NJ.com: Bowing to pressure from parents and the school community, Notre Dame High School has canceled its spring production of “The Laramie Project,” a play based on the violent 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard. The decision to shut down the production has proved to be just as controversial as the play’s edgy and dramatic portrayal of a Wyoming town gripped in the aftermath of a hate crime.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Amid complaints, N.J. high school pulls plug on play about murder of gay college student
NJ.com: Bowing to pressure from parents and the school community, Notre Dame High School has canceled its spring production of “The Laramie Project,” a play based on the violent 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard. The decision to shut down the production has proved to be just as controversial as the play’s edgy and dramatic portrayal of a Wyoming town gripped in the aftermath of a hate crime.
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There seems to be a pattern that goes along with high schools producing this show, and it's this one. School picks show. Everyone in drama organization is excited about show. School had announced show to community, but community didn't really listen because it wasn't for 3 months. School puts together show. Oops! Two weeks before show community begins paying attention to show. They learn what show is about, and some people do not like it. They put pressure on school to cancel show. School resists, but eventually pressure becomes too great and they have to cancel show. People who support show are outraged. News is created.
NOW, this is a ridiculous cycle. And it's ridiculous the way in which people still react to this production. It's important, if it wasn't important nobody would put it on. Those who are bothered by it do not have to see it. Nothing is making them. So they shouldn't. However, they have no right to ruin it for everybody else. I'm sure they would not be pleased if others did the same to them.
Well, to start off, if this play wasn't already controversial, it is now, simply because someone is against the performance. On top of that, the naysayers who wanted to quietly shut it down were naive to think that the kids, who put their time and effort into a meaningful play, wouldn't turn around and fight.
Taking a few steps back, the people with the issues are the parents. The kids were completely ready to put this show on and knew how important it was to expose this injustice. Awareness overall is extremely important, especially nowadays when every other story is about a child that has been bullied for one reason or another. To be honest, there shouldn't be any reason for why they shut this play down. It is the least anyone can do to pay tribute to the kids in the world that are bullied or even killed because of their sexuality.
I agree with what everyone else has said. To start with, if parents care so much about what sort of theatre their children are exposed to, I feel that it is their own responsibility to keep in the loop with the school's choices and report complaints earlier, WELL BEFORE rehearsals begin. A production of this play in New Jersey especially, would have been really apt and relevant in the light of both the rent tragedy at Rutgers and the fact that Governor Christie refused to sign a same-sex marriage bill that arrived on his desk. Like the school production of "joe turner's come and gone" that was almost shut down in New Haven last year, this play could have really started a healthy conversation. It could begin to involve the whole community in the way that only theatre can, and if it is a concern to the school, the conversation could be held in a way that preaches understanding and tolerance of those different from ourselves. The fear that this play will encourage students to become homosexual, as the article states, i find a bit ridicuolous. Hopefully if this play is allowed to go on, that and other false assumptions about LGBT lifestyles can be explored and addressed, and everyone can gain some perspective.
The issue that seems to be happening in schools and the controversy of thought provoking works of arts lies all with the parents, and that of the older generations. Change is good, it is inevitable, and if you don't adapt then you are not really progressing or living open minded. It makes me proud that the students and alumni of Notre Dame High School realize that this performance can have an impact and statement on society, but it makes me sad that the parents are more concerned that their children can't handle it, just because they are scared at what it can do. Being from an older generation where homosexuality was frowned upon, and being Catholic does not help. But if they are loving individuals, then they should realize they should not be scared about it because of the homosexuality, but because of gruesome death. The impact that this has, regardless of age, needs to be considered. At what point will parents let their children grow up? If you hold them back forever, then they will rebel and be more shocked, or destroyed because of reality in future. Hopefully the students have learned from this controversy even if their parents have, and that the individuals too scared to be openly homosexual at Notre Dame High School are not hurt by the actions of canceling this performance. Preventing students creativity and voice does not only affect them at school, but it can affect the students more personally then parents may believe. Its a different time, they say they were our age once, and I believe in their wisdom, but if they want us to change and adapt, they need to change and adapt to the times as well.
This high school is just down the street from my home. This is the community that I grew up in. And I have to say that I did not expect nearly the amount of support of the show that arose. People from all over the state are taking a stand.
Another area high school put on The Laramie Project in the fall and they were anticipating a lot of resistance, but were able to accumulate enough support to complete the run. The show was generally well received, which was a bit of a surprise. Anytime there is a high school show that has any hint of gay themes or a gay character, there are always complaints, but usually those complaints don't amount to anything, since they are usually retroactive.
The truth is that The Laramie Project is about the murder of a young man who was gay and the towns reaction to the incident. It isn't a pride parade. Murder is wrong. Always. And that is entirely in line with the values of the Catholic church and this high school.
I'm so glad to see the community coming together to take a stand for the production. The effect this show would have had on the community would have been significant, but the current controversy seems to be making waves of change, at least within my town.
I am glad to see that there are so many students and parents at this school that want the show to go on. I truly respect the people involved that may not necessarily agree with gay marriage wholeheartedly, but at least support the GLBT community and the idea of God loving everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is a shame that the play is not set to be presented, and I can only hope that somehow the students and parents who want the play to go on have their voices heard. I think it's a great idea to present the play along with a non-artistic discussion of the issues it brings up. That's how art is supposed to work, right? It should inspire people to talk to one another and think about the issues in our world. My high school's production of The Laramie Project was protested by the Westboro Baptist Church several years ago, but their protesting barely made a splash. The show went on, the community supported it, and the students took it as an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings on equality and love for all. While I am sad to see there are some people at this high school that don't support such ideas, I'm equally happy to see how many people there are that do support them and are taking a stand.
While most of the controversy of this article stems around the content of the play (i.e., bullying, gay rights), I feel that by banning it, you have provided a much more important conflict: the conflict of sensorship. In the article, it was very clear that the students truly wanted to go on with this production and it was the parents that wanted it to end. It is my believe that in high school you have to start finding out what you feel is right and not follow the ideals of adults around you. High is the first experience that you have with new cultures and ideas that you can interact with without parental influence. If I were in that situation, I would havesaid it was the students decision. While the school is there to teach the students, it is also vital that it adapt to the needs and desired of the students as well. If I were an administrator at the school, I would have fought for what the kids wanted and not cared what the parent's or communities response would be. Schools are there for the kids and the second they deny the kids of something, they become controlling. And as young adults, that is the worse thing one can think of.
As much as I support the Laramie Project, I think we need to recognize that the school officials are in a really difficult position. Part of their job (probably a big part) is to make sure the school gets a positive reception from the community. Blowback from angry parents/community members isn't good for the school in any situation. Either way they decide, it seems like their school will be the center of unwanted negative attention. I mean, it's possible that the people responsible for canceling it are just bigots, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the order came from higher up. Maybe they were advised that the publicity would end sooner if they cut the play, and maybe the school is in a financial (or otherwise) situation where it would be a dangerous move to get into a long term battle, and they're really trying to do what is best for the school. Hell, maybe they'll do it next year when they're better prepared for the kind of controversy they now know to expect.
My high school performed The Laramie Project just this past September. Whether its a 3300-kid public school like mine or a Catholic school like theirs, I feel that the values and lessons in the play are, although heavy, completely understandable to a high school audience and doable for a high school theatre program. I just don't understand why, if this particular school is so open and tolerant despite its religious affiliation, it's not open enough for The Laramie Project, especially when key themes in the play such as tolerance are present in the bible.
In response to Rachael S, I feel it naive to assume that the school officials intentions were entirely honorable and anything less than cowardly. I would even say that because the negative response of the community and parents it is even more imperative that this play be put on. The right decision is not always the popular decision. Don't be fooled into thinking it is the violence that is putting people off. With shows about beaten housewives like Carousel and raped women like Streetcar, being performed around the country at rapid-fire, I find it hard to believe the gay content of the play had nothing to do with it. In addition, I feel it is our duty to support this play. Letting this censorship go by unpunished is setting an example that censorship is still acceptable. And more importantly that homophobia is still acceptable. Statements like "they're really want to do what is best for the school. Hell, maybe they'll do it next year" makes this clearly destructive action possible now, and for the future. The west borough baptist church makes a bad name for the conservatives. They are generally thought of as extremists who have gone off the deep end. But when there is some nice, cool, anti marriage equality college girl, no one seems to care. "We all have a right to our own opinions". But I think it is the college girls, the normal people who support bigotry in a "its just my belief" kind of way that make this fight for gay rights a war. I feel that Rachael comments in thinking that it is more important to get the school a positive reception from the community than setting an example of what is right, is destructive. And because it comes from someone who is kind and level headed it holds more weight. It is passiveness and naive optimism that is truly deadly. Don't kid yourself in thinking being nice is the same as being good.
In response to Rachael S, I feel it naive to assume that the school officials intentions were entirely honorable and anything less than cowardly. I would even say that because the negative response of the community and parents it is even more imperative that this play be put on. The right decision is not always the popular decision. Don't be fooled into thinking it is the violence that is putting people off. With shows about beaten housewives like Carousel and raped women like Streetcar, being performed around the country at rapid-fire, I find it hard to believe the gay content of the play had nothing to do with it. In addition, I feel it is our duty to support this play. Letting this censorship go by unpunished is setting an example that censorship is still acceptable. And more importantly that homophobia is still acceptable. Statements like "they're really want to do what is best for the school. Hell, maybe they'll do it next year" makes this clearly destructive action possible now, and for the future. The west borough baptist church makes a bad name for the conservatives. They are generally thought of as extremists who have gone off the deep end. But when there is some nice, cool, anti marriage equality college girl, no one seems to care. "We all have a right to our own opinions". But I think it is the college girls, the normal people who support bigotry in a "its just my belief" kind of way that make this fight for gay rights a war. I feel that Rachael comments in thinking that it is more important to get the school a positive reception from the community than setting an example of what is right, is destructive. And because it comes from someone who is kind and level headed it holds more weight. It is passiveness and naive optimism that is truly deadly. Don't kid yourself in thinking being nice is the same as being good.
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