Posted on 09/10/2005 8:53:51 AM PDT by DuckFan4ever
Some say it's a shame that Southridge won't perform the work about a gay man
BEAVERTON -- Southridge High School's principal has stopped production of a controversial play due to profanities and sexual content.
But members of the theater community say "The Laramie Project" is under attack because it features a character who is gay.
"Southridge has prided itself on being diverse," said Jason Kniss, a 2005 Southridge graduate. "And if the school district and principal were to take this out, it would conflict with the founding principles there."
The play chronicles the true story of 21-year-old gay college student Matthew Shepard, who was killed seven years ago in Laramie, Wyo. The production, which has been performed at schools across the country, including Hillsboro's Century High School, pieces together the events surrounding the killing through the reactions of dozens of Laramie residents.
Southridge theater arts director Wade Willis says he selected the play for its educational value and the challenge it would present student actors.
"Everything I hear about presenting something 'controversial' is that you have to put forth all sides," Willis said Friday. "You can't be more complete than this in presenting multiple points of view."
Willis is holding a community meeting 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Southridge High auditorium to hear reaction from parents, students and community members.
Maureen Wheeler, Beaverton School District spokeswoman, said the play is considered controversial because it contains profanities and sexual content. Willis also failed to have the selection reviewed by Principal Amy Gordon under the district's controversial materials policies, Wheeler said.
Gordon could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Bill Johnson, Century High theater instructor, said "The Laramie Project" met initial resistance from Hillsboro school officials but eventually ran after profanities and one sensitive scene were removed.
"We looked at it from a discrimination standpoint," Johnson said. "It's a murder story and the victim happened to be gay, and that's why he was killed. Why is this any different from Anne Frank, who was killed for her religion, or 'Romeo and Juliet'?"
Amy Hsuan: 503-294-5954; amyhsuan@news.oregonian.com
Oregon Ping and potential for homosexual agenda ping.
I would be willing to bet that 98% of all kids, of all races, creeds, colors and sexual orientation, well, ok, maybe not sexual orientation, could care less about how "diverse" their high school is.
I don't know about the play "The Laramie Project", but if it's anything like the movie it's garbage. All it did was portray gays as innocent little "angels" (literally) and those of us who disagree with the lifestyle/agenda as homophobic bigots.
Southridge has prided itself on being perverse.
"Southridge has prided itself on being diverse". Uh...ever spent time in Oregon, especially outside of Portland?
Click here for ABC news story debunking the hate crime theory.
A little in Tigard.
My point is that's it's always a vocal minority that makes it look like "everyone" supports a cause.
So maybe they're a little too wacked in the NW. ;-)
If the play had an identifiable homosexual - that means it had overt sexual references that do NOT belong in a high school play. heterosexual or homosexual. The school has the right to censor.
Go to the local pocket theatre if you want homosexual material.
On the other hand, the students can add little things, but MUST expect the consequences if they break the rules.
My H.S. senior year, our class play was "Goodbye Mr Jordan" (aka Heaven can Wait) - on our closing night we made some minor script modifications and when the maid went upstairs to discover the "body", we had her enter the bath and very loudly and sexily say (behind closed doors) "Ooooohhh ... Mr Farnsworth .... you shouldn't!"
We were suspended (for a couple days) for that little infraction. We did NOT protest like whiny wimpy liberals.
The year? 1968
Liberals are all for "diversity", as long as it is limited to the untraditional.
Sounds like Willis is a Ward Churchill wannabe.
If you buy the rights to perform this play in your town, you automatically get a visit from that Phelps character and his band of crazies. They protest, and the local kids and townspeople get the general impression that those who are against the gay lobby's agenda are somehow like Phelps, and no oen wants to be like Phelps.
It's really quite a good deal for the people who put it on. I wonder some lefty outfit somehow funds Phelps's travel clandestinely. Phelps, btw, has been a big supporter of Al Gore going way back. He is one of theirs, not one of ours.
The Laramie project is all about pushing the gay agenda on a cimmunity and tarring anyone who disagrees as a homophobe.The mainstream press tends to ignore the middle ground - those of us who don't discriminate against gays but don't want to give them extra rights for being gay aren't very interesting.If you buy the rights to perform this play in your town, you automatically get a visit from that Phelps character and his band of crazies. They protest, and the local kids and townspeople get the general impression that those who are against the gay lobby's agenda are somehow like Phelps, and no oen wants to be like Phelps.
In this case:
1. It's already murder - that's hateful enough
2. Would they allow a non-gay play to have sex and profanity? The same rules should apply.
3. #1 and #2 don't make me a homophobe.
The Laramy project and Phelps actually hurt their side's cases, IMO. Just like the activist judges trying legislate gay marriage - now some people don't even want gay households recognized. Over-reaching causes backlashes.
We had a an openly gay candidate for Lt. governor in Georgia whose position on gay rights was "equal rights for all - no special rights for sexual orientation." He was the libertarian candidate though....
oh brother... can't they at least save this kind of crap for college? whatever happended to "Guys and Dolls" or "Bye-Bye, Birdie?"
Sheesh what happened to the Good Old Days when high schools put on "My Fair Lady" and "Bye Bye Birdie".
Its sick the freak would want to do this in a high school in the first place. HS is not the place for this kind of crap.
No matter how it's played the loony left cannot disprove how
unnatural that lifestyle choice is. ANd Matthew Shephard was NOT murdered because he was gay-- But because he was
stupid and tried to exchange unnatural sex for drugs and
was murdered because the druggies was wanting to steal or
do whatever necessary to get more drugs. Bet this pc play never mentions WHY Matthew Shephard was killed-preferring to
make us all as Sodom and as gomorrah -and under the judgement.
And the West Memphis Three are in jail because they killed those kids. Period.
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