In Texas, a man or woman in drag, or an actor wearing nothing at all, has become a potential subject of criminal prosecution. Senate Bill 12, which was signed into law in June by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, makes it a crime to present a “sexually oriented” performance to anyone under 18. The law is now on hold as a court battle rages over its constitutionality. Its penalties sent institutions scrambling for legal advice: Offending “premises” are subject to a $10,000 fine for each infraction, and their operators can be charged with a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail.
Which is how the Dallas Theater Center’s revival of “The Rocky Horror Show,” a mainstream, Broadway-tested hit and longtime cult movie sensation as “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” has been transformed into something more than mere pop entertainment. It has become a symbol of freedom, a focal point in a broad effort by authorities in red states to demonize drag and regulate artistic expression... |
