Mo. Drama Teacher Resigns in Play Flap

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060318/D8GE1GLO8.html ^

[Lunatic Fringe]

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) - 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.

[punster]

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Well, here's a photo of Eldon Wilson, and his lovely wife, Judith. Eldon is the Senior Minister of the Callaway Christian Church there. Now, doesn't he just look like the fun-lovingest guy you ever met?
More at: http://www.callawaychristianchurch.com/

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They look like a couple of sanctimonious, narrow-mainded, bigoted prisses.

[MineralMan]

"The play was directly written to address the supposed McCarthy witch hunts. That political point will not be made over time and is not now recognized by the general public. Good thing, since Miller was dead wrong.

"

Yes, that was one level of the play. However, it will stand and be a classic, because witch-hunts are always with us. There are always those who attack beliefs on false pretenses.

Future audiences will find new metaphors in "The Crucible."

[MineralMan]

"They look like a couple of sanctimonious, narrow-mainded, bigoted prisses."

That's what I thought, too. Oh, well. You'll see a set of photos from the movie "Footloose" a few posts down from that. The similarity is striking, as is the situation.

[Bubbatuck]

Huh? A high school play is lucky to bring in enough money to pay for the sets and costumes. I've never heard of them being used as a revenue source for other activities.

[stands2reason]

How do you feel about those who are "offended" by the mention of Christmas in schools? Should they get their way?

[punster]

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You are referring to that hellish purveyor of smut, Mitch Miller.

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I remember the story, that was going around:

If Mitch Miller committed bank robbery, and went to prison?

Would he have a Sing-Sing Sing Along?

;-)

[WV Mountain Mama]

I'll bet after that play, there was a sharp increase in highschool drinking at your school... ;)

I still am having trouble understanding how people can get panties in such a twist over these plays. Zealots.

[wintertime]

Huh? A high school play is lucky to bring in enough money to pay for the sets and costumes. I've never heard of them being used as a revenue source for other activities.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

And, if it doesn't bring enough, then who pays? I can see why the administrators what events that will at least pay for themselves and make a bit of a profit.

[ThePoliticalDookie]

I have to agree, now if it was Caligula and they brought in a live horse...

[punster]

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IMHO, it's the Christian Conservatives in this story who are acting like a bunch of Nazis. "Grease"?! Puleeze! Oooh - smoking, drinking and kissing! How terrible. And those darn Salem Witch trials. Just misunderstood Christians trying to rid their town of a few bad seeds I guess. No need to review that part of our history, huh?

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That is a really accurate description of what are known as "true believers". In other words, they have no objectivity about their own beliefs.

[SaveTheChief]

How do you feel about those who are "offended" by the mention of Christmas in schools? Should they get their way?

I believe it is up to the community to decide whether or not they will observe Christmas or any other religious holiday in their schools. I also believe that one person should not be allowed to dictate policy to a community.

[punster]

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I'm sure they are going to need psychotherapy following that trauma. Those church members sound more like the taliban

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I have heard that some of the religious fanatics are referred to as the "American Taliban".

[MarkL]

Exactly! This is an example of a teacher trying to make a "statement" at the expense of the kids...

There are plenty of excellent plays available that are appropriate for every possible age group.

Mark

[punster]

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I certainly hope not. As we see from this whole episode, witch-hunting is still with us. Seems to me that "The Crucible" is as pertinent as ever.

What a pity that this school lost a clever, creative drama teacher. I suppose Miss Grundy will be selected for the job in the future.

And Arthur Miller? Oh, his plays will continue to be produced, long after the congregation of the church in that town is dead and gone. Perhaps that's the best part of the story.

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Unfortunately, you are correct. Witch hunts are inescapable consequence of religious fanaticism.

[MineralMan]

"There are plenty of excellent plays available that are appropriate for every possible age group.
"

OK, then, suppose you list some that would have been better choices. "The Crucible" is about the most popular play produced in High Schools these days. "Midsummer's Night Dream" is also very popular, especially in the modern language version adapted for High School performance. "Grease" is another big hit for High School Productions.

Perhaps you have some others that kids will enjoy performing and that don't ruffle anyone's feathers too much.

I'd be interested in your list.

[fr_freak]

So, the situation sounds like there were complaints from local people about the play "Grease", which was not cancelled, after which the teacher then decided to do "The Crucible", a play which was a thinly veiled metaphor for the McCarthy era, where evil conservatives supposedly wrongly persecuted innocent communists. Is this a coincidence? Most likely not. I'm sure the teacher was trying to make a subtle statement there.

Then, rather than have the situation antagonized, the principal says "do another play" instead of The Crucible, presumedly so that a war doesn't develop between the teacher and the original objectors, which, in my opinion was not an unreasonable position, since the play "The Crucible" is not very flattering to Christians whatsoever. In the context of the actual witch trials themselves, the play is probably not particularly out of line, since such things did happen, but the play, considering its original intent, is easily used to bash Christians in this modern day, where witches are no longer burned. The principal surely felt that this particular play at this particular time would cause more trouble than it was worth.

Whenever someone feels that their ability to put out whatever junk they want is threatened, they pull out the witchhunt, McCarthyism, Inquisition charges and start playing the martyr. It sounds like that's what this teacher did, simply because some people complained about "Grease". They didn't get it cancelled, they simply complained about it. So this supposedly innocent teacher picks a play that would be a political statement. The prinicipal was wise enough to see the game she was playing and attempted to squash it. The principal specifically asked for a play that wouldn't cause any controversy, until the flap blew over. She picked "A MidSummer Night's Dream".

Now, all the people on this thread who are bashing the townsfolk as being intolerant, drooling rednecks for not liking "Grease", "The Crucible" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I want you to notice that "The Crucible" was the ONLY one of these three that was cancelled. You'll notice that "Grease" only received complaints - it wasn't cancelled, and nowhere does the article state that "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was cancelled. The writer of the article simply put that crap in there about "A Midsummer Night's Dream" having "suicide, rape and losing one's virginity" as a means to try to portray the school and the locals as dumb hypocrites, in the manner of "Look - they banned Grease and the Crucible but hey're too ignorant to know that there is even worse stuff in A midsummer Night's Dream!"

If there is any number one rule here at FR, it should be that if you find yourself agreeing with the sentiments of a New York Times article, you should question yourself immediately. Are you getting all of the facts? Is the story you are getting slanted to produce a desired result? In this case, the media that have taken this incident and blown it way out of proportion are doing so to make smalltown America and Christians look like illiterate idiots, and many here are buying right into it.

[popdonnelly]

Grease? That's an offensive play? Some Christians should lighten up.

[Lunatic Fringe]

If she was making a statement by scheduling "The Crucible" then good for her! The local yokels don't have to see it... they can attend the weekly book-burning at Bubba's Bait 'n Bibles.

[punster]

Perhaps, the McCarthy hearings did inspire the play, "The Crucible". However, the Salem Witch Tials are a warning to everyone about religious fanaticism. The Salem Witch Tials are all too much alike the Inquisition during the Medival period.

The Inquisition became a way to literally steal the property of anyone. Just set about denouncing them as a heretic, witch, or you name it. Then the inquisition would confiscate their property. The victim might be tortured to death, or tortured and then burned at the stake.

Ask yourself, how many religious fanatics would do the same today? Of course, anyone can guess the Taliban, or Osama bin Laden. However, their are religious fanatics that call themselves 'Christian'.

[fr_freak]

If she was making a statement by scheduling "The Crucible" then good for her! The local yokels don't have to see it... they can attend the weekly book-burning at Bubba's Bait 'n Bibles.

That is an absolutely ridiculous statement. Congratulations. Rather than using your own brain to figure out what's really going on, you've become a useful dupe of the left.

Let me clarify something for you again - all that these "local yokels" did was complain about some of the raunchier aspects of the play "Grease". That's all they did. It was the principal who cancelled "The Crucible" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was never cancelled. So, you are coming down hard with the country-hick, Christians-are-evil-and-ignorant stereotype that the left is trying so hard to promote, and all because you're swallowing whole their version of this story. Nice job. You're a real credit to the website.