Katie Holmes' Broadway Debut Marred By Protesters

NEW YORK — Katie Holmes knows how to draw a crowd _ including anti-Scientology demonstrators.

Nearly 100 people lined up outside the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre Thursday night an hour before Holmes acted on Broadway for the first time in a preview performance for "All My Sons."

Not in the line: roughly 30 Scientology protesters who stood behind a barricade and loudly chanted "Scientology kills!" Some wore masks like in the movie "V for Vendetta," and one poster read: "FREE KATIE."

Moments before the curtain went up, Holmes' husband _ and Hollywood's most famous Scientologist _ Tom Cruise entered the theater, where he mingled and shook hands with some other theatergoers who took photos and clapped. He then hugged Dustin Hoffman, who was sitting a couple rows away, which drew another cheer inside the theater.

Amid the hubbub, it took awhile for people to take their seats.

Melissa Doyle tried to ignore the ruckus. She said she took her spot in line early, and saw Holmes rush into the theater wearing skinny jeans, a black blazer and oversized sunglasses.

"I love Katie Holmes," the 27-year-old New Yorker said. "I think she's a great actress and right now, I really love her for her fashion, her style! I think she really kind of differentiates herself among young Hollywood. Plus, she's a mom _ and I just think she's a really good role model."

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Alistair Savides, visiting from St. Louis, said he wasn't there to see Holmes. He said he's a fan of Arthur Miller's drama, which first played on Broadway in 1947.

"I don't really care about who's performing as long as they're good at what they do and it's a good play," Savides said.

As protesters' chants grew louder, Savides called it "surreal to be right in the middle of this thing. But, you know, there's always two sides to every story and they just really strongly believe in one side of the story. ... If it adds to public debate, maybe that's a good thing."

Cruise's membership in the Church of Scientology has made him a controversial target of criticism. And last year, Jada Pinkett Smith felt compelled to deny her good friend Holmes is a prisoner in her marriage to Cruise, who's been depicted by the tabloids as a controlling husband.

"All My Sons" concerns businessman Joe Keller (John Lithgow) whose factory supplied defective cylinder parts to the military, resulting in the deaths of 21 pilots during World War II. Yet it was his business partner who went to jail for the mistake.

Dianne Wiest plays Keller's wife; Patrick Wilson his idealistic son; and Holmes the son's fiancee and daughter of Keller's disgraced partner.

The play officially opens Oct. 16.

Comments

[RonNYC]

I'd love to see Patrick Wilson in person.

[ROBOT8]

IT REALLY GETS ATTENTION THOUGH AND UNLIKE THE PRIEST HOOD NO MOLESTING YET

[BlackWidowPilot]

That we know of:

http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[Elahrairah]

Whyaretheydead.net

Nobody molested that we know of, but we know of several murders, don't we?

[firewmn]

**

LEAVE KATIE ALONE....!!

**

[GayTalkExpress]

I agree, she's as much a victim of the cult as anyone out there.

[TheSpiderMind]

So be quite about the cult so it can perpetuate the suffering?

In the videos of the interviews, the protesters stated they supported Katie and the opening, and held up "free Katie" signs.

I know they are exploiting the celebrity angle to get views, but they did it right, were well dressed and behaved and got their message across about the hazard of the cult. No one confronted Katie. Lots of stories are in the press on this and not one has mentioned a negative incident.

[Elahrairah]

Katie signed on with a murderous cult, she opened herself up to the criticism.

[willa]

do these people have anything better to do than protest scientology?

why don't they put this energy to something useful, like campaigning in an election year when we have really serious issues at hand. besides, how is scientology hurting them?

c'mon folks. wake up and smell the coffee.

[BlackWidowPilot]

Willa,

best educate yourself on just what a pernicious scam the "Church" of $cientology really is:

http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm

Hail Xenu.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[billstewart]

I've talked to some of the Anonymous protesters - they show up monthly in my town's shopping street, where the cult has a Dianetics center.
- For some of them, the reason they're protesting Scientology is because of Scientology's aggressive censorship techniques against Internet sites that out them, because censorship is a much more serious problem than overcharging people for bad science fiction.
- For some of the them, it's because they've had friends or family who were part of that poisonous cult, and they want to keep other people from being hurt and defrauded like they were.
- For others, it's what they're doing to help make the world a better place, just as supporting local charities or Arbor Day or cleaning up your local river are good things, and they're more achievable objectives than bigger things like stopping global warming or impeaching Cheney. That doesn't mean they're not working on other good things too - protesting Scientology is more of a part-time low-key activity, an evening or two a month, rather than a full-time obsession.

[kappa08]

You want to see them buzz around like automaton little bees with their cynical stare downs. Come to Clearwater Florida. They own every building and look absolutely miserable in their blue pants and white shirts. Way scary.

[BlueandGreen]

Way, waaay scary. They look like zonked out bus drivers in those uniforms. I avoid Clearwater!

[Swerinjer]

Scientology is actually not that big of a deal.

[barackobama4prez]

Absolutely. There are TONS of other pressing matters to protest.

[Nooneyouknow]

...Except for their brain-washing and mind-control tactics, use of intimidation and threats against perceived enemies, alleged kidnapping and torture, and what do they do with all that money, anyway?

[Fingerbo]

Scientology is idiotic, but Jesus, leave 'er alone. Protesting because of her "faith" seems kind of, oh what's the word, intolerant? Obnoxious behavior.

Would these clowns protest something NOT trivial?

[GayTalkExpress]

These clowns hacked Palin's yahoo account. Is that "important" enough for you?

[BlackWidowPilot]

Finger,

better get clear on *what* you're dismissing as trivial:

http://www.clambake.org/archive/books/bfm/bfmconte.htm

$cientology is a vicious, insidious scam, a pernicious cult that destroys peoples' lives.

$cientology is *anything* but a "faith."

Hail Xenu.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

PROTESTant

[hoopesaz]

Scientologists should be left alone. If the organization is doing something illegal, it should be prosecuted. If their members are doing something illegal, they should be prosectued.

If Scientology really is the evil, horrible sham that everyone claims it to be, then it will fall on it's own accord. In the meantime, it's members should be allowed to believe and organize as they see fit. It is a fundamental freedom given to all in this country.

[progressivelady]

man leave them alone, as long as they are not hurting children, let them worship how they see fit

[realitycheck7]

well then read about the child abuse of the tax exempt corporation that is Scientology

http://www.taxexemptchildabuse.net/

[lioness39]

And child abuse in the Catholic church? Does that count? Unfortunately, you can find child abuse in many areas.

[realitycheck7]

but they do harm children

don't delete just because I post a website!

This is part of the discussion!

taxexemptchildabuse dot net

[kappa08]

If the children don't fall ill. Because if they do, their bs power of prayer doesn't work. SORRY.

[lioness39]

the Christian Scientist don't believe in meds either. No one bashes them like they do these Scientologists.

[em0ry]

Quote: 'Some wore masks like in the movie "V for Vendetta," and one poster read: "FREE KATIE."'

It's a Guy Fawkes mask, you ignorant twit.

Who the hell doesn't know who Guy Fawkes was? Public school, I'm guessing?

[cjs82]

Congratulations, Emory. You just proved that you know more about one moment of history than Erin Carlson. BRAVO!!! However, you might have been intelligent enough to actually comment on the content of her article rather than pinpoint the fact that she chose to use a current cultural reference instead of actually naming a British revolutionary from the 1600's. That's right, Emory. I know who Guy Fawkes was, too...and I went to public school.

[billstewart]

Of _course_ the character V in the V for Vendetta graphic novel and later movie was wearing what he called a Guy Fawkes mask, and that's the mask the Anonymous guys are wearing, like V's followers doing the "I am Spartacus! No *I*'m Spartacus" bit.
But the mask doesn't particularly look at lot like the Guy himself, Guido probably didn't wear a mask and wasn't the mastermind of the Infamous Gunpowder Plot, and Anonymous aren't trying to either reimpose Catholicism on England or bring down a neo-fascist government in post-apocalyptic Britain. The article's description is just fine.

This year, Guy Fawkes Day is the day _after_ the election. We'll see if they've counted the votes correctly this time, and if we get to kick the neo-con usurpers out of the White House - but Cheney looks more like Emperor Palpatine than like Xenu the Evil Space Alien.

Meanwhile, YouTube's probably got a "Leave Katie Alone" video somewhere...

[sean6886]

This is the reason for wars people. Not Scientology, but religion in general. We fear what we do not understand.
There are so many religions in this world that are good, they just do things differently than the next religion, but in the end, they are all trying to accomplish the same objective, be good to themselves, others, and the earth.
Unfortunately, Super-Uber Churches are giving religions a bad name. That includes all religions. It's not about their religion, their faith, their flock, their God. It's now about power, greed, control, politics, etc.
Tom Cruise chose to come out and say some pretty heavy stuff in supporting his religion. I don't really know anything about Scientology, so I cannot speak for it, but if you choose to come out and pass off your beliefs as the ONLY RIGHT ONE, then that's where people become defensive.
Religion should be a personal thing that is shared only with those that want to learn and that ask to learn. Live your life, do good things, help the less fortunate, but don't tell me or anyone else that your way is the only right way, and I won't do the same to you.
Please, don't hate something or someone because you don't understand it. Don't throw rocks into glass houses. Every man, woman, and child has the right to worship anyway they want as long as they are not physically or mentally hurting themselves or others.

[dgd]

Beautifully said (and quite accurate, in my opinion).

[alsm9]

I agree with some of what you said....but not this:

"There are so many religions in this world that are good, they just do things differently than the next religion, but in the end, they are all trying to accomplish the same objective, be good to themselves, others, and the earth."

Really? Name a couple...because I've never seen one...

[sean6886]

Maybe I shouldn't have said religions as much as I should have said individuals that practice religion.
There are individuals, no matter the religion they practice, who do try to live good lives, do good for others as well as themselves, and the earth.

[CostaMesaJoe]

I may be wrong, but isn't Kang and Kodos, the duo Alien characters from the Simpsons, their gods?

[Forester]

crackpot hweirders

[leftoflennon]

I'll go see Katie.

Sad to see people savaged over their beliefs.

[groosemoose]

Go to xenu dot net and read the messages written by people who have gotten out of Scientology. People aren't being savaged over their beliefs. They're being savaged for financially propping up a cult that uses lawsuits to suppress freedom of speech, the lives of former members, and cripples anyone who opposes them.

[QueenOfViolets]

They can believe anything they want, as far as I'm concerned.

The part of Scientology that I object to very strenuously -- enough perhaps even to protest some day -- is where they try to alienate all mentally ill people against psychiatry and against psychiatric medication.

Sure, there are a lot of side effects to medications and they don't always work 100%.

But there is a population of seriously mentally ill people in this country who simply cannot fend for themselves without medication and who pose a danger to themselves and others without medication.

In this sense, Scientologists have a negative effect on public safety.

I accept that there exist mildly and moderately mentally ill people who could do okay and not endanger public safety and not ruin their own lives if they go off their meds and find non-drug ways to alter their mental state towards health.

However, there are people listening to the Scientology message whose lives do get ruined and who do endanger public safety when they respond to the Scientology message by rejecting all of the treatment that has helped them so far.

And Scientogists don't offer those people any food or shelter or any effective replacement care when those people become deranged and confused and go out and wander the streets in a paranoid and delusional state.

That is something I find worthy of protest.

[GayTalkExpress]

Well said and a very important reason to protest the cult.

[ZekeCDN]

Hear, hear!

It's hardly surprising that CoS is so anti-psychiatry and psychology ... after all they're the folks best equipped to see through the mind control tactics.

[CostaMesaJoe]

It's okay. The microchip in her head allowed her to ignore the protesters.....

[Clayton139]

Her career was going nowhere and so she marry's for MONEY and career move...! As long as she is entertained, she will stay with it. Then if; it does not meet her (means to an end) to her advantage. Without MONEY, Tommy is just another regular Joe on the street...! It is all economically driven...! Scientology is just a (means to an End) for her till then!