University of Massachusetts Amherst's Shylock concealed porn activities

Stephen Driscoll, who is appearing as Shylock in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Rand Theater production of The Merchant of Venice, is a producer, director, and occasional star of adult films, and he has concealed his adult film activities from the university's Department of Theater and from the production's cast and staff, the Stonewall Review has learned.

Driscoll is the owner of BG East Studios, which produces wrestling-themed gay adult films. Driscoll casts, produces, and directs BG East films, and he has occasionally starred in them as well under the nom-de-porn of Kid Leopard. Such activities can be legal, constitutionally protected expression as long as they otherwise do not violate laws such as those regarding age of consent.

The Merchant of Venice is directed by Tony Simotes, the artistic director of Shakespeare & Co., with Paul Adolphsen as assistant director. The university's Department of Theater is chaired by Penny Remsen.

For years, Driscoll has concealed the existence of his adult film activities from theater and political colleagues, presenting himself instead as a "sports promoter" or as a "pro-wrestling promoter". As recently as this month, he described himself as a "wrestler" in an interview with Mark Burridge of the Pembroke Mariner & Express's Wicked Local Pembroke.

In 2009, Driscoll was forced to step down in disgrace as chairman of the National Stonewall Democrats after his porn activities were revealed to members of the organization's board of directors. Stonewall Democrats board members said at the time that they had had no knowledge of Driscoll's adult film business. "He told us he was a wrestling promoter -- that's all I ever knew," one long-serving board member told the Stonewall Review.

BG East films are not merely "erotic"; they are XXX porn, displaying ample amounts of body fluids. Visitors to BG East's web site must certify that they are 21 or older to gain entrance to the site's contents. Driscoll/Kid Leopard appeared in wrestling-themed BG East films such as X Fights 3, X Fights 4, and X Fights 6, which have a "first to spew loses" rule. Driscoll/Kid Leopard ejaculates multiple times, solo or on his "wrestling" partners. Driscoll referred to himself in promotional material on BG East's web site as the films' "stud-star", and, being the producer/director, he made sure his Kid Leopard character was never the first to "spew".

Much of the content on the BG East site relating to Driscoll/Kid Leopard was removed following his ignominious exit from the National Stonewall Democrats, but clips of his films can still be viewed on various bit torrent sites.

The Tuesday, October 28 presentation of The Merchant of Venice was billed by the university as a "school matinee". It is likely that the parents of students who attended did not know that Shylock was portrayed by a "stud-star".