Because of the current groupthink that the American theatre feels it must adhere to, they can't even tell the story of Tammy Faye Bakker properly. I keep returning to the quote from Elisabeth Vincentelli's New York Times review of the 2020 Off Bway revival of The Unsinkable Molly Brown: "Where's the moral ambiguity?"
If anyone had "moral ambiguity" it's Tammy Faye Bakker, but apparently they're afraid to show it. They mustn't "offend" certain sections of the audience, so they end up with nothing. I don't think Tennessee Williams (only one example) sat around worrying about who he mustn't offend.
And, in case you're wondering, I wasn't at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, so don't jump to conclusions. I know plenty of liberal-minded people who agree with me about the current groupthink in American theatre. |
