I hate Arthur Laurents with every fiber of my being (and love him almost as passionately but hate him more), but I can honestly say this to all of you:
Arthur. Never. Used. A. Casting. Couch. In. His. Life.
Again.
Arthur. Never. Used. A. Casting. Couch. In. His. Life.
Understood?
There are many, many, many, many, many horrible things one can say about Arthur--and I have said them, and I will say them, and others have said them, and others will say them--but one thing I wish those of you who have no personal knowledge of him would drop is this casting-couch rumor.
It diminishes the absolutely poisonous nature of his real deeds by reducing his evil to a level we all share: lust. If that were all it were, one could almost admire him him, at 92, for still being active.
But Arthur commits evil acts against people for reasons far scarier than a casting couch. It's something sick and evil, and something I hope few of you, if any, experience in your lifetimes.
My heart goes out to Matt, whose performance in this production I disliked. I look forward to cheering your next one.
