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Carla Zampatti chief executive Alex Schuman.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Louise Kennerley<\/cite><\/p>\n The protest at the Roslyn Packer Theatre has rocked the theatre world, with two STC board members resigning, subscribers cancelling tickets and the company cancelling Wednesday\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n Alex Schuman, son of fashion icon Carla Zampatti and CEO of the design house she formed, on Thursday became the second Sydney Theatre Company foundation director to quit.<\/em><\/p>\n Schuman, who is the brother of Wentworth Independent MP Allegra Spender and fashion designer Bianca Spender, confirmed to this masthead he had resigned, but would not comment further.<\/p>\n The production of The Visitors<\/i> was helmed by high-profile director Wesley Enoch, who was also director of the Sydney Festival from 2017 to 2021.<\/p>\n He said the decision to deliver the statement from the stage came after a \u201clong process\u201d of consultation. \u201cWe talked about it being unanimous so that everyone in that shared space could back it up,\u201d he says. \u201cThere was a big conversation about that that went for a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n Enoch said the cast had not sought approval for the statement from management.<\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn\u2019t something that the cast asked to be sanctioned,\u201d he says. \u201cI can\u2019t remember the process. There was nowhere at any point did people ask for or need to be signed off in that way. But the conversation was not just about the actors, it was done with the design team, the writer, myself as the director.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s the responsibility of every individual to have a position on important issues in the world and for you then to act upon those where and how you act upon that is absolutely up to you.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not here to tell people what they can and can\u2019t do in this way. I know what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n Sydney Theatre Company has been contacted for comment. The company cancelled Wednesday night\u2019s performance at short notice due to \u201ca duty of care perspective\u201d an STC spokesperson said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand that this caused significant inconvenience to many audience members and we sincerely apologise. The remaining season of The Seagull<\/em> is scheduled to continue as planned,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n The Walsh Bay Theatre company has been in damage control since actors Harry Greenwood, Mabel Li and Megan Wilding wore keffiyeh scarves in solidarity with Palestine during the play\u2019s encore on opening night on Saturday.<\/p>\n Judi Hausmann, another foundation director, resigned earlier this week in a letter claiming her fellow foundation directors: \u201cminimised the harm and devastation this has caused to me personally and the Jewish community in general.\u201d<\/p>\n Schuman and Hausmann were both on the board of the foundation which manages the fundraising arm of the theatre company, along with actor Hugo Weaving, whose son Harry Greenwood is one of the protesting actors.<\/p>\n Other high-profile performers including Mia Wasikowska, Tim Minchin and Heather Mitchell are also founding directors. Both Minchin and Mitchell were not available for comment.<\/p>\n The foundation operates separately to its board which was chaired by former Qantas head Alan Joyce before he took extended leave in September. Ann Johnson has been acting chair since his departure.<\/p>\n There has been support for the three performers among the acting community and on social media. Actor Cassandra Sorrell (Bump, Eden<\/em>) wrote on Instagram on Wednesday: \u201c\u2018In all the universe nothing remains permanent and unchanged but the spirit.\u2019 -Chekhov. These actors know it. Stand by your artists @sydneytheatreco\u201d<\/p>\n But the STC has also been flooded with letters of complaint from Jewish subscribers threatening to cancel their subscriptions or boycott performances of the Chekhov classic adapted by Andrew Upton.<\/p>\n Among them, former Disability Royal Commissioner Justice Ronald Sackville has written to STC Executive Director Ann Dunn asking for an explanation from the STC board about why the actors were wearing keffiyehs at the performance.<\/p>\n \u201cIn our view the actors were not entitled, without prior warning to the audience in advance of a performance, to express their views on a highly complex and deeply contentious issues,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from books editor Jason Steger. <\/i><\/b>Get it delivered every Friday<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\nMost Viewed in Culture<\/h2>\n
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