Student Expeled from art school for quoting Sweeney Todd

[Annas_Priest]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:03pm

ME!

This is a true story, and I am trying to just get some other responses from people.

I was, last year, accepted into one of the most prestigious residential High Schools for the arts in the United States (It will remain nameless), for drama.

I started in August, and I was loving it. My girlfriend was also there for drama, and I thought are relationship was going great.

Then, about 2 months ago she broke up with me. And I was spiraled downhill for a while, then got back up.

She on the other hand, could not take the guilt, so she stared to look for ways to get me expelled.

And she found one.

About one month ago, I was in English class, and I was writing the lyrics to Sweeney Todd's Epiphany in my notebook (my private notebook), but out of boredom.

All of a sudden, she snatches to note book from me and reads it.

Then she storms out of the room, with the book.

The next thing I know, I am in the director of student services office, and I am being accused of witting a "death threat" to my ex-girlfriend, and the rest of the school.

I explained to them calmly what I was doing, and I thought that they understood.

So, they told me that they where going to send me home until Sunday (This happened on a Wednesday), and It was going to be all excused absentees, and my future at the school was not in jeopardy at all.

Then Friday night, they call and tell me I am expelled, for a death threat.

I have just now come out about this story, out of fear of getting in more trouble.

And I just wanted to know, from the Broadway community, WHAT DO I DO NOW?!


And, For those of you who do not know the lyrics:

Todd: No I had him!
His throat was there beneath my hand.
I had swear I had him!
His throat was there and now he'll never come again.
Mrs. Lovett: Easy now, hush love hush
I keep telling you -
Todd: When? Why do I wait?
You told me to wait -
Now he'll never come again.
There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
And it's filled with people who are filled with ****
And the vermin of the world inhabit it.
But not for long...

They all deserve to die.
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because in all of the whole human race
Mrs Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two
There's the one they put in his proper place
And the one with his foot in the other one's face
Look at me, Mrs Lovett, look at you.

Now we all deserve to die
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief
For the rest of us death will be a relief
We all deserve to die.

And I'll never see Joanna
No I'll never hold my girl to me - finished!
(shouted) Alright! You sir, you sir, how about a shave?
Come and visit your good friend Sweeney.
You sir, you sir? Welcome to the grave.

I will have vengenance.
I will have salvation.
(shouted) Who sir, you sir?
No one in the chair, come on! Come on!
Sweeney's waiting. I want you bleeders.
You sir - anybody.
Gentlemen don't be shy!

Not one man, no, no ten men.
Not a hundred can assuage me -
I will have you!
And I will get him back even as he gloats
In the meantime I'll practice on dishonorable throats.
And my Lucy lies in ashes
And I'll never see my girl again.

But the work waits!
I'm alive at last!
And I'm full of joy!
Updated On: 12/26/07 at 01:03 PM

[jake6970]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:08pm

Play Sweeney Todd for them, at that exact part.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:08pm

The rest of the story aside...

Epiphany?

ETA: Darn, you edited.

Updated On: 12/26/07 at 01:08 PM

[Annas_Priest]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:09pm

Yes,, Ha!

I typed in wrong! i just changed it!

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:10pm

Appeal.

There is always a higher governing board.

This is an arts school I have a hard time believing that there is no one there familiar with Sweeney Todd.

In any case, be prepared to present the notebook and a copy of the song.

[Fiyero13]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:11pm

you can make this story more believable than it is first of all

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:13pm

I agree. Have a copy of the recording with you and the notebook. (If you still have the notebook) Out of curiosity, which part of the lyrics did you have written down?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:40pm

How would the higher ups at a high school for the arts not know material from Sweeney Todd?

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:47pm

I don't think this is a matter of knowing where it came from but what was written. The school could ask why he chose to write those particular lyrics. I think some of this gets a bit out of hand. I posted my review of the movie in another thread and quoted Toby's final lines in the show. When I looked at the post, a word had been automatically turned to asteriks. Why? I have no clue.

[tazber]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:51pm

how did your ex know what you were writing in your personal notebook?

[nitsua]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:53pm

They're on high alert, aren't they? Jesus Christ!

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 1:56pm

So did you steal this from IMDB? Or are you same person? Or perhaps they stole it from you?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0408236/board/thread/93123645
Updated On: 12/26/07 at 01:56 PM

[misschung]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 2:03pm

I have a hard time believing that those in charge at this arts school read these lyrics, which name "Sweeney" and "Mrs. Lovett," and accused you of writing a death threat.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 2:23pm

I concur. And heres a dumb question but if they are a drama school how the hell havent they heard of sweeney todd? its very well known in the theatre world.

[GClef2]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 2:27pm

I think it's a bad idea to write the lyrics of that song, but I also think that the school is overreacting.

[Annas_Priest]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 4:16pm

Im the same person from the IMDB boards, yes.

I wrote the intire lyrics to the song, all of it (Excludding Lovet's dialouge) starting from "No I had him...his throat was bare..."

The drama department was in no way involved with the expelshion. It was the head of student servises, and the dean of the school.

Im am sure if it was taken to the head of the drama department, thing's would have been handeld different

[misschung]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 4:17pm

Actually, the daughter of a woman that I went to school with wrote down lyrics to Corpse Bride in her notebook and the teacher called her mom in for a parent/teacher conference.

They don't want any more school shootings/suicides/homicides in the near future, so I don't blame them for being worried. I'm honestly just baffled over the fact that she wrote those lyrics and professors of art didn't know it was from Sweeney Todd. It's not as though she wrote "dear ____, I'm going to kill you after school"

Updated On: 12/26/07 at 04:17 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 4:24pm

Please don't take offense, but I find it interesting that you were not paying attention in English class and looking at your spelling and the use of some words in your posts, you should have been paying attention and not writing the lyrics to this song from Sweeney. Just an observation.

Updated On: 12/26/07 at 04:24 PM

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 4:42pm

Geez, are you trying to battle winston for having the most misspellings in one post?

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 4:47pm

Couldn't you get her in trouble for grabbing your notebook and "stealing" it?

I would appeal your expulsion and if your parents were also really pissed I guess you could threaten to take them to court.

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 5:08pm

How did she know you were writing somthing like that. Was it just her timing? I was too bored one day and decided to write down lyrics to a Stephen Lynch song "Special Ed" and was very careful to not have anyone see the notebook.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 5:32pm

Oh my! SpellingBee, I just googled those lyrics!

[WickedForever2]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 5:38pm

I too am a fan of the misspellings from a person who wasn't paying attention in their English class...

[SpellingBeeFan4Ever]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 5:58pm

Yeah, and thats probally the comedy central version. It would have been worst if someone found me with the lyrics to "Special Olympics" Which I think is very offensive (being autistic and all)

[BroadwayPenguin2]

Posted: 12/26/07 at 6:01pm

Find your local NBC website and email the story in. They're amazing.