Dear Mr. Dixon and the cast of Hamilton,
First and foremost, congratulations on your outstanding run of a show, which is still running hot and heavy. I have the utmost respect for your profession. More so, I am in awe of the brilliantly scripted musical that has been created in lieu of one of our history's most influential men.
However (uh oh, here it comes)... I'll come right out and say it:
Shame on all of you.
Shame on your for your level of unprofessionalism at the November 18th show, as Vice President elect Mike Pence sat in your audience.
I do not know Mike Pence personally, nor do I have to, to know that what you did falls on the human spectrum of plain disrespect.
Mr. Pence was a paying viewer, and ultimately someone who was eager to see and support Hamilton in all of it's glory. As he sat with his family and hundreds of other audience members enjoying the evening's performance, you chose to exercise your freedom of speech as the night ended. Please know that in exercising this right, you acted as a complete asshole.
Mr. Dixon, when Mr. Trump tweeted: "Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing. This should not happen!", you responded with "@realDonaldTrump conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate @mike_pence for stopping to listen".
"Conversation" is defined by Merriam Webster as "the informal exchange of ideas by spoken words". Need I break it down further for you, "Exchange" is defined as "the act of giving or taking one thing in return for another thing".
You rocked the mic, with no room for Mike to speak back. (no pun intended). It was therefore not a conversation, but rather public humiliation.
You assumed, in your verbose speech, that Mr. Mike Pence would not protect you and your fellow Americans. And while you have every right to feel this way, you overstepped a line by singling out and pointer the finger at your audience member...
As a NYC public school teacher, I know that if I were ever to emulate this same scenario and single out one of my students in front of the entire class, I would be facing charges of Corporal Punishment.
According to Chancellor's Regulation A-421, verbal abuse is defined as: "language (written or oral) about or directed toward students that: belittles, embarrasses or subjects students to ridicule".
This is exactly what you did.
Once again, congratulations, and shame on you.
I would put just as much time into your apology speech to Pence, as you did your public slander to him.
Sincerely,
Concerned Citizen
