Letter to the editor

By Janet Smith

Who enjoys going to the Abbeville Opera House and seeing those elaborate plays directed by Jimmy Burdette? Well, to those who may not know, the entire season of the Opera House plays have been cancelled.

The leaders of Abbeville have decided that 'a woman from Iowa' (who has never been to Abbeville and who the leaders have never met) means more to them than Abbeville's own citizens. This woman complained about a Facebook post that the director had on his own personal Facebook page. Our leaders got on their knees and bowed down to 'this woman from Iowa.'

They fired our talented director and cancelled all shows. They made the decision that all the hard work these actors (of every age and race), all the hard work of backstage crew and all the volunteers meant nothing. They are depriving the children and many adults of Abbeville the opportunity to not only be included in these plays, but the opportunity to be introduced to the arts by attending these performances.

Think of the damage they are doing to our restaurants and businesses by depriving them of income at this time when small businesses are already suffering. Our town depends on the revenue the Opera House plays bring in. Obviously, the leaders of Abbeville do not care.

I would like to know who made this "knee-jerk" decision. I asked, several have asked... no response. There have been over 200 complaints on the Opera House Facebook Page, but not one leader will come forward to help explain why they bowed down to 'a woman from Iowa!'

If these leaders are so confident in their decision, then they should come forward and explain to us taxpayers why they knelt to 'a woman from Iowa.' Better yet, they should admit they made a mistake and get Jimmy Burdette back and the entire season of the Opera House plays.

Remember: November 3, 2020 is election day. These are the same leaders that want to put those low income apartments in our Historical District, the same leaders that tried to put Abbeville on a curfew! These leaders are destroying our beautiful town of Abbeville.