Newman University's production of "Legally Blonde" faced criticism and censorship just before its run started last weekend. The uproar from the theatre department and local theatre community has begun a discussion about legality and the ethics of censoring the arts. Students fought the power for their final two performances and did the show uncensored, but the battle is far from over. Where is the line?
Even if they kept the gay stuff, they've changed it by changing the tone of the show and, therefore, the context of the scene. It could now seem less obviously accepting of gay people without the satirical candor of the other lines.
So glad to know this "school" trusts its students to think for themselves. Goodness - just to think if the alert administrators hadn't clamped down promptly, no telling how many of its graduates might have learned about masturbation or become confused about whether lawyers are supposed to be corrupt.
It begs the question, if they had to keep their show relatively family friendly, why did they pick that show to begin with? There are numerous lighthearted and fun musical comedies that would need no censorship whatsoever.
Let's make it BWW's resolution for 2015 that we learn what the phrase "begs the question" means before it becomes like "literally" which now means "figuratively."
I do have a tendency to throw about figurative language with no true comprehension of what it's really trying to say. "It makes one wonder" would have been better.
I went to Catholic school for many years, from kindergarten through grad school. While I am not a Catholic and have many deep disagreements with the church, I can honestly say that, in science class, I never learned anything other than evolution by natural selection, the Big Bang, and other aspects of modern scientific consensus.
I saw a high school production of this show that was censored. The gay thing was not changed at all. I can however attest that watching this show censored is a very dull and flat experience. They even cut "Ireland" for some reason (maybe the part about beer?). About 3 months later I saw it at a very well respected community theater. It was a million times better. The show soars with it's mild vulgarity.
Directed this at my high school. Didn't change a thing. Some people were offended. We had record breaking audiences.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.