ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A Schuylkill County theater was forced to cancel one of its weekend events after the Catholic Diocese of Allentown said it could not hold a Disney-themed drag show there.
But the show is set to go on, with performers securing a new venue in Pottsville.
The Actors Guild of Schuylkill County was scheduled to present the drag-show fundraiser Saturday night at the Kelsey Theater in St. Clair.
“We simply are not big enough or rich enough to fight the Catholic Diocese."The Actors Guild of Schuylkill County
But guild and theater representatives said they canceled it after getting “threats of legal action from the Catholic Diocese.”
“We are saddened by the intolerance of others in the community and the slander that we have been enduring,” representatives said last week on Facebook. They said they wished they could “continue with the show.”
“We simply are not big enough or rich enough to fight the Catholic Diocese,” they said.
The Kelsey Theater opened after the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County bought the former church building of St. Peter and St. Paul from the Diocese in 2019, according to a statement from church spokesperson Lina Tavarez.
“Drag shows, particularly those including minors, contradict the teachings of the Church and our understanding of the dignity (of) the human person."Catholic Diocese of Allentown
The guild agreed to several “deed restrictions supporting Catholic values” as a condition of the sale, the statement says.
“Drag shows, particularly those including minors, contradict the teachings of the Church and our understanding of the dignity [of] the human person,” the diocese said.
Deed restrictions on The Kelsey Theater are “very specific” and ban bars, nightclubs and topless dancing on the property, according to the Actors Guild of Schuylkill County.
“It was and still is our position that the drag show event was not going against the deed restrictions as they are written and agreed upon,” the guild said on Facebook.
“We hope that this situation can be resolved, and we can continue to offer a space for everyone to create performance art.”
Saturday night’s Disney-themed drag show was to raise “desperately” needed funding for a new roof and other purchases, according to the actors guild.
The drag-show benefit is now scheduled for 2 p.m. April 6 at the AMVETS Post 180 in Pottsville.
