This world is full of naughty words. If you have ever sat down with a piece of modern theatrical literature you will be amazed by all of the naughty words. Even in the play that deals with the most affirming of topics in the best possible literature you will still find a string of words that MIGHT be offensive to SOMEBODY. When I first started teacher, I thought to hell with leadership (I know, naught word). I am an artist and I damn well am going to be true to the text and I will suffer all the slings and bows of great misfortune – i.e. trips to the principals office. Then as I aged I grew weary of those trips to the front office and was really less committed to loosing my job with each and every production. Now I wanted to play a bit safer of a game. I knew that references to sex and to religion would be best to simply mark out – and try I did. The hard part was finding where that line was. You really can’t do any dramatic literature without somewhere/somehow dealing with human sexuality. You don’t need to show sex or talk like a prostitute, but sexuality is a primary human energy that does shape many of our encounters. So I get no sex stuff – and as a former altar boy, I understand the taking the “lords name in vain” -so I should be good.
One thinks . . .
Then you hear of the teacher down the hall or in the next county getting castigated for saying “damn” or saying “bastard” – and now the whole game changes again. Please help. You think there might be a “Teacher-Play-God” that would give you a formal blessing for all you intend to do – but authority can’t and doesn’t want to step into this game. I get that – – but it does leave you a bit you on limb. So now what to do? How about making a list of all questionable words – great idea – except this list goes on and on and on – even when dealing with a classic piece of literature like Death of a Salesman – much less the contemporary works in question.
I wish there was a solution. Certainly you realize that you are working with minors and you are working with minors from a great variety of families with an every greater spectrum of values and beliefs. That’s a given. I venture forward. I use the past as the best predictor of the future. What else am I to use? I realize that as an artist – even as an artist working with minors – I am going to “shake the tree.” My only worry is that too much shaking might end up breaking the tree. And that’s for bad for EVERYONE except those in the logging business.
5 comments on “Bended Branches, Steady Tree”
I sympathize with you, it does seem that using acceptable swear words is like trying to hit a moving target. Finding an “acceptable” play to perform without censoring has to be very difficult. I’m surprised daily by the language used on TV and radio. I suppose the context of the word has to be considered. The use of “formal” language instead of “casual” language could also be stressed. It wouldn’t be acceptable for a student to say, “I have to take a piss” in school, but it would be normal when among his peers.
Good luck to you avoiding “breaking the tree!”
Wow, you bring up a common conundrum. This was another bane during my involvement with junior-college-level productions. Because it was a very small, conservative town, even older scripts dealt with issues that were considered sensitive. It was weird that something written in the 60’s (or earlier!) could cause such consternation.
The other thing that bothered me was that the slightest zest in improvisation could elicit rather pointed paranoia on behalf of the professor, who, like you, wanted to do art but also wanted to keep his job. To be honest, that drama department seemed more like Peyton Place with all its taboos and secrets than college-level theater.
But, we still got through it, “scandals” and all. I don’t know if you can really find freedom in this area of discourse. It seems that with the language in the culture being so much more relaxed, language in a theatrical production would be easy. Not so, unfortunately.
This makes perfect sense to me as the times have changed. You are dealing with plays that could be many years old and even if that subject matter was seen differently back in the day, there is no way in hell it could be argued the same today. Good luck!
I attribute all of this to political correctness.
It seems that us humans are pretty easy offend. Words are words – and in the English language (the only one I can speak about with any first-hand knowledge), the same word can mean different things.
If nothing else, that should point to the fact that words are nothing more than how we define them.
And we define things based on our beliefs.
The funny thing is, we spend time “protecting our right to free speech” when it’s because of things like political correctness that we take that right away from ourselves.
I can understand your conundrum because you’re an artist – and artists create and express…
But here, you feel you must censor your expressions based on how others may react to your expressions. It doesn’t seem fair – but in the end, I think it’ll have to be your instincts that guide you here.
You may be able to push the envelope a little further from performance to performance and warm people up to what you have to express.
But I personally think you’d be best posing the question out there and staying open to what insight comes your way.
Kind of like what you’ve done with this post 🙂
I think it’s a good thing to want to be sensitive to other people’s feelings. Unfortunately, there are so many different kinds of people in the world and so many different tastes, moods, attitudes, and beliefs that pleasing them all would be impossible.
When you’re dealing in art forms, it’s very important to go for authenticity. Art has always served the purpose of throwing realities, hypocrisies, new points of view on beauty, and appreciation in the face of society. Art’s had a lot to do with shaping human history.
So basically — you’re in a pickle.
🙂