I was supposed to be in Romeo and Juilet (at a Christian school no less) but in the end we didn't get to put it on but not because someone was offended.
I did enjoy getting to kiss Juilet though. 
Posted on 03/18/2006 10:46:26 AM PST by 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.
As opposed to other jobs she can take, where you can always speak your mind and ignore the boss, without fear of "retaliation".
If these subjects are a problem for this community I guess they're lucky they don't read the Bible in public school any more.
I spent 25 years in the theatre. I was an actor, director, playwright, and producer. I ran one of the only naturally conservative touring companies in the Northeast.
Your comment disparages the great talent which evolves from young eager minds. Theatre is entertainment...it is also a process by which young people mature and find their way. Not all find themselves on our side of the fence...but more than you can attribute do.
Sorry for the bad grammar....I'm aggravated by this remark.
Job Retraining 101 for DeVore: "You want fries with that?"
I was supposed to be in Romeo and Juilet (at a Christian school no less) but in the end we didn't get to put it on but not because someone was offended.
I did enjoy getting to kiss Juilet though.
Disagree. To call this particular town intolerant would seem to be fitting. Small towns, small minds. I lived in a similar town for almost a decade. Worst years of my life.
Actually, A Midsummer Night's Dream is probably PG-13... but still, these are high schoolers.
Job Retraining 101 for DeVore: "You want fries with that?"
Don't count on it -- this story is better than a resume. Schools will be standing in line to hire her.
Anon, good nurse.
If these subjects are a problem for this community I guess they're lucky they don't read the Bible in public school any more.
Winner!!!
Hehe, you know in Shakespeare's time, all the actors were MEN! *GASP!* HOMO-AGENDA!
I'm just curious here...what kind of play is suitable and interesting for both 6 and 60 year olds?
Maybe she ought to choose material more suitable to the job she accepted.
In another year or two she would probably be trying to do a stage presentation of Brokeback Mountain.
The reason it was all men was because the mentality @ the time was "women don't do theater" and actors were looked upon just slightly better than prostitutes.
It is interesting though that when they needed to kill someone in the play, they'd go to the local prison, get a condemned inmate, and execute them on the stage as part of the play.
That's a strawman argument... if you take a 6-year-old to a play, you're an annoyance to all who wish to enjoy the play without your 6-year-old whining.
And if you take your 6-year-old to a play that would probably get a PG-13 rating, you should have your head examined and take your kid to Chuck E. Cheese.
BTW, here's a local review of the play:
http://www.fultonsun.com/articles/2006/03/14/news/293news02.txt
Arthur Miller got to have sex with Marilyn Monroe. He's okay by me!
I cannot think of any of these plays as being "family unfriendly" to tell you the truth. The administrator told her to do this after getting whiny complaints from a couple of parents about "Grease." Have you seen "Grease?"
It's awfully dated for today's high school kids, but family-friendly, it is.
That deserves to be post of the day.
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