Rantz: 5th Avenue Theater tells whites not to attend its plays

Seattle’s 5th Avenue Theater is hoping white patrons don’t attend some performances in the upcoming season — as a way to promote inclusion. Though they can’t legally deny entry on the basis of race, they’re trying to dissuade attendance from whites anyway. It should be enough to dissuade all of us from visiting the theater ever again.

The Global Majority Nights at The 5th Avenue Theatre is meant to bring “Black communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color to experience our shows together,” free from white people. It’s likely they also don’t want Asians or Latinos to attend, given they “other” those groups by explicitly inviting black and Native Americans to attend, while lumping everyone else in as “communities of color.” 

5th Avenue Theater management said this is a way to atone for their past racism. They don’t seem to recognize the irony.

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If you’re white, stay away from racist 5th Avenue Theater

In an effort to be more inclusive, the theater hopes to exclude groups on the basis of their skin color. Black and Native American theatergoers even get a discount code because 5th Avenue Theater doesn’t seem to think they can otherwise afford tickets. It’s their version of an affirmative action bake sale.

“The 5th Avenue Theatre recognizes that our Global Majority community members have historically been met with elitism and exclusion in our theatre. We have to change. We are asking what belonging truly means to us and how we can best be of service to the abundant vibrancy of Seattle,” the 5th Avenue Theater website says. “As one initiative, we hope these evenings of theater will be ones where self-identifying members of the community can come together, to enjoy storytelling and engage with the performance.”

“Global majority” is a term that references the fact that the majority of the global population isn’t white. They haven’t figured out that their racist embrace means they view white people as the minority, suggesting they are the ones being oppressed here.

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Woke madness kills the theater

While many businesses have dropped woke, performative activism whereby self-loathing, (mostly) white progressives play White Savior, 5th Avenue Theater leans in. Their obsession with race is unhealthy and divisive. They don’t even explain how their theater excluded anyone in the past. But atoning for past sins that don’t exist earns you good press.

The best way to be more inclusive is to actually be more inclusive. That means, not pushing people away on the basis of skin color.

Prior to Black Lives Matter activism, judging people on the basis of their skin color was seen as racist. Rightly so. Now, it’s seen (by Progressives) as enlightened (coincidentally by the same crowd that preached the importance of diversity). But it’s not enlightened; I write about it in my forthcoming book What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities.

Above all, this woke stunt is actually insulting to blacks, not just whites.

Patently offensive

The theater’s all-white Executive Team appears to view blacks and Native Americans as too fragile to be around white people. They seem to think the mere sight of a white person may trigger them.

It’s condescending. Ironically, the only people who will likely find this racist stunt appealing are white Progressives who listen to NPR and are proud of themselves for living in South Seattle to show that they’re one with communities of color (Seattle Times columnist Naomi Ishisaka probably finds this innovative). Thankfully, not every black or Native American local hates white people as the theater staff seems to. Management did not respond to a request for comment by the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH.

If management was interested in promoting inclusion, they wouldn’t exclude. But that’s likely not their interest.

Black theatergoers, and those of any race, are already invited to every other performance. They were already inclusive — they just didn’t earn any social currency off of it. That’s why they’re hosting Global Majority Night. They’re desperate for some credit, with management hoping to make more black friends.

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UPDATE: After criticism, the theater updated its website to defend itself from concerns. They compare this event to inviting high school students to watch performances and say it’s not about excluding any group.

“One night per production we specifically invite communities of color to enjoy discounted seating throughout the house and event benefits so that they feel invited and a sense of belonging at the theatre. There are networking opportunities to meet people interested in the arts in Seattle, and opportunities to meet and engage with The 5th Avenue Theatre staff,” the statement reads.

For the rest of their commentary, click here.

Worth watching from @BrandiKruse (who was on to this before I was!): https://t.co/YAbfI15XCc

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) September 6, 2023

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). He is the author of the book “What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities.” Subscribe to the podcast. Follow @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Check back frequently for more news and analysis.

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