MD: Theater cancels ‘A Christmas Carol’ after revelation that Scrooge actor is convicted sex offender

Faced with the revelation that their lead actor was a convicted sex offender and fearing the possibility of protests, the Fells Point Corner Theatre and the Collaborative Theatre Company have canceled their production of “A Christmas Carol,” which was scheduled to open Friday. Full Article

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Well, this is a sad irony that apparently the citizens of this town have missed: A Christmas Carol is a story of forgiveness and redemption for a man that spent most of his life being horrible to everyone.

I bet if the actor was an ex drug user or killed someone, they would’ve given him a reward for turning his life around and giving back to the community.

“… Shriner was arrested in 2003 after driving 60 miles to meet someone he had communicated with through an internet chat room, and who identified himself as a 14-year-old boy. The boy was, in fact, an investigator for the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

Shriner was arrested on arrival at the meeting place, and was later convicted on one count each of second-degree attempted sexual assault, third-degree luring or enticing a child, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree attempted criminal sexual contact and fourth-degree endangering the welfare of a child, according to records. He was sentenced to six years in prison, a conviction that was affirmed on appeal in 2007.”

Let me get this straight, so on top of the “Whispers and Rumors” that led him to resignation and cancelation of the production, there was NO REAL PHYSICAL VICTIM here? How the hell does a person even get sentenced for a crime that they didn’t commit? Jesus Christ, should we be more worried about the Criminals (politicians) that make up these laws or the Spineless citizens that succumb to ‘Whispers and Rumors’ so that a man can’t make a damn decent living?

How many times do I see violence and murder in the news like it’s just another day at the park? No big deal, everyone yawns. God forbid you write the word ‘Sex’ in a headline and suddenly it becomes a ‘heinous crime’ which no Citizen can ever redeem themselves from. It’s pathetic to see how so many people of this country have been so easily brainwashed to accept this as the norm, I guess it’s unpopular to think for yourself and use common sense sometimes huh?

They should of gone on with the play and told the public to kiss their ass.

This socialized ostracizing of a registrant is exactly what the Colorado Judge had stated that the people had made the registry a part of being cruel and unusual punishment.

Here, this guy is doing something non-criminal and trying to be a part of society by being in a play. He may get paid for being a part of a play as well. Nope. He isn’t able to do that and they are using his registration to thwart employment and continue to be stigmatized by his crime of over 14 years.

The people are not using the registry as a form of public safety. They are using it to induce cruel and unusual punishment.

Which also brings into question why only juveniles are the only ones who get depressed by being on the registry and their lives ruined? Here, this man cannot even hold a job in a play… a play a scrupulous person whose ways are changed to see a different light. Oh the irony.

Man why they got to always have to squeal out that someone is on the registry and create hysteria, are they doing this because they think they want to keep everyone safe or do they just not like the person period that they just want to look him up and boom they know the person is on the registry? This is Crazy! This is why the registry should have never been made for public in the first place.

To many (most?) people, sex offender = monster. The one that hides in the closet, or under the bed. The most feared of all monsters. They should call it the monster registry.

No matter what it’s stated purpose, the registry actually serves the public as a means to inflict near total social ostracism (i.e., banishment) on registrants.

They want to drive registrants into the shadows, which if they ever thought about it, is counter to the original justification for the registry, which was to know where the registrants where. You can’t expect people to tell you where they are when doing that means social death. People register under duress and then options to live a productive life are removed one by one, I am surprised someone hasn’t blown up. I guess mostly we implode and that is why the suicide rate is high.

Typical of the police… The DA tried to claim I was grooming a 17 1/2 yr old guy….. well lets see you cant GROOM a guy that is GAY and PROMISCUOUS who WANTED sex…

Grooming is when you give someone something to entice them or do something they normally wouldnt do

The DA’s are just as LAME as some of the police if not worse !!!

So, among the professions we cannot hold because of the law. Actor and firefighter are prohibited as well. Exactly what jobs can we obtain?

Have to wonder if he had not been the lead for the play, would there’ve been an issue still because he did found the theater initially, so it was his production. Was it merely because he was the lead in the play with his history or is it something more? Sad state of tribal mob mentality to not just impact him, but all those involved.

I’m so sad to read this. It must have been horrible for Steven Shriner. Poor man, wanted to share his gifts with the audience, wanted to honor his husband’s legacy. Driven from the stage by an anonymous mob. Six years in prison and no victim.

This is a perfect example where many people feel that a registered citizen cannot be allowed to do anything valuable, because rehabilitation = being silent/condoning of sex crimes. The thought police need to get a life. I am a Washington DC native and I have had more than enough experiences where I have been excluded because I am registered.