Inside the Actors’ Gang

While it is true that the opinion piece or commentary may be traditions for newspapers of all sizes, I found it very odd to open my newspaper last Sunday and find Tim Robbins’ personal commentary on the Actors’ Gang virtually unmarked as such (First Person, “A Long-Overdue Risk,” Oct. 14).

I also found it extremely odd that the Los Angeles Times would choose to utilize its quite premium space in Sunday Calendar for a highly subjective “point” with no “counterpoint.”

The very contentious and difficult situation that has occurred and continues to occur at the Actors’ Gang since January is extraordinarily complicated.

It involves a level of personal, political and, because of Mr. Robbins’ celebrity, public complexity that is quite daunting. It has resulted in job losses and the fracturing of one of the city’s oldest native theater ensembles.

For The Times to allow its only coverage of this complicated and difficult situation to come in the form of a commentary piece written by one extraordinarily biased, extremely involved member of the organization is, at best, irresponsible and, at worst, unethical.

Where is the counterpoint to this commentary? Is a small, shadow-print title of “First Person” supposed to justify The Times’ allowing Mr. Robbins to use the paper as his personal podium? Or has Tim Robbins been hired by The Times as a reporter?

I think, perhaps, the carte blanche given Mr. Robbins by The Times has more to do with fame than fact. Lack of ethics in the face of celebrity never ceases to amaze me.

ELIZABETH TOBIAS

Former assistant managing director

Former artistic committee member

The Actors’ Gang

Los Angeles