Calgary Opera has removed a singer from its production of Puccini's Tosca after he unfurled a Palestinian flag during the curtain call on opening night.
Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega, a bass who played Cesare Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, displayed the flag at the end of the October 16 performance as the audience applauded. He later shared a video of the moment on Instagram.
In a statement, the company said the act was "unexpected and unauthorized." It said individual political protest violates not only company policy but also its responsibility to create a more connected, caring and civil society through shared artistic experiences.
The company apologized for any discomfort and distress the display caused, and said another singer would perform the role for the rest of the run. The production has only three scheduled performances. Sanchez-Ortega was replaced for Sunday's second show and will not appear in the final one on October 24.
Sanchez-Ortega, who is in his first year of Calgary Opera's McPhee Artist Development Program, said on Instagram that he has "no regrets" and that "this is the state of cultural institutions in Canada." He also claimed he had been told that financial threats had been made against the company.
He said he holds no resentment toward the company. "After the theatre, (political or otherwise) we all have to go home, and look at ourselves in the mirror," he wrote.
