College Censorship of Plays (Specifically, DOG SEES GOD) -- advice wanted- Page 2

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 11:21pm

The school has a methodist affiliation, however it has never impacted the Theatre Department according to my knowledge. We have never altered any of our productions since I have been here, except ONCE when we did a production for a children's audience.

I had another discussion with them today and tomorrow will be the final one.

BVR - I haven't received a PM from you...?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 11:22pm

What kind of plays does the school usually do?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 11:30pm

We've done shows as "risky" as Christopher Durrang's TITANIC and Neil LaBute's FAT PIG. We've done FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and THE MUSIC MAN, THE CRUCIBLE and PRELUDE TO A KISS, etc.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/22/08 at 11:33pm

I think the money you pay them gives you the right to say "cum on your tits" on a stage.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:00am

I just love you, Phyllis.
And you know what? Phyllis is completely right.

[Alphadog2]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:13am

You can "think" that all you want, but if it's a private (as opposed to s atate-funded) college, they get to make the decisions of what you can and cannot say.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:17am

I love Phyllis, too!

And you know what? You're absolutely right. For the money I pay to go here, I should be getting TONS more whan what I've gotten. But that's a whole other matter.

It's just very upsetting to hear it's rejected for the fear of dealing with parents/administration. We should be defending our art! And it's not like the language in DOG SEES GOD is arbitrary - it's all NECESSARY! I think it's very vital to the story, and I think this story is extremely important. It's worth it. And it doesn't hurt that it's a brilliantly crafted piece. (Roscoe - get a life.)

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 4/23/08 at 12:33am

PS - Roscoe, are you a jilted ex-lover of mine or is "Dog Sees God is an overly long SNL sketch" your catchphrase? I swear I think you posted it (maybe unknowingly) on a board about 'Miss Saigon Understudies.' (???)

Really love that quote.
I too feel that there is something to the language in this play. Especially since it's based on the "lives" of fictional children we sort of grew up with. So contrasting that sort of image with the kind of language in the play makes for a neat irony and comment on growing up, the differences between childhood and teenage-hood, and the way time affects us. IMO, the language does that in this play and so to censor it for a bunch of conservative people is ludicrous.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 10:56am

No, I don't remember posting anything about Miss Saigon understudies, but I did post use that phrase or something like it to describe DOG SEES GOD a while back, when I had the bad luck to sit through it. What a piece of junk.

[UglyBetty]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 12:52pm

Aside from suffering a loss of licening, I would highly recommend to just perform the play as is. I'm so sick of this politically correct obsessed culture.

Perhaps you should considder going to a more open minded school.

At my college I performed in a play that had me eat a bible on stage and then burn the pages after I spit them out.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 1:39pm

Roscoe every time this play is mentioned you have a bitch attack, chill love, have a Zanex

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/25/08 at 3:38pm

Don't need a zanax. Just working to remind folks of what a total piece of crap DOG SEES GOD really is. Keepin' it real, and all that.

[BVR24]

Posted: 4/28/08 at 11:34pm

Now I get it, Roscoe. After an exhaustive review of your entire blog archive (yes, I read the whole damn thing... creepy, huh?), I'm finally starting to get you. I guess I assumed that you were like one of those kids who just foams at the mouth about things not being as good as YOU would do them.

I'm delighted to learn that - in fact - you are NOT a kid. But a nearing-50-year-old secretary -- which accounts for the bitterness! I'd be bitter too!

You're right. You don't need Zanax, you need Lipitor. SORRY CHARLIE, 'DOG SEES GOD' WASN'T WRITTEN TO BE ENJOYED BY YOUR DEMOGRAPHIC.

You go curl up with a nice warm glass of milk, Bob (if he hasn't yet hung himself) and one of those trifles that YOU deem worthy. And I'M gonna go pick on someone my own size.

P.S. Two more things:
a.) It's 'SUBJECTATOS', not 'subjectatus,' smart guy.
and b.) Your little "obit" to Anthony Minghella was foul.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 9:15am

For anyone who is interested in the results:

Without going into specifics, and after two weeks of negotiations, after two weeks of me fighting with the powers that be, the production IS happening.

The largest struggle for me was deciding if an altered production would a) ruin the integrity of the piece, and b) change the show to an extent where it shouldn't be performed.

In the end, I think that the 30+ changes that were settled on DO *change* the piece, but in both "versions" of the play, the same story is being told - just a little differently. It's catered to our audience who, if they were presented the original, would have shut down from the themes of the show and only focused on the language and mature content "not being appropriate." But because of the alterations we've come up with (which were, for the most part, changing single words), I think that our audience wouldn't be bothered by the language and content to an extent where they ignore/shut down the story. There's still enough language left where the shock factor occurs, but the message still comes through loud and clear.

It's important that the audiences here see this show and are presented with these thoughts about acceptance, bullying, homosexuality, religion, and finding an identity.

Roscoe - if you would like to attend my production of the show, and then afterwards tell me to my face that you still think this show is nothing more than an "SNL sketch" - be my guest. I'll put your name on our "comp" sheet.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 9:18am

i LOVE Bert V royal *flutters eyelashes and does a dance* lol

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 9:52am

Every time that dude posts he sounds like a bigger and bigger douche (Bert, not Roscoe). I thought people in the entertainment industry were supposed to have thick skins.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 9:59am

im sorry but you need to read back all Roscoe posts, he comes across as such a bitter old queen (have a look for yourself)

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:02am

Sorry, I arrived late to this discussion...

Just wanted to say that the process of learning to entertain always involves adjusting to the audience. What is considered obscene in Boston might not be in Berkeley.

Even nationally, film producers have to decide whether they want the wider appeal of a PG-13 rating or if they want an R (or an NC-17). And sometimes it comes down to just a few seconds of a scene or even to a single word.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:12am

Yeah, but that rating system doesn't have anything to do with licensing a show. This board breeds people who are out for blood if a single syllable is changed and legally, that's their prerogative, regardless of how silly it may seem to us hicks in the flyover region.

And Bert still seems like an uber-douche, regardless of Roscoe's crankiness or the fact that songanddanceman2 has his head up Bert's ass. Every time someone rankles him, he's got to point out that he's a big hot playwright and the other person is only a secretary or whatever. Click on his name to see some of his previous posts. Uber-douche.

Oh, and it's Xanax, not Zanex, if we're striving for correct spelling around here.
Updated On: 4/29/08 at 10:12 AM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:32am

"You can "think" that all you want, but if it's a private (as opposed to s atate-funded) college, they get to make the decisions of what you can and cannot say."

That's not quite true. If only ONE of their students receives Federal student aid, then their are few restrictions they can impose. And while it may not seem like it, Universities and colleges are regulated, and the free flow of information is what college is. If you have to change a script, then do another show. If I were a playwright, I wouldn't permit it. And you bet I would send people to watch every performance to make sure nothing was omitted. While I've seen shows where the controversial material seemed to be there mainly to force a reaction as opposed to sounding natural (the profane lyrics in Spring Awakening come to mind), it doesn't change the fact that they are part of the script and the wirter's intent. Who are you top change it?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:36am

Gee, thanks, Bert.

Well, we can't all be playwrights charging Off-Broadway prices for "shallow, slovenly work," as I believe at least one critic described your "play."

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll go curl up with a glass of warm milk, my dear partner Bob who has not hung himself, and one of the trifles that I deem worthy. Little trifles like THE GODFATHER, RULES OF THE GAME, THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER, SPRING AWAKENING, SWEENEY TODD, ADDING MACHINE, Albee's AMERICAN DREAM and THE SANDBOX, etc. Little trifles that I'm sure you'll never be able to understand or appreciate. They are, after all, out of your demographic zone, they're in the demographic zone of people with standards.

P.S. Thanks for the correction on SUBJECTATOS vs. SUBJECTATUS. I'll make the change. If my obit for Minghella was foul, it was no fouler than most of his ghastly output.

Updated On: 4/29/08 at 10:36 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:46am

Can we assume from this thread that playwright Bert has no opinion on the alteration of his work, and only exists to insult and impugn those who dare not fall over themselves with praise for him?

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:54am

Can we assume from this thread that there are users of the BroadwayWorld.com message boards whose only function is to attack others and never contribute to intelligent conversations -- only disrupt them?

Yes. Yes we can.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 10:57am

Yes, and one of the is the playwright of Dog Sees God.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/29/08 at 11:08am

If you think that, then clearly you haven't been following the Roscoe/BVR/DSG discussions.