The world watched on as Trump loyalists laid siege to the U.S. Capitol, disrupting congress' formal certification of Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. With social media feeds flooded with images of a breached government and barricaded lawmakers, artists—already grappling with a shutdown industry at the hands of a pandemic—shared their dismay, anger, warning, and calls to action as a "peaceful transition of power" devolves into a misnomer.
Reeling from the loss of Black lives due to police violence, the ensuing marches and rallies, and continued practices of systemic racism, many theatre industry members underscored the hypocrisy of the treatment of the mostly white, pro-Trump insurrectionists versus that of peaceful protesters—particularly BIPOC individuals—at Black Lives Matter events.
Others laid out their demands for congress in no uncertain terms: Invoke the 25th Amendment and remove the outgoing president from office.
Read on below to hear from voices in the theatre community.
Tedious & predictable, the band of white supremacist #Magamorons are entering a new phase of panic & destruction in America. We best be prepared for the uptick of hate that's going to be a poison drip sipping throughout our culture. We need a REAL strategy to combat this threat.
— Lynn Nottage (@Lynnbrooklyn) January 7, 2021
I got the cops called on me for playing Christmas music too loud at 7:30pm last month and they were ready to cuff me, yet the National Guard couldn’t get to, let’s be clear, white people, seizing the Capitol? THEN walking them down the stairs holding hands? yes I’m tight.
— JelaniAlladin (@JelaniAlladin) January 7, 2021
The 25th amendment is too little too late. Trump must be impeached (again) and removed from office without the possibility of a political future or tax-payer funded private security. He must leave office a man without a country and be tried and convicted for all of his crimes.
— Dr. Shakina MFA, PhD (@Shakeenz) January 7, 2021
Miss me with the Ham references. I am grateful for the love, but nothing in that song stands as a lesson against tyranny. It’s the ultimate act of Humility within the seat of power. What we need right now is for our congress to impeach and REMOVE that man NOW
— Christopher Jackson (@ChrisisSingin) January 7, 2021
I just woke up thinking I’d had a crazy horrible dream and then realized no, that really happened yesterday. We can’t just quietly move on from that.
— Judy Kuhn (@JudyKuhn1) January 7, 2021
This is all I’ll add because there are calls to be made to Congress & all the work that doesn’t happen on Twitter...
— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) January 7, 2021
Where is the moment of reckoning? When are there actually going to be consequences for bigots & White Supremacists in America?#terroristsnotprotesters
Happy morning after ️. It’s beautiful to be on the right side of the movement. Have a delicious day my brothers and Sisters...#FromALossToAMovement #staceyabramsmedaloffreedom #BidenHarris2020 #GeorgeFloyd #BreonnaTaylor
— Kenny Leon (@iamKENNYLEON) January 7, 2021
You can analyze and dissect everything that happened yesterday. We can all try to heal and act like this was a fever dream but let’s be very clear. The MAGA ideology has traumatized millions for 4 years, has made us the laughingstock of the world and has cost countless lives.
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) January 7, 2021
In the past 24 hours, black people saved our democracy while white fragility tried to destroy it.
— ERIC ULLOA (@TheUlloa2) January 7, 2021
if your'e taking your outrage to twitter, don't forget to also take it to your reps-- ask them to call for the president's immediate removal
— Anaïs Mitchell (@anaismitchell) January 7, 2021
