Posted on 10/19/2004 10:41:54 PM PDT by bd476
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Youngsters Play Hollywood Spirituals in A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant
By Ernio Hernandez
Following sold-out Off-Off-Broadway and Off-Broadway runs last winter, the Obie Award-honored musical A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant opens in Los Angeles, Oct. 15.The work, featuring a cast of 8 to 12-year-olds, was presented by downtown company Les Freres Corbusier in New York. The Los Angeles run will be co-produced with and at the Powerhouse Theatre for an engagement through Nov. 21. A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant is a self-proclaimed "bizarre new holiday classic — part avant-garde performance art, part children's theater — based on the actual principles of Scientology and the seriously unbelievable life story of founder L. Ron Hubbard." "We're excited to take this production to the very center of the Church of Scientology – Los Angeles. Since the whole goal of the show is to imagine how the Scientologists might stage a nativity pageant, there's no better place to try than in their Jerusalem," stated Timbers in a release. The musical, featuring a book, music and lyrics by Kyle Jarrow, based on a concept by director Alex Timbers, has the children actors portraying the religion's top advocates such as Tom Cruise, Kirstie Alley and John Travolta. The cast of Pageant features Kristopher Barnett, Jamie Dahlke, Katie Ellis, Nikki Haddad, Jessica Haddad, Chigoziri Ikeme, Kyle Kaplan, Molly Elizabeth Matzke, Anthony Quinonez and Mario Quinonez. The design team includes David Evans Morris (set), Juliet Chia (lighting) and Jennifer Rogien (costumes). Kurt Deutsch's Sh-K-Boom Records — who have recorded Broadway's Amour and Off-Broadway's Debbie Does Dallas and The Last Five Years — will release a cast album on Nov. 2. ..."
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(Excerpt) Read more at playbill.com ...
Scientology is a dangerous nut cult; this murderous organization whose tenets are so lovingly advertised by shills like John Travolta and Kirstie Alley has legions of goons that pursue, defame, and personally attack critics and sue others into oblivion. The abuses committed by David Miscavige and his league of the unholy make Charles Manson's followers look like the League of Women Voters.
Many people see some very uncomfortable parallels between McPherson and the case of Terri Schiavo. The hospice where Schiavo is imprisoned today by her philandering "husband" is also in Clearwater FL.
Did you see the story where the Church of Scientology landed in Russia to counsel recruit surviving victims in the Beslan tragedy? The Russians threw them out when a family member came upon a Scientologist hypnotizing one of the survivors.
Sad really. The Russians used to do more than just "throw out" enemies of the state. Just ask the Germans around Stalingrad in WW II.
Do you have an electronic box with lights that flash?
Nope, I gave my meter away, BTW, they don't have flashing lights.
Are you now or have you ever been an "auditor?"
I have been.
There is some benefit to be found in $cientology. As one progresses to the higher levels the benefits taper off and the pernicious harm begins.
Once you've nibbled off the bait, the hook is revealed...
Hubbard died of a cerebral hemorrhage. He was being medicated with Coumidin, which is also sold under the brand name "Warfarin" as a rat poison - causes death by bleeding. There was no autopsy. His body was promptly cremated, legal as he was under the care of a physician - Dr. Gene Denk - at the time of his death. His Last Will and Testament was signed within hours of his death, giving his inner circle total control of $cientology, and the Hubbard millions.
Whether he died of old age, medical misadventure or a deliberate act will probably never be known, but people have been murdered for far far less.
The more you learn the more it should scare the heck out of you. Thanks for the info.
Did you experience any problems getting out of the group, whether in thought process, personally feeling the loss or in being shunned, once you walked away? If these questions are too personal, please accept my apology in advance and ignore them. :)
It's nice to meet someone who was able to walk away.
Satire does not have to be based on humor -- it merely points out the ridiculousness of a subject. When I read this, I saw the play as a satire about Scientology. People will see this play and realize what a ridiculous little cult it really is.
What does ridiculousness have to do with anything? Take a look at the Scientology web site, ridicule all you want and then please explain why the Church of Scientology's membership keeps growing as otherwise intelligent, successful people continue getting sucked into its grips.
One man's ridiculousness is another man's...
Junior said: "People will see this play and realize what a ridiculous little cult it really is."
People don't need to see a musical to realize that it's a ridiculous cult.
This musical is not a satire. The musical is based entirely upon the fundamentals of Scientology, in premise, script and delivery.
The writer and director decided to open the musical in Los Angeles, HQ of Scientology. They chose child actors for the cast. What could be more "innocent" and convincing?
Some. I had devoted a lot of my life to the church. I'm still in touch with some of my friends from that era, one who is still in the church. Most of the time in Scientology was a blast, done properly with good intentions most of the lower level processes produce lots of relief. Sometimes tears followed with laughter. But always feeling better afterward. I miss feeling like I was part of something big. These days I get the same sort of feeling form some of my jobs - I'm working in biotech/bioMEMS/drug research.
By the time I formally left most of my friends had already bailed. I had been inactive for a couple years. The church changed after Hubbard died. While he was alive there was the illusion that the highest member was keeping some oversight "You can always write to Ron." and that there was more motivation than just money.
The new management devoted its' early efforts to kicking out those closest to Ron, and consolidating power. Money and power became the driving forces, the delivery of services suffered horribly, auditing hours counted more than results, people were rushed through their levels without deriving more than a small fraction of the benefits available, and onto levels they weren't ready for. Quite like social promotion in public schools with the same disastrous results.
By the time I left the church as I knew it (which was a rose colored glasses version anyway) had changed beyond recognition.
Still, unlike most people I didn't just walk away, I routed out through each of the organizations I had dealings with. It took a few days, lots of conversations with lots of people, and I got back money I had on account. I didn't ask for refunds of money spent on training and auditing, figuring that I'd been satisfied with them at the time and I had received full value for cash.
It was worth the aggravation to leave cleanly.
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