Many of the region’s cinemas, which have spoken out in support of diversity, equity and inclusion, first in response to unrest over racial injustice last summer, and then again in response to hate crimes this spring, have followed suit.
“This was an unforgivable, terrible and unfortunate act, but it was also emblematic of a major failure of the LA Stage Alliance in recent years,” said Danny Feldman, Pasadena Playhouse’s artistic production director, who said the organization’s inadequacy had made it clearer during the pandemic. “They lost the trust of the community and this was the tipping point.”
The LA Stage Alliance was a nonprofit organization, dated 1975, that sought to support theater in Los Angeles. In addition to overseeing the Ovation Awards, he maintained noStage: LA, a website with ticket listings and discounts, and published a digital arts magazine called @This Stage.
Last summer, the organization dismissed its staff; emails to executive director Marco Gomez were answered by an advertiser, Ken Werther, who said the leadership refused to comment further.
Lee, in an interview on Monday, said she felt uncomfortable being seen as the face of the controversy, but also upset about the events that had occurred.
Increased anti-Asian attacks
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- A torrent of hatred and violence against people of Asian descent in the United States began last spring, in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic. Community leaders say the prejudice was fueled by the rhetoric of former President Trump, who referred to the coronavirus as the “China virus”.
- In New York, a wave of xenophobia and violence has been exacerbated by the economic consequences of the pandemic, which has dealt a severe blow to New York’s Asian-American communities. Many community leaders say that racist attacks are being ignored by the authorities.
- In January, an 84-year-old man from Thailand was violently thrown to the ground in San Francisco, resulting in his death in a hospital two days later. The attack, captured on video, became a rallying cry.
- Eight people, including six women of Asian descent, were killed in shootings at the Atlanta massage parlor on March 16. The suspect’s motives are under investigation, but Asian communities in the United States are on alert because of an increase in attacks against Asian Americans. last year.
- A man was arrested and charged with a hate crime in connection with a violent attack on a Filipino woman near Times Square on March 30. The attack sparked further outrage after security footage seemed to show viewers failing to rescue the woman immediately.
“I was trying to be brave and not make it a big deal,” she said. “But then, reading all the posts – all the anger and pain that was being expressed – I had to recognize that this is irritating, painful and painful. And there have been so many attempts to try to make the LA Stage Alliance more inclusive, and they have been largely ignored. “
The Deaf West Theater, the country’s leading sign language theater, unsuccessfully tried to have this year’s ovation ceremony interpreted for the deaf. “All these oppressions go hand in hand,” said DJ Kurs, the theater’s artistic director. “We are all fighting the same fight, and we are fighting together.”