As a theatre teacher, I am well aware of how the sword of censorship is always hanging around my neck. In my 22 years of teaching, it has swung a few times and mighty close to the ol’ head, but I got to be a good ducker! Censorship is always such an interesting thing at this age level. I am always struck by the contridictions. Schools can take a wonderful novel like The Color Purple and require it as reading for a senior literature class, even though it contains a few simple lesbian scenes. BUT, god forbid, I staged an accurate rendetion of this novel, even carefully minimizing the lesbian issues, I would be closed down in a few minutes. We can take the nudity in the sculpture class. We can read novels of scandolous, controversial, even abhorant behavior, but, when it comes to the stage. the use of the word “shit” still sparks quite the debate with the powers that be. Funny, huh? Read more