High school rock opera stirs controversy ("Godspell" portrays Jesus as a clown)

Hendersonville Times-News ^ | March 9, 2002 | Joel Burgess

[GeronL]

interesting that separation of church and state doesn't matter when christianity is mocked

[riley1992]

I saw this about 4 years ago with little knowledge of it beforehand. I cannot say I was offended by it but I will say it was one of the most idiotic musicals I have ever seen.

[lowbridge]

interesting that separation of church and state doesn't matter when christianity is mocked

My thought exactly.

[Gritty]

Somehow, the picture didn't come out. Here it is;

The Rev. Dayton Walker
protests the North Henderson High School
production of Godspell as he speaks
Friday afternoon in front of the school. 
Photo by Drea Jackson

[goodnesswins]

Hmmmm...if they were mocking ISLAM's Mohammad wonder what the media's take on this would be, or the school administration's take.......as if we don't know.....

[RepoGirl]

Godspell was lame back in the 70s when it was a hippy-dippy attempt to forge liberal feel-goodism with Christianity. It didn't work then, it still doesn't work--in fact it's even more dated and silly.

Someday, liberals might get it... but it's doubtful.

Of course, to roughly paraphrase a sentiment in the Planet of the Apes, "The only good musical is a dead musical..."

Regards,

Repogirl

[luckystarmom]

My puplic high school put on this musical back in 1979. The ending was changed with Jesus coming back to life.

Jesus was not a clown. The kids all just dressed colorgul because it was a 70's musical. The kids looked like flower children.

At my high school, it was a very popular musical. They even extended the showing to another weekend, and brought it back the following summer.

I still like the music. I love Day by Day.

[GeronL]

ok.. some old white guys came out to protest.. where was everybody else?? everyone knows how the mediathinks about old white guys...

[randog]

I was thinking along those lines.....how about a musical about the life of MLK with Jesse Jackass portrayed as a clown (I know--not much of stretch)?

[drjimmy]

The Rev. Wes Craven of Balfour United Methodist Church compared the musical to a similar Broadway hit Jesus Christ Superstar and said the two helped convert many hippies to Christianity by giving them a version of the scriptures they could relate to.
Wes Craven? Hmmmmm....

[pragmatic]

I'm a bit confused, knowing nothing about Godspell. Does the musical itself depict Jesus as a clown, or is that this schools idea?

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

In his second point of the protest, Walker said the legal separation of church and state prohibits such a religious play from being put on in a public school. “While I personally feel that the efforts to get the Bible and prayer out of the public schools is misguided and detrimental to the future of the nation, at the same time, the law is the law,” he said.

A nice example of hypocrisy on Walker's part. Historically it might be argued that all theatre would be barred from public schools, because all modern drama arose from the medeival mystery plays and passion plays, which themselves grew out of the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, in which the actions of the passion are presented in a form of dramatic readings as part of the Mass.

Then plays became secular, and took on many themes, including religion and history. We have seen many plays with religious themes, including 'Ben Hur', and 'Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat' (based on the Bible's Book of Exodus'). Is it supposed to be illegal to present these plays? If the Old testament book of Exodus is fair game, then why not the New testament Gospel of St. Matthew (which is I think the main source of Godspell)?

[VRWC_minion]

This minister needs to get a life. Godspell brings many to Christ.

[Randjuke]

This minister needs to get a life. Godspell brings many to Christ.

I don't know how many the play brings to Christ, but I agree with the sentiment of your post. I applaud the school for having the gonies to put on a play depicting Jesus as a hero and sympathetic character. As another poster pointed out, the costumes are reflective of the 60's and 70's era, not an insult.

[RFP]

I thought this song was appropriate:

Alas For You

Alas, alas for you,
Lawyers and pharisees
Hypocrites that you be
Searching for souls and fools to forsake them
You travel the land you scour the sea
After you've got your converts you make them
Twice as fit for hell!
As you are yourselves!

Alas, alas, for you
Lawyers and pharisees
Hypocrites that you are
Sure that the kingdom of Heaven awaits you
You will not venture half so far
Other men that might enter the gates you
Keep from passing through!
Drag them down with you!
You snakes, you viper's brood
You cannot escape being Devil's food!
I send you prophets, and I send you preachers
Sages in rages and ages of teachers
Nothing can mar your mood

Alas, alas for you
Lawyers and pharisees
Hypocrites to a man
Sons of the dogs who murdered the prophets
Finishing off what your fathers began
You don't have time to scorn or to scoff
It's getting very late!
Vengeance doesn't wait!
You snakes, you viper's brood
You cannot escape being Devil's food!
I send you prophets, and I send you preachers
Sages in rages and ages of teachers
Nothing can mar your mood

Blind guides, blind fools
The blood you've spilt
On you will fall!
This nation, this generation
Shall bear the guilt of it all!

Alas, alas alas for you!
Blind fools!!

[VRWC_minion]

I don't know how many the play brings to Christ

It brought the most important person in my life and my children's lives. Up until my wife did that musical as a teen, she had not heard about Christ in any real way.

[Khepera]

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Separate Children from Public Schools.

[Khepera]

.

[Ward Smythe]

Does the musical itself depict Jesus as a clown, or is that this schools idea?

In the original production, Jesus is a clown with a red nose, a heart painted on his forehead and is wearing a Superman shirt. Most follow that costuming, but I've heard of productions where it's done in "street" clothes.

This debate is 30 years old, just like the musical.