The Terrence McNally play, “Corpus Christi,” which features a Christ-like character having sex with the twelve apostles, has been withdrawn by the Manhattan Theatre Club, the producer of the play. News reports cite protests launched by the Catholic League, security concerns and public outrage as the reasons why the play was nixed; it was scheduled to open on Broadway this fall.
Catholic League president William Donohue responded to the news this way:
“We are delighted that the Manhattan Theatre Club pulled the plug from this despicable play. While McNally has every legal right to insult Christians, he has no moral right to do so.
“I personally wrote to every federal, state and local official who has anything to do with oversight responsibilities for the arts, requesting that pressure be brought to bear on the Manhattan Theatre Club; I also asked that funding of the production company be withdrawn. Moreover, the Catholic League waged a tireless media campaign against the play, with Rick Hinshaw leading the way.
“We greet the news of the play’s cancellation with joy. But if some other production company decides to pick it up, it had better not be thin-skinned: we’ll wage a war that no one will forget.”
