A New York City theater has abruptly cancelled a play about an abortionist imprisoned for life for killing babies. Though the theater cited safety concerns and content inappropriate for children, the writer behind the controversial show claims they are afraid of the story he is trying to tell.
Playwright Phelim McAleer pointed out to The Daily Wire on Tuesday that Theatre Row has hosted a slew of other plays labeled inappropriate for children (including Hitler’s Tasters, My Mother’s Severed Head, and the production Satan and God) — and McAleer believes Theatre Row cancelled the show because it exposes the gruesome crimes of an abortionist.
“Theatre Row claims to support the arts and a diverse array of views, but it’s clear from their letter that they will not hesitate to silence artists who don’t fit their narrative,” McAleer told The Daily Wire. “Their letter is a complete fraud and they should be ashamed of themselves. This is so-called elites trying to cover up the truth. They are afraid of facts and real art. They are sham artists.”
“Oh Gosnell: The Truth About Abortion” is a production billed as “the most controversial Off Broadway play this year,” reportedly taken verbatim from the trial transcript of Kermit Gosnell, who is serving multiple life sentences in Pennsylvania’s Huntington Correctional Institute.
Gosnell was convicted in 2013 on three counts of first-degree murder for killing babies by cutting their spinal cords with scissors at his Philadelphia abortion clinic.
McAleer and his wife, Anne McElhinney, who investigated Gosnell’s crimes for their best-selling book, have talked to Gosnell over the phone many times and even visited the convicted murderer in prison “where he veered from charming old uncle to really, really creepy,” McAleer told The Daily Wire.
The show is set to launch on the same night as J.J. Abrams’ and Ilana Glazer’s supposed abortion comedy, “Oh God: A Show About Abortion.” It will now be performed at The Chain Theatre instead, McAleer said.
“They laugh about it – we tell the truth about it,” the Unreported Story Society’s website says. “Gosnell was a serial killer abortion doctor who was convicted of killing babies and women patients.”
Theatre Row, an “Off-Broadway multi-theater complex in the heart of the Theater District,” did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire. The complex is operated by Building for the Arts NY, Inc.
In an April 21 letter to the Unreported Story Society, Building for the Arts NY, Inc.’s legal representation claimed that McAleer’s organization withheld “material information” from the theatre company in a manner “constituting fraud.”
“Our nonprofit mission is public record,” the letter said. “The Play’s content violates material terms of the executed agreement including, without limitation, the subject matter inappropriate for children and the resultant disrepute suffered by the Licensor.”
“The Theatre will not be able to exercise reason in granting many, if not all, of the approvals required,” the letter continued. “This should have been obvious to the Licensee. Upon information and belief, there are numerous deficiencies, breaches and violations regarding good standing, insurance, and attendant rules, but this letter is not meant to set forth a comprehensive list of reasons. We are concerned for the safety of our staff and our neighbors.”
The letter warns the Unreported Story Society that the theatre has “informed security and local law enforcement that there is no property left in the building and no reason for your return to the premises.”
“Kindly do not contact any individuals at Theatre Row as you have been made aware that they have engaged litigation counsel,” the letter said. “Direct all questions or other communications to this office. Your deposit is being returned today.”
McAleer told The Daily Wire that the theater company is “afraid” and that their claims have “no basis in reality,” calling the letter “the best piece of fiction they have ever produced.”
He also said he finds it ironic that the company would consider a play about abortion as “inappropriate for children” when “plays like the one produced by Hollywood Producer J.J. Abrams are deadly to children every day in America.”
“Our play uses fact, evidence, and testimony, and humanizes babies,” he added, noting that “J.J. Abrams, Ilana Glazer and their pro-abortion cronies like to joke about destroying babies.”
“These are two different views of the world,” he emphasized, asking, “shouldn’t the public hear both?”