's once again perpetuating the oppression that minority communities have been facing," Calvin said.
Calvin was concerned with the wording Daugherty used regarding families patronizing the Artisan.
"It basically implies that people affiliated with the LGBT community and family can't coexist," Calvin said.
Calvin said there have been times in the past that LGBT events were denied access to the Artisan.
"I think it's really sad because a lot of patrons are a lot more liberal in their thinking and could be LGBT allies," he said. "To me, that says the Artisan really doesn't place its customers at a high value."
Another production slated to take place in late April or early May is an alternative art project organized by LGBT community members including senior John Doerflinger, who helped create the original "Queer Monologues" in 2003, and senior Sarah Landolfi, the show's former student organizer.
There is no definite location for the production at this time.
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