French fest shut down by protest
Striking actors brought down the curtain on France’s Avignon festival on Tuesday in a dispute over proposed welfare changes, despite a plea by the culture minister for the show to go on.
Performing artists, actors and stagehands held protests in Avignon, La Rochelle and Paris as unions met employers ahead of a vote on whether to continue action.
The row erupted just as actors and roadies were setting up for France’s summer festivals, which attract hordes of theater lovers and talent-spotters and bring money into towns such as Avignon.
Avignon’s Tuesday opening performances were axed and the festival board scheduled a Wednesday meeting to discuss scrapping the entire three-week program, which normally draws more than 100,000 visitors.
From Reuters
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
