Profile for WW_LV

Thank you for this response.  It took a while but I see we are in agreement and apparently always were in agreement.  I’m glad you came back to clarify.

I realize you probably didn't go back and read my recent posts (before yesterday) on this thread.  They are long enough without restating everything in each one.  And I apologize for the length of this one as well.  Hopefully it’s my last.

But I did in fact say that IF that scene

I'm out; 

I'm seeing a Catholic School administrator doing one of two things:

Either NOT reading with comprehension (I have NOTHING against Gypsy for HS PROVIDED That scene is modified and I KNOW I made that pretty clear)  And I AM ok with plays that have sexual scenes provided they are necessary to make a important point relevant to HS kids

OR this Catholic School administrator would have no objection to the school displaying a student sexua

Den20 - I appreciate tour response and I agree with you - very few plays that can't be done in HS.  But all of them like the pro versions?  NO modifications?

I guess I simply have to get over the fact that my point regarding Gypsy ALWAYS gets misconstrued.

I don't object to the play for high school AT ALL.

I don't care AT ALL that a HS girl is cast as a world famous stripper. and we commend her finding success in "sex work".&nbs

Well, yeah.  Of course the concerns are for the parents etc.  But it goes much deeper.  What does the school itself sanction and why?

This is ALWAYS a tricky topic I guess because it's very easy to misinterpret the point.

I'm pretty open minded.  I have no problem with the Dead Girl Walking scene done "by the book" instead of the "first kiss" thing.

I have no problem with Spring Awakening.

And they are

Just got around to seeing the response - Thank you for clarifying Follies.  Different situation I see and handled VERY well!

As my grandkids get older I see the potential for controversy in plays in HS and even middle school.  As you say, it can all be handled ahead of time but just when you think it is, something unexpected comes up.

Curious though on "content warnings".  The audience isn't JUST made up of people related to the kids in the p

MrJNLong:-

We were posting at the same time.  I loved your story.  Mature plays ARE fine for HS (in my opinion) as long as the students aren't being asked to perform in a way that can reasonably upset parents/teachers/relatives etc.  Making any significant part of an audience uncomfortable to me is contrary to theater - especially at the HS level.  It can take the audience out of the play and makes the controversy too  much of a point - affecting the ex

A high school actually did Oh Calcutta??  

Maybe it's a misread of the thread title.  Which asks about plays that shouldn't be done in HS but have.

To sum up a previous post of mine - I really think most plays CAN be OK for HS provided any potential controversial elements are addressed well ahead of time between the drama department, the school, parents, and yes - students too.

So there is NO misunderstanding that blindsides the audience

Broadway61004 said: 

Well, Cabaret does teach HS students that Nazis are bad, which we've unfortunately seen in the last year and a half is still a lesson about half the high school students in the country need to learn.

Very true.  and yet that sort of supports my point in that for the HS, the Kit Kat girls can become an issue that detracts from the message of the play.  Is there a need for the girls  to dress and act as they do in the p

I read the story about LB being cancelled last minute.  That is a HORRIBLE situation to put those kids in.  And all it will do is spawn resentment for the adults in charge.  It reminds me of the school that decided to censor every yearbook picture that showed even the tiniest bit of "cleavage".  (In quotes since the example that was publicized really wasn't what anyone would call cleavage).

What I found ironic is the idea that the theater is an ext

I appreciate and enjoy all the comments

To me it sort of goes with my overall opinion that evolved over the past year or so

Sexuality in a high school play may be inappropriate for some people. And how much is too much won't ever be agreed on

But I do think it can be defined

Pretending that teens don't face such issues as in Heather's is naive. Students can relate to those themes

Legally Blonde? Well it's more modern and I

R. GreenFinch said: "There's a high school version of heathers. It's her "first kiss" instead of losing her virginity."

And I certainly understand that modification.  The only point I'm making is the sexuality of her losing her virginity does in fact make a point regarding her desperation to feel (literally) one with someone / something.  I've only read of the play and people's comments on it, but the idea of losing one'

"I am also now the father of a young girl, and I don't want her dancing in her underwear onstage in a school show no matter how well done it is!"

THIS!  And I will add I would not want to have seen any of my kid’s friends that way.  Nor would I want to see a student that way if I were a HS teacher.  

WITH some caveats however that I did NOT recognize when this issue came up over a year ago.  As I mentioned when I restarted thi

Regarding middle school Rocky Horror.

I actually saw a promotion for a middle school production of Gypsy.  Now interestingly enough I can no longer find it - maybe it was taken down and maybe never produced.

But I recall it said "you'll be surprised at how many songs you know!".  Again, the idea seems to be because it's famous (and old/PG13) it's perfectly OK?

They also said "the sexuality will be toned down".  We

I'm surprised they didn't change it to "Native Americans" or Indigenous People" and say they are culturally sensitive!

I get what you are saying, but I don't agree with the wording.  I object strongly to ANYTHING inappropriate by definition.  I don't' want my grandkids to grow up defiant etc

But I don't' think you meant that.  I think you may have meant "things that people on the surface feel are inappropriate."

VERY old thread but it's a topic that comes up in my circle from time to time.

(Context - I'm a granddad and my grandkids are still several years from HS, but we do talk about changing attitudes etc)

I suspect there are in fact many plays that are problematic for HS for various reasons.  Difficulty, message, particular scenes or situations etc.

But I very much agree the kids can't be expected to do "safe" plays all the time.  Yet many of th

It seems some posters are still missing my point  Thank you to those who do in fact address it

And thank you to the poster who shared how the scenes were staged in their HS production of Gypsy - that was exactly my point.

From what I understand in Guys and Dolls, the "strippers" there clearly are entertaining the characters in the play - NOT the actual audience.

Gypsy for HS needs to be staged such that it's clear she's entertaining an (unseen) burl

"Watching something vs portraying something are very different things."

Absolutely.  The fact is - the actress is portraying Gypsy, not entertaining us.  A poster who played the part made that point very strongly.

Which made me realize what I found wrong in a couple productions.  Staging it such that it actually appeared "Louise" WAS entertaining us - eliciting applause from the audience of parents for her stripteases.

BTW - thank y

"I don't think audience members are applauding a striptease of a hs student.  They are applauding the resourcefulness of Gypsy Rose Lee.  (Except the straight HS boys in the audience.)"

Yes - that's EXACTLY how it SHOULD be staged.  But I unfortunately saw examples where it isn't.  The last scene in particular of one staged it like the full play - where the audience banter (to SPECIFIC audience members), striptease, and singing wh