| COLUMBIA, Mo. (March 18) - A central Missouri high school drama teacher whose spring play was canceled after complaints about tawdry content in one of her previous productions will resign rather than face a possible firing.
"It became too much to not be able to speak my mind or defend my students without fear or retribution," said Fulton High School teacher Wendy DeVore.
DeVore's students were to perform Arthur Miller's "The Crucible," a drama set during the 17th Century Salem witch trials.
But after a handful of Callaway Christian Church members complained about scenes in the fall musical "Grease" that showed teens smoking, drinking and kissing, Superintendent Mark Enderle told DeVore to find a more family-friendly substitute.
DeVore chose Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," a classic romantic comedy with its own dicey subject matter, including suicide, rape and losing one's virginity.
DeVore, 31, a six-year veteran teacher, said administrators told her that her annual contract might not be renewed.
"Maybe I need to find a school that's a better match," she said.
Both Enderle and the high school principal declined to discuss DeVore's resignation, citing privacy concerns. The resignation must still be approved by the school board.
Publicity over the drama debate, including a front-page story in The New York Times, has cast an unflattering light on Fulton as an intolerant small town, several of DeVore's colleagues said.
"We have become a laughingstock," teacher Paula Fessler told The Fulton Sun.
03/18/06 03:39 EST
(This comment send me over the edge!)
Considering the New York rag...the community should be proud, not embarrassed for their position.
Gene
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| #2 - 3/19/06 12:59 PM (Msg Id: 560600:172) |
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My Response: |
Proud?
Proud that they, without really even reading the plays I would assume, have deemed them innapropriate?
Proud that they may, in fact, be stifling the creative expression of what are probably some incredibly talented kids?
Proud that they have continued to show the rest of the world that the midwest really IS a place where bigotry, hatred and intolerance continue to thrive?
I live in Missouri, although it appears that Kansas City is a world away from Fulton. I am also a proffessional actor. Throughout my High School, College and Proffessional career I have played many roles in many shows that for one reason or another could have been deemed inappropriate, but thankfully, the community I lived in spent time deciphering the message behind the words as opposed to concentrating solely on the words alone. There will always be a debate over what is good taste, what is bad, what is offensive, what is not.
The need to purge what is offensive to a particular religious sect is always going to be an uphill battle. If someone can name just three plays or musicals within the world of Broadway, Off-Broadway, Regional, Community or Education Theatre that is not offensive, my point would be moot. But, as stated before, trying to do so will most assuredly end with a list of productions, each more offensive in some way, than the last. Even seemingly religion-based material that happens within the context of "Community Theatre" church groups can be viewed as offensive to Christians in some form. "Godspell", by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Teblak was written as a thesis project in response to the author's unfavorable treatment within a church, yet it is performed without a second thought across the country by church groups with the purpose of glorifying Jesus, which, incidentally is completely missing the point. "Jesus Christ Superstar" written by Andrew Lloyd Weber is, strictly in title alone, offensive to some. Yet, this show, told almost entirely from Judas Iscariot's point of view will be produced in over a hundred churches this year alone. "Children of Eden" also written by that blasphemer, Stephen Schwartz, deals with the happenings in the book of Genesis, with a healthy dose of creative license in it's creation of characters that don't exist in the bible who find inner strength without any mention of God.
My point is this, religious conviction is a wonderful, inspiring thing, but trying to whipe any creative profect clean of what might offend is a task too daunting to mount. Yes, "Grease" and a "Midsummer Night's Dream" contain some bawdy material, yes "The Crucible" deals with a particularly horrific chapter in American History. If we continue to try and expell every piece of art and thinking that challenges what one group of people decides is inappropriate and vulgar, then society becomes Tituba; only meaning to educate and shed light in new areas of thinking, and uneducated well intention becomes Abegail Williams; pointing accusations at an artform that carries no guilt.
The content of the play is only it's words.
The Message recieved is in the eye and mind of it's viewer.
Congratulations to that teacher for standing by her convictions just as the Christian community in Fulton stood by theirs.
Justin Michael Van Pelt
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