So CUNY decided to give Tony Kushner an honorary doctorate, but then Jeffrey Weisenfeld, one of the CUNY trustees with a history of extreme anti-Arab racism, attacked Kushner with unfounded "information" about Kushner's supposed views on Israel and convinced the board to reverse its decision, and then lots of people rallied to Kushner's defense -- and to the defense of free and open debate -- including Jews for Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), Jewish Voice for Peace, Jews Say No!, Jews against Islamophobia, The Shalom Center, and many others (I co-wrote the petition as a representative of the board of JFREJ) and then one of the trustees contacted Kushner, not exactly to apologize, but to open a discussion about reversing the decision.
And just after we all signed off on the petition, I had to go deliver some hard drives to my friend and colleague Brett in Crown Heights, and since it was really really nice out, I decided to stop off to stick my nose in the apple and lilac blossoms at the Botanic Garden for an hour, which I wait for all winter, and then I wait for all early Spring, and then it comes so suddenly, and it stays such a short time -- but it feels longer if you live in the country, because you don't have to go somewhere to find them, you just get to be with them every time you go outside. And just as I was taking in the heady fragrance of some particularly beautiful lilacs, I got a call from someone I had been working with in the morning that now I had to read over and sign off on a press release on the same topic, and so the world of fighting against anti-Arab racists who are willing to shame and blame fellow Jews for more progressive political beliefs collided with the world of Angel White and Beauty of Moscow and Congo and Maiden's Blush and President Grevy and President Lincoln and Primrose and Sensation and Tinkerbelle, which are all, as you already probably guessed, lilac varieties.
It so happened that my tickets (which I bought months ago) to see iHo, as Kushner calls his play, were for that same night -- a coincidence that I would have an all-Kushner day, to mirror the Signature Theatre's all-Kushner season. And it just so happened that Tony was in the lobby when I was, dropping off copies of the Communist Manifesto for his cast, and then not staying to watch -- which he was probably happy about, since his play opened the night before. So we had a quick hello, and then I went into the theater, with greater anticipation than I've had in years for a new play.
I don't want to review it here, and I don't want to give anything away, but really, if you can, you should go. It's like an Arthur Miller dialectic sitcom -- a really long sitcom, or maybe you're sick in bed and watch 8 half-hour episodes in a row. It's completely rooted in at least three worlds that I'm completely rooted in (gay/lez, labor, and Brooklyn) and it's all about people trying to balance out their commitment to their principles with their commitment to their community (family, friends, lovers.) It's messy, it's funny, it's brilliant. It's as heady as the lilacs, but much louder. It's a masterful exploration of personal vs political ethics, and if you do go see it, please talk with me afterwards.
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