Yep, I really do.You just don't get it do you.
See, I go to a lot of theater. It's one of my hobbies. I'm a regular attendee at the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia, the Shakespeare Theater Company and Arena Stage in Washington, the Round House Theater in Chevy Chase, the Shaw Festival in Ontario-on-the-Lake, and several others. It's a fair bet I see upwards of 60 plays any given year. So I'm used to:
1. Actors interacting with the audience.
2. Actors (and playwrights and directors) making political points with their plays and interpretations
3. Actors acknowledging the presence of famous people in the audience, and even (gasp!) addressing them.
What did Dixon say that pissed you off so bad? That many people in America are disturbed and anxious about the election? Was it expressing a hope that Pence (and by extension the entire administration) will work to protect and care for all Americans?
Here's the full text of Dixon's speech:
“You know, we have a guest in the audience this evening. And Vice President-elect Pence, I see you walking out, but I hope you will hear us just a few more moments. There’s nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen. There’s nothing to boo here. We’re all here sharing a story of love. We have a message for you, sir. We hope that you will hear us out.
"Vice President-elect Pence, we welcome you, and we truly thank you for joining us here at ‘Hamilton: An American Musical.’ We really do,” Dixon said to further applause. “We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights, sir. But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us. Again, we truly thank you truly for seeing this show, this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations.”
So, let me backtrack on what I said earlier. No, I don't get it. I don't see what's so all-fired bad about this message, delivered respectfully, after the play was over. And you know what? Pence says the same thing. He says he wasn't offended, and he heard the message.
So why don't you explain to me exactly what you're so offended about?