Businessman Michael Markiewicz won’t donate a cent more to STC

It comes after numerous actors in two STC plays protested the ‘occupation’ and ‘genocide’ in Gaza.

Michael Markiewicz will no longer donate to the Sydney Theatre Company following their “mealy-mouthed” apology. Picture: Martin Ollman

A businessman who has donated thousands to the Sydney Theatre Company says he will “not donate a cent more” after several actors in two STC plays protested against the “occupation” and “genocide” in Gaza, and the company gave a “mealy-mouthed” apology.

Long-time Jewish donor ­Michael Markiewicz donated $10,000 in 2020, but estimates he donates $5000 most years.

Mr Markiewicz, who arrived in Sydney from overseas on Friday afternoon, said he would also cancel his 2024 STC subscription and ask for it to be refunded if the company didn’t take up the Jewish community’s offer of an “education session” with the ­entire cast of The Seagull.

“Now that I understand the ­actors union supports their ­actions, I am pessimistic and won’t wait long,” the son of Holocaust survivors wrote in a letter to STC head of philanthropy Tom Tansey and artistic director Kip Williams.

Yet, philanthropist Colin Tate AM, who has donated $105,000 to the STC in the last 12 months, said his money was safe and donors should “calm down and not pull funding” from an organisation already in a tough financial situation, due to “three people wearing scarfs”.

“The STC has a very large makeup of wealthy Jewish funders. And I think it would be a shame for that funding and power to damage the independence of what is a great institution that runs theatre and plays designed to challenge us,” he said.

Harry Greenwood (right), along with co-stars Megan Wilding and Mabel Li (left) wore keffiyeh scarves during the encore at the opening night of the STC production of The Seagull at Sydney’s Roslyn Packer Theatre. Picture: Instagram

The STC was thrust into turmoil this week after three actors, led by Hollywood star Hugo Weaving’s son Harry Greenwood, chose to wear Palestinian scarfs during the encore of the Chekhov classic in Sydney last Saturday night.

Mr Tate attended the play on Saturday and did not notice the stunt, saying it was “overblown”.

Since then thousands of patrons, including Amrop chairman Mr Markiewicz, signed an open letter to the STC calling on the company to prevent future political stunts; the STC apologised for the hurt caused to thousands of Jewish patrons by an actors’ protest and the company’s own “immediate response”; and two of the 11 STC Foundation directors, Alex Schuman and Judi Haus­mann, resigned.

Videos surfaced on Thursday of actors from The Visitors, a joint venture between the STC and Moogahlin Performing Arts, giving a three-minute-long scripted speech in support of Palestine following their preview performances in Canberra and Geelong, beginning on October 8. The companies have not responded to questions about whether they knew about these protests.

In his letter to the STC, Mr Markiewicz gave The Seagull ­actors and the STC’s handling of the fallout, a spray, saying he had “no expectation” the STC would stand in his corner against anti-Semitism.

“If (actors) Megan Wilding, Mabel Li and Harry Greenwood are humanitarians, what initiatives have they taken against … Hamas using Gazans (their own) as human shields. They want and encourage (some of) them to die,” he wrote. “(Or) the slaughter of the 1200 civilian Israelis on October 7. Some were burned alive, decapitated, gang raped … (and) the abduction of the 240 civilians.”

Michael Markiewicz is upset about STC actors’ support for Palestine. Picture: Martin Ollman

He told The Weekend Australian that the STC’s apology was “mealy-mouthed” and “politically-correct”.

“If the lines used in your apology appeared in an STC play about PR spin they would get a positive review. They therefore insult the intelligence of even an infrequent theatre goer and further alienate those of us who believe in Israel’s right to exist and that these ­behaviours support those who seek nothing less than Israel’s ­destruction and death to Jews worldwide.

“Is the STC community one I choose to be part of at the ­moment? Most definitely NOT.”

In the STC’s apology on Wednesday, it said: “We support individual freedom of expression but believe that the right to free speech does not supersede our responsibility to create safe workplaces and ­theatres. We believe that it was not the intent of the actors involved to cause any harm or offence.”

Stills from a video showing cast members of Sydney Theatre Company's The Visitors expressing support of the people of Gaza following a November 8 performance. Source: TikTok

Mr Markiewicz wrote: “How can you possibly suggest ... that they didn’t intend to cause offence? So they have no responsibility for their actions? These are educated and informed people who have to grasp complex concepts, learn and absorb a lot of information and lines. Again ludicrous and insulting”.

“The only way to begin to counter that they didn’t intend to cause harm is for them to learn, and for that to happen they and others must truly want to learn. Are you willing to have any community dialogue and engagement as suggested in the letter?”

“Consistent with what Judi Haussmann was reported as saying … “I loved the STC and all the people” ... this has happened because I am a Jew and a Zionist.”

Mr Markiewicz was due to attend a fundraising event on November 29 which was also set to feature Foundation Director Hugo Weaving and give a further $10,000 but did not attend since he was overseas.

Almost 25 per cent of the STC’s revenue comes from federal and state government funding, while about 12 per cent is “fundraising income”, the latest financial report shows.