Springfield Municipal Opera is facing criticism, resignations of cast members from several of the season’s musicals and a boycott of concessions sold at performances over its response to sexual harassment allegations by females against a fellow volunteer actor.
“I will not stand by while people are being harmed,” Nate King told Illinois Times on May 30 after the first meeting of a group called “Safety for Arts” that is calling for reforms at the Muni.
King, 38, a social worker who lives in Virden, is part of a core group of volunteer actors involved with the nonprofit theater organization who constructed the reform group in the wake of allegations against Marc Wilson.
No criminal charges have been filed against Wilson, a man in his 30s, and no instances of unwanted touching have been alleged. Complaints stemming from the alleged conduct focused on alleged comments made by Wilson to females, the Muni’s investigation into some but apparently not all of the allegations, and the organization’s decision not to reveal an internal probe’s findings but also not remove Wilson from the show in which he was cast.
Wilson, however, has resigned from the production of Disney’s Frozen, which is scheduled for performances in July and August, and offered a limited apology in comments to Illinois Times.
The Muni’s critics also have cited what they view as the organization’s complicated and unnecessarily bureaucratic Code of Conduct, lack of communication among board members in evaluating complaints, dismissive and hurtful comments by Muni officials, a lack of diversity among board members and a structure that can act as a barrier for change.
Wilson has lashed out at his critics online, telling one in a Facebook post with gaps in grammar and punctuation: “You think I’m afraid of a few little girls lies and exaggerations cause their ‘feelings’ were hurt. Made you uncomfortable I had to pry you duckers off me!”
Wilson responded to an interview request from Illinois Times with a text message June 2 that said: “I deeply regret that anyone was made to feel uncomfortable by my actions. I have voluntarily withdrawn from participation in the Muni in hopes of repairing some of that damage. But in recent days, I have been falsely accused of a wide range of misconduct, and those allegations are patently false.”
Wilson added: “In my frustration over those false allegations, I have made statements advocating for myself that did not reflect well on me or on the gravity of the situation, and for that, I am sorry. I want to make it clear that at no time did I pose a danger to anyone, and would never intentionally do anything to put anyone in a harmful situation.”
Volunteers from the Muni, a 76-year-old nonprofit with revenues of $420,000 to $540,000 per year, have criticized a culture in which the concerns of girls and women often aren’t believed or treated seriously. They said the organization apparently hasn’t learned enough after controversies involving former Muni volunteers Adam Power and Bill Bauser Jr.
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“There are entirely too many victims,” said Jasmine French, 33, a public school teacher and Muni actor. “This is a culture, and it’s bigger than one person and bigger than one show.”
French said she recently resigned from her role as Nefertari in the upcoming Mini production of Prince of Egypt.
Amid announcements of the cast resignations on June 2, Kevin Burke III, president of the Muni Board of Managers, said he didn’t have time for an interview but issued a statement saying the Muni’s response to community concerns has been inadequate, and Muni officials pledged to do better.
“Recent events have made clear that the Code of Conduct and the systems surrounding its implementation require meaningful review and improvement,” he wrote. “Policies alone are not enough. The Muni must ensure clear reporting procedures, fair and impartial review processes, accountability, appropriate documentation, protection from retaliation, and effective education and training that support a culture prioritizing the safety and well-being of participants.”
William Acton of Springfield resigned from this year’s scheduled performances of All Shook Up in protest for the Muni’s handling of the situation and circumstances in the past. Acton, a social worker by profession, said Burke’s statement is “talking the talk, but they need to walk the walk before I feel safe returning.”
Acton, 29, said he resigned because the Muni “has unfortunately shown that they’d rather promote the pattern of protecting predators and belittling the narratives of victims. While I initially believed that I could make changes from the inside, I can no longer say in good conscience that I stand against the Muni’s actions while singing and dancing for them on stage.”
Illinois Times interviewed two people, a woman and a 16-year-old girl, who said they were the focus of unwanted attention from Wilson last year.
The woman, who requested anonymity, said she received “weird” Snapchat messages from Wilson that dealt with appearance and sexuality.
The woman said she passed on the messages to the Muni, had a Zoom meeting with Muni officials a few weeks later, then received an email a few days ago that the Muni decided Wilson didn’t violate the Code of Conduct. The woman said she has filed an appeal to ask for reconsideration of the decision.
Kaiyah Bubniak, 16, of Springfield said Wilson told her she was “cute” and made attempts to spend time alone with her while they painted sets for the show Something Rotten in 2025. She was 15 at the time. She said Wilson, a history buff, also rambled into conversation topics she considered questionable, such as “sexual scandals in history.”
Bubniak said she told the show’s director and another adult running the show about Wilson’s behavior before the show’s run was over.
“They seemed to be aware of the situation,” Bubniak said. “They said they would talk to the board and do what they could. … They said there had been previous complaints about him at that show and previous shows.”
Bubniak, who is in the cast of Prince of Egypt, said she never heard back from the Muni and was surprised to see Wilson cast in one of this year’s shows.
“I had expected him to receive at least a one-year suspension from Muni shows,” Bubniak said. “I had just assumed it had been taken care of.”
Bubniak and other Muni volunteers were upset to learn that John Baker, a Frozen producer and Muni Trustees member, said at a Frozen cast meeting a few days ago that the Muni had received “zero” complaints about Wilson prior to auditions in February and March.
In comments that someone recorded and distributed, Baker said there was no evidence minors were harmed by Wilson and that people were making inaccurate statements online about the situation. Several Muni volunteers said they felt like a Muni representative was telling them everyone was lying.
Bubniak’s mother, Michelle French, 43, said, “My concern is the board ignoring dozens of concerns that have been voiced because they didn’t go through their official and overly convoluted reporting process.”
Robert Glatz, 45, a mental health therapist and Muni volunteer who is spearheading Safety for Arts, said the group can be contacted at safetyforarts@gmail.com. The group is formulating demands before approaching Muni officials, he said.
“We want to get our voices heard as soon as possible,” he said.
