Posted on 04/23/2005 8:49:27 AM PDT by ViLaLuz
School officials thumb their noses at California parents who object to a highly controversial musical being performed by students.
You might expect to find musicals containing depictions of rape, incest and bestiality somewhere off-Broadway—not in a high school production. But at La Canada High School in La Canada Flintridge, Calif., this year's spring musical is the highly controversial "Bat Boy."
The main character is a pointy-eared half-human boy with fangs who's discovered living in a cave in Hope Falls, W.V. While exploring the world, Bat Boy and the rest of the cast use drugs, alcohol and sex as tools for acceptance.
"It's great that this stuff is gonna be put on stage," said Daniel Barber, who plays Bat Boy. "We can all identify with the music."
At a recent school board meeting, cast members and mostly supportive parents tried to convince everyone that "Bat Boy: The Musical" is a good show. But when parent Otis Page read the script, he pulled his daughter from the audition and began the legal process of filing a formal complaint against the school.
"At the end of the play they say, 'Let the beast come out,' (but the) problem is, high school kids are letting the beast come out," Page said. "We've seen that at Columbine (High School, site of a 1999 school shooting), we've seen that all across the country.
"The law does say you can't hand out harmful material to . . . minors; they did that (with this play.) They also did this without notification against school policy and procedure."
So far, the La Canada school board has only decided to modify the play—and run a disclaimer on advertisements. But for 52-year-old Hal Thomas, who had four kids graduate from the school, "Bat Boy" won't be a hot ticket.
"It's s-i-c-k," Thomas said. "I wouldn't go if you gave me 10 free tickets."
The school's drama teacher is retiring at the end of this school year.
La Cañada - I stand corrected. Thank you.
cañada = glen
Yes, "Hair." Why not? Any other garbage passes as art these days.
Yes, stage left, behind the actors. It was in Chicago, so I don't recall any "name" actors in that production.
It's one of my favorite plays. The monologue at the end where the Dr. speaks about envying the passion of the boy is nothing short of brilliant.
The "n" has a ~ over it so Canada is pronounced as in Spanish señor. Not like the country above the US.
That's okay, a lot of times I say La Canada, without pronouncing the tilde, just for fun. Especially when you say "I'm going from La Canada to Ontario"!
Political correctness is a mental disorder -- mentions of guns and Indians need to be censored, while sex, alcohol and drug abuse is encouraged.
Stupid, yes, and inappropriate for high school students.
Did you see it?
Thank goodness.
Than I'll take back MTV and substitute Primetime TV. The fact is teenagers see 10 times worse everyday, in movies, video and TV. To feign outrage now, after the genie's been out of the bottle for a long time, is just naive.
Hey, I was hot in college! But I still wouldn't have taken off my clothes. I mean ... it was a COLLEGE PRODUCTION!!!!
cañada = glen
No, I haven't.
Equus... I have never heard of that production until you all had mentioned it here. I will look into it. Thank you.
College is one thing, high school is another.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.