The Theater Fund-Raiser That Disappeared

I was on the East Coast for the purpose of attending the Harvard commencement when the Los Angeles Times called me to ask how I felt about the Laguna Playhouse’s canceling its “Summer Sorcery” fund-raising benefit at Moss Point, an event that the Rev. Jerry Tankersley of the Laguna Presbyterian Church called “a mixture of alcohol and the practice of the occult.”

So completely shocked by this response to what they thought was an innocent fun party, the playhouse canceled the sold-out event and returned the money to those many supportive friends who felt that this would be an extremely entertaining evening. Despite the playhouse’s loss of a considerable amount of money, I do believe that this was a correct decision.

With an ultra-conservative membership from both Laguna and Leisure World, the playhouse has always successfully maintained an unimpaired conservative stance. The Presbyterian Church, with the largest congregation of any church in Laguna, is a good part of that membership. If they believe, for whatever reason, that our fund-raising party would have been an un-Christian display of satanism, we are forced to respect that belief.

Extremely saddened by this event, the playhouse is now planning another type of fund-raiser at Moss Point. Do wish us luck.

CONSTANCE MORTHLAND

Laguna Beach

Morthland owns the property in Laguna Beach where the fund-raiser was to have been held.