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Resident says Fergus Falls holiday show 'assaulted' Christianity, urges restrictions on city support for Center for the Arts
Summary
At the Jan. 5 Fergus Falls council meeting, resident Natasha Evans criticized a Center for the Arts holiday show and urged the council to restrict or redirect city funding to organizations whose programming aligns with community values.
Natasha Evans, introduced by Wayne Cookman, told the Fergus Falls City Council on Jan. 5 that a holiday production at the Center for the Arts offended her and other community members and that city support for the venue should be restricted or redirected.
"The plot of this play ... was abhorrent," Evans said, describing skits she said mocked the nativity and depicted the magi as drunken sailors. She said a co-host’s jokes about the lineage of Jesus and other references were disrespectful in a community she described as historically Christian.
Evans asked the council to consider limiting city dollars to the Center for the Arts or directing those funds to other local nonprofits. Council members did not take immediate action on her request; the mayor thanked her for coming and asked staff to follow up.
Clara, a staff member presenting later items, and other council members did not offer a formal response on the record to Evans' specific allegations about the production. No representative of the Center for the Arts spoke during the meeting.
Why this matters: the remark raised a public concern about how municipal support for community arts venues is perceived by some residents. Any change to funding or contractual terms would require later council action and, if applicable, review of specific grant or contract language.
