NY Times/Michael Paulson on Political Pressure in High School Theatre

[DaveyG]

Posted: 7/4/23 at 10:04am

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/04/theater/school-plays-politics.html

Updated On: 7/4/23 at 10:04 AM

[binau]

Posted: 7/4/23 at 3:53pm

Great article and I think it reflects a wider cultural problem that we need to address from both sides of the political spectrum: stop trying to control and censor what information and ideas people are allowed to read, see, watch or listen to. 

How hypocritical of the right to claim that the left is all about censorship and ‘cancel culture’ when they literally do the same thing when it suits their agenda around LGBT issues, for example. And as for the left, equally if something was written a long time ago (or even not that long ago) and it doesn’t subscribe to your cultural ideals instead of trying to discard or shut it down let it form part of ‘the conversation’ and critical analysis of the art. That is part of the point of art. 

Also, especially in the context of theatre people need to calm down. This is entertainment ultimately. 

Teach people HOW to think not WHAT to think and ultimately that involves needing to be exposed to a wide range of ideas, good AND bad.

A school is a place for learning not indoctrination.