This is the wild moment Sopranos actor Michael Imperioli pushed climate change activists out of the theater midway through his Broadway performance of An Enemy of the People
On Thursday evening, three environmental activists from the group Extinction Rebellion stopped the show by shouting ‘no theater on a dead planet’ during the start of the second act.
A protester was then seen being escorted out of the theater by members of the cast, including Imperioli, who pushed and dragged the rebel up the stairs – all while staying in character.
In a video on
“I’m very sorry to interrupt your evening and this wonderful performance. I am a theater artist,” the rebel shouted before being escorted from the stage by security.
Climate activists interrupted a performance of the Broadway play An Enemy of the People
Michael Imperioli (left), who plays Christopher Moltisanti in the show Sopranos, told protesters to ‘go back to drama school’
The protester continued, “The oceans are rising. It will swallow this city and this entire theater whole. I’m putting my career at risk because we’re not doing anything about this crisis. The water is coming for us!’
‘Go back to drama school!’ Imperioli screamed in true gangster fashion.
Strong, still in character, replied loudly ‘let them talk.’
Imperioli then left the stage and helped push the activist up the stairs and out of the theater.
Some members of the public believed that the protesters were part of the show, as the plot addressed environmental issues and involved audience participation.
When the last activist was removed from the room, most of the room applauded.
A group called Extinction Rebellion was responsible for the protest
The audience thought the protesters were part of the production
As the last activist was ejected from the theater, a majority of the audience applauded their efforts for social change
The actors were told to leave the stage via an announcement, but the majority of the group refused to comply.
Imperioli posted a response to the incident on Instagram, suggesting that while his personality may not agree with the protesters, he still appreciates science.
“Tonight was wild…no hard feelings from extinction rebels,” he wrote. ‘Michael is on your side, but Mayor Stockmann is not. Lots of love.’
A statement from the climate change group said: ‘Today’s action highlights the failure of governments and corporations to treat climate and ecological collapse as the crisis that it is.’
“The group emphasizes that the current socio-economic system cannot protect people from the coming environmental crises because the structure itself creates these crises and then ignores them.”