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Citing Censorship, Artistic Directors Sign Letter of "Outrage" Over Ousting of Theater J's Ari Roth; Tony Kushner Issues Scathing Statement

By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and Carey Purcell 22 Dec 2014

Artistic directors from leading theatres in the U.S., including the Public Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons, La Jolla Playhouse and the Guthrie Theater, issued a letter in support of Ari Roth, artistic director of Washington D.C.'s Theater J, who was fired Dec. 18, in what industry members are calling "an act of politically motivated censorship."

On Dec. 18, Roth told the Washington Post that Carole R. Zawatsky, chief executive officer of the DC Jewish Community Center, of which Theater J is an arm, delivered notice of his dismissal and that the given cause was insubordination. He had served in his role there for 18 years.

The Post reported that Roth and Zawatsky frequently disagreed on Roth's programming choices, with the most recent being over the the fate of Theater Js Voices From a Changing Middle East Festival. In November, the Jewish Daily Forward reported that the DCJCC was removing parts of the festival; Roth told the Post that his comments to the media following that article were used as an example of his insubordination.

"Theyve crafted a letter thats saying Im resigning, not fired," Roth told the Post, adding, "I was terminated abruptly." He said he refused to sign a severance agreement and that he had been discussing "an elegant transition" that would result in him departing Theater J in a few months.

The DCJCC released a statement quoting Zawatsky Dec. 18 that read: "Ari Roth has had an incredible 18-year tenure leading Theater J, and we know there will be great opportunities ahead for him. Ari leaves us with a vibrant theater that will continue to thrive."

Kushner wrote, "Ari wasn't fired, as the executive committee has claimed, because of insubordination. That's a preposterous and cowardly whitewashing of the truth. Ari was fired because he believes that a theater company with a mission to explore Jewish themes and issues cannot acquiesce to a demand for uncritical acceptance of the positions of the Israeli government regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict or to insistence on silence. Ari was fired because he refused to surrender to censorship. He was fired because he believes that freedom of speech and freedom of expression are both American values and Jewish values."

The video can be seen in full at the bottom of this article.

In addition, artistic directors from leading theatre companies from across the U.S. issued a statement in support of Roth.

Original post:
Citing Censorship, Artistic Directors Sign Letter of "Outrage" Over Ousting of Theater J's Ari Roth; Tony Kushner ...

WASHINGTON U.S. President Barack Obama rebuked Sony Corp. Friday for caving into North Koreas cyber attacks by cancelling the release of the satirical film The Interview.

I think they made a mistake, he said. We cannot have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the United States because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they dont like or news reports that they dont like or even worse, imagine if producers or distributors and others start engaging in self censorship.

Obama said he wished Sony had spoken to him before making the decision to cancel the movie.

I would have said to them do not get into a pattern in which you are intimidated by these kind of criminal attacks, he said.

Sonys decision, he said, is not what America is about.

Sony President Michael Lynton told CNN that Sony officials had been speaking with senior White House officials prior to cancelling the films Christmas Day release. However, he appeared muddled about whether Sony discussed withdrawing the film. He also said it was the movie theatres that cancelled the release and not Sony.

Obama made the comments Friday afternoon at his final news conference of the year before flying off to Hawaii for a family holiday.

He also addressed the issue of the Keystone XL pipeline, pouring cold water on what he called a hyped project of little benefit to Americans.

Obama confirmed the attack on Sonys computer system came from North Korea, adding that no other country was involved.

I think it says something interesting about North Korea that they decided to have the state mount an all-out attack on a movie studio because of a satirical movie, he said.

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Obama calls Sony censorship wrong; labels Keystone a hyped project

British media reports say a couple with ties to Canada and their teenaged granddaughter were among the six people killed by an out-of-control garbage truck in Glasgow, Scotland.

The fatal crash, which also injured 10 people including the truck driver, happened Monday in the heart of Glasgow during the height of Christmas shopping.

Media reports say Jack Sweeney, 68, his wife Lorraine, 69, and their 16-year-old granddaughter Erin McQuade were among the shoppers.

The three were identified as being from Dumbarton, Scotland, but media reports identified Jack Sweeney as a former president of the Bramalea Celtic Club in Brampton.

A statement posted on the soccer supporters club Facebook page said: It is with great shock and sadness we share with you our friend and past president Jack Sweeney, his wife Lorraine and granddaughter Erin were victims of todays tragedy in Glasgow.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family and friends of the Sweeney family.

Police have said the truck driver lost control of the vehicle Monday afternoon before hitting a number of pedestrians. Six people remained hospitalized Tuesday.

bcid:

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Couple with ties to Brampton reported to be among dead in Glasgow crash

George Zimmerman Wants Florida to Pay His Legal Bills
State may have to cover the legal expenses of the man found not guilty of shooting Trayvon Martin.

By: news world

Original post:
George Zimmerman Wants Florida to Pay His Legal Bills - Video

George Zimmerman called the Armed American Radio on Sunday and held a pity party for himself.

He told host Mark Walters and his guest, self-defense expert Massad Ayoob, that his life has changed so much since he fatally shot Trayvon Martin that he could scarcely remember what things were like before.

I dont really remember what normal is, Zimmerman said. Ill tell you that Im not working I enjoyed working, I enjoyed being a productive, taxpaying member of society. I havent worked since the incident, so in terms of the violent threats, the bounty on my head, I havent seen on any of the bounty posters an expiration date.

Zimmerman, who was eventually acquitted in the slaying of the 17-year-old, said his notoriety has been a huge emotional and financial burden on his family, many of whom have been forced to change jobs, schools, and addresses to avoid public scrutiny.

The person going through the incident, such as I was, thats a tremendous burden on you, too, knowing that your familys out there, Zimmerman said. From what Ive heard from a lot of supporters, no matter what the incident is or what scale its on, you do receive a lot of threats, fear of retaliation, and sitting behind bars when youre absolutely helpless is not where anybody wants to be.

Knowing that they may not have the resources to feed themselves or drive themselves to get their medicines or their doctors appointments, that wreaks mental havoc on anybody, he added. I dont care how your intestinal fortitude is, just that aspect alone would be enough to drive anybody insane.

Zimmerman advised gun owners to buy self-defense insurance, which seems to be his greatest regret in the fatal shooting of the unarmed teen.

Go to the range to practice, keep your guns in a safe location, and primarily, now that I know that Im $2.5 million in debt, just in lawyers fees, I paid over $360,000 in hard costs to the state of Florida just in, you know, copies, CDs, manuscripts, that kind of stuff I would definitely invest in getting some type of self-defense insurance, and again, arming yourself with the knowledge of what you can do and what you should or shouldnt do after the incident, Zimmerman said.

He complained that the media had not presented him fairly after killing the boy and initially escaping charges.

The media, theyre not in the business of telling the news, theyre now, unfortunately, its evolved to them being in the business of making the news, and whether it costs people their lives, their livelihood, dignity, the position in the community they could not care less, Zimmerman said.

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George Zimmerman tells pro-gun radio show: Get insurance ...