As Donald Trump continues to dismantle The Kennedy Center amid his first hundred days back in office, one performer is calling him out.
Kalen Robinson, who starred as a fish named Seasil in the recently-cancelled tour of the Kennedy-produced children’s musical Finn, reacted to the news Friday on her Instagram Story.
“Everyone go around the room and share fun facts,” she said in the short clip. “I’ll start. The president of the United States took away my job, and my joy. So… share your fun fact of this oppressive regime.”
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Caelyn D. Williams, who played Aggie, wrote in her own post, “Today the answer to my prayer of continuing to spread the message of this show on a national tour was answered with either a ‘not yet’ or ‘something else.’ While that answer brought tears to my eyes and disappointment in my heart, I will not stay in this sad place. I will keep the joy of this show, the cast and crew, the production team and the smiles of the families that laughed, danced and shared love with us while on stage. That is one thing they can’t take away.”
The cancelation of the musical, which is about a young shark who “wants to let out his inner fish,” was announced on the show’s Instagram page. “We didn’t ask for this joy bomb of a show to be a part of the resistance, but here we are,” they wrote.
“At its heart it has a universal message of love and acceptance,” the statement continued. “The fact that that extends to sparkly boys seems to be controversial.”
In a statement to Deadline, a Kennedy Center spokesperson called the move “a purely financial decision,” following Trump’s appointment as the Center’s new chairman after he ousted half the organization’s board members, whom were nominated by Joe Biden.
The show’s team has since taken to Instagram to thank supporters in the wake of the cancelation. “Whoa! We have been absolutely blown away by the incredible outpouring of love and support that we’ve received over the course of the last twenty four hours,” they wrote. “This community is amazing. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you all!”
They added, “Despite the cancellation of our tour, we are determined to get this message out there to everyone who needs to hear it. Take a listen to the song [‘Sparkle and Shine’] on Spotify, Apple Music, or anywhere music is streamed. Thank you from the bottom of our hears, and stay tuned for ways that you can help!”
Trump previously threatened to make the Kennedy Center “GREAT AGAIN,” announcing his plan last week to remove those “who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” he added. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
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