Major advertisers are jumping ship this week after outcry over a Broadway play depicting the assassination of Donald Trump.
The play put on by Shakespeare in the Park is a rework of the classic piece Julius Caesar, which tells the story of the coup and assassination of the Roman Emperor.
But the play puts a modern spin on it recasting Caesar as President Trump, complete with iconic hair, overcoat and extra-long tie.
There’s no mistaking the political overtones in the play, enough to make Kathy Griffin’s supporters blush.
Here’s more from NY Daily News…
Delta Airlines and Bank of America pulled out of their sponsorship of New York’s Public Theater on Sunday over a production of “Julius Caesar” that reimagines the main character as President Trump.
Shortly after Delta, who was a four-year sponsor, made its announcement, Bank of America yanked its support as well.
The Shakespeare in the Park play tells the story of the leader assassinated by Roman senators over the fear that he’s becoming too tyrannical, but rather than the original setting, the production stages Caesar (Gregg Henry) and his wife, Calpurnia, (Tina Benko) with Donald and Melania Trump lookalikes.
Henry, who already played a Trump stand-in on “Scandal” last year, models his Caesar almost perfectly after the man in the Oval Office. He meets his end after being stabbed to death by women and minorities on stage.
Benko, similarly, plays Calpurnia with a thick Slavic accent, much like Melania herself.
The recreation has drawn ire from those who say the show promotes violence against the President. Those critics include the President’s son, Donald Trump Jr.
“I wonder how much of this ‘art’ is funded by taxpayers? Serious question, when does ‘art’ become political speech & does that change things?” the younger Trump tweeted Sunday in response to a Fox News article that accused the show of depicting the assassination of the President.
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