Group sues Purdue over controversial
play
By Kurt Esposito
Summer Editor
Eleven Allen County residents and 21 state lawmakers
filed a lawsuit Thursday against the Purdue Board of Trustees, seeking
to end the production at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
of a controversial play based on the life of Christ.
The play, Corpus Christi, written by Terrence McNally,
tells the story of man named Joshua living in Texas in the '70s. His
life parallels the life of Jesus Christ and includes characters based
on and named after the 12 disciples. The play features many gay themes
and suggests the lead character and Judas have sex.
"Corpus Christi in an unbridled full-blown attack
on Jesus Christ and his follower," said John Price, attorney for the
plaintiffs.
He said the play portrays Jesus Christ as a drunkard,
a liar and one who engages in both homo- and hetero- promiscuous sex.
He said he would have no problem with the play
if it was moved and staged in a private venue, but it is unconstitutional
for the play to be held on public property.
The suit cites the 1971 Lemon v. Kurtzman Supreme
Court decision, which states that it is unconstitutional under the religion
clauses of the First Amendment for a state to contribute funds that
would support a specific religion. It would also, therefore, be unconstitutional
for a state to contribute funds to anything that would directly attack
one particular religion.
Jonathan Gilbert, the student director of the play,
said the play is in no way a direct attack on Christianity. He said
the lead character is only based on Jesus Christ and the events of the
play are only dramatic interpretations of those in Bible.
Since the play opened in 1998, theater critics
have criticized it for being nothing but an attack on Christianity.
But Gilbert said he is not putting on the play to defame the religion,
rather because the material needs to be heard.
"(It) never intends to be scripture, (it's) not
intended to be the life of Christ. Just similarities; parallels."
He said despite what some people have heard about
the play, it does not feature the Christ-like character having sex with
all 12 disciples and never specifically refers to the character as being
a homosexual.
He said it is suggested that many of apostles are
homosexuals.
The board is being sued because the Indiana University-Purdue
University Fort Wayne theater department falls under Purdue.
Joe Bennett, vice president for University Relations,
said the University has stated it will not stop the production of the
play. He said the play was proposed by Gilbert as a senior project and
was approved to have academic merit by the appropriate faculty member.
"The University will not interfere with that process," he said.
The play is scheduled to open Aug. 10.
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