Lakewood’s Beck Center is under attack once more from religious fundamentalists organized by the group America Needs Fatima, a family-run operation based in Kansas and Pennsylvania. Protests during the opening weekend of the production of the award-winning farce Jerry Springer: The Opera, resulted in sold-out performances (see Cool Cleveland video here), and The Beck Center deciding to extend the run of the show, much to the delight of area fans and supporters. Remaining tickets available here: www.BeckCenter.org.
Using a cynical campaign of disinformation, intimidation and, in some cases, outright lies, the protesters, none of whom have admitted to seeing the show, have been attacking The Beck Center for the Arts not simply as an expression of their free speech, but as a way to raise their own funds, increase membership and sell trinkets to support their $7 million per year operation (see IRS 990 here).
Conversely, The Beck Center for the Arts is a 78-year-old non-profit cultural arts organization serving tens of thousands of children annually with classes in theatre, music, dance and visual arts, plus a Creative Arts Therapies department that serves thousands of special needs individuals per week. Overall, 100,000 children, adults and seniors are served throughout Cuyahoga, Lorain, Lake and Summit Counties on a budget of $2.5 million, supported by grants, donations and theatre ticket sales.
Beck Center director Cindy Einhouse has fielded thousands of emails and phone calls complaining about the Jerry Springer production, while theatre patrons who have actually seen the show have raved about the production’s humor, satire and and its “critique of hypocrisy, entitlement and intolerance…” (see reviews here: CoolCleveland.com, Cleveland.com). The Beck Center’s response to this manufactured outrage has taken up valuable and precious time and resources, including polite responses to many people who have contacted The Beck Center (see Beck Center statement here).
Protests were staged once again for the Sunday, March 13 performance. Fortunately, like the lucky couple pictured here, you can still get tickets to the few remaining upcoming performances. Anyone interested in supporting the Beck Center should contact them at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood (map here) or at 216-521-2540. No reason to let the cynical out-of-towners raise all the noise and have all the fun. http://www.BeckCenter.org
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3 Responses to “Beck Center Under Attack Again”
John Polk
Not sure the protesters achieved their goal (unless the REAL goal of their shenanigans is to make a lot of noise and raise money for their”cause;” the controversy created the best advance ticket sales and fastest sell-out of a production which Beck has experienced in years…
putz
Agree w/John P…Remember bout said play…AWARE of Beck BUT the time,$,etc.remember..THEN forget..THEN have work..then pooch..THEN ..Theeeenn…YOUR $2 worth of R&D CleveCool…hey…KANSAS,etc. …Jerry S..COMPARED to wha RUNNIN ROUND elsewhere ALMOST semi tame…hey..THIS back n forth *$*@…
putz
PA based religioso crew..Yeahhhh CAN pic said…over the border..Ok QUITE a few miles here..still…n they call, @mail KANSAS crew…WHA a fishbowl…CAN pic alllll the crews bumpin INTO town n settin up camp AND…..gonna feel like STATEHOUSE protestors..LOT of pizza sold…Poo mayor n rest get alllllL *$*@* cuz feel ThAT….