As Donald Trump continues to dismantle The Kennedy Center amid his first hundred days back in office, one performer is calling him out.
Kalen Robinson, who starred as a fish named Seasil in the recently-cancelled tour of the Kennedy-produced children’s musical Finn, reacted to the news Friday on her Instagram Story.
“Everyone go around the room and share fun facts,” she said in the short clip. “I’ll start. The president of the United States took away my job, and my joy. So… share your fun fact of this oppressive regime.”
The cancelation of the musical, which is about a young shark who “wants to let out his inner fish,” was announced on the show’s Instagram page. “We didn’t ask for this joy bomb of a show to be a part of the resistance, but here we are,” they wrote.
“At its heart it has a universal message of love and acceptance,” the statement continued. “The fact that that extends to sparkly boys seems to be controversial.”
In a statement to Deadline, a Kennedy Center spokesperson called the move “a purely financial decision,” following Trump’s appointment as the Center’s new chairman after he ousted half the organization’s board members, whom were nominated by Joe Biden.
Trump previously threatened to make the Kennedy Center “GREAT AGAIN,” announcing his plan last week to remove those “who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
“We will soon announce a new Board, with an amazing Chairman, DONALD J. TRUMP!” he added. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP. The Kennedy Center is an American Jewel, and must reflect the brightest STARS on its stage from all across our Nation. For the Kennedy Center, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
