Proof that Randy Newmann was right, stubby Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced he canceled all state grants supporting the arts because of “sexual” content at Fringe Festival in Orlando and Tampa, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Originally held in Edinburgh, Scotland and then spread around the world, Fringe Festivals are programs where writers and performers produce new and experimental theatre. Such award-winning works as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Stomp debuted at Edinburgh. The festivals in Orlando and Tampa schedule a wide range of shows, from kid-friendly and -focused programs to adult-themed dramas and comedies, like the theatre world in general.
“You have your tax dollars being given in grants to things like the Fringe Festival, which is like a sexual festival where they’re doing all this stuff,” DeSantis said during a media event on Thursday where he could not identify the “stuff” he objected to or specific shows he saw.