Walton Co. School Board Meets about Blithe Spirit!!

[questor]

Daily News Librarian extraordinaire Linda Murchison just handed me three items that were published in the Playground News almost 50 years ago.

The first, dated Dec. 25, 1958, is a one-paragraph announcement that the Playground Players are preparing to cast their next production, "Blithe Spirit," to be presented at the Moose Club on Feb. 5, 6 and 7.

The second,dated Feb. 5, 1959, has a photograph of three actors from the play and a four-paragraph story with the headline: "Local Group Will Present Comic Play." A quote from that item leads me to think that the play at some previous date had been produced at the Fort Walton Beach Community Center.

The third, however is the kicker. It's a story dated Feb. 12, 1959,with the headline "Real Life Drama Adds Zing to Act." It tells a fairly amusing story about an 18-year-old actress who almost went on stage in the wrong costume. She is named but I see no need to embarrass her.

"All the girls rushed at me and began tearing off my clothes," she said. "Someone threw my blouse over me, someone else hitched up my skirt. ... I went on with an unzipped skirt held up by apron strings, my hair all a mess, my blouse undone, and, to top it all, my shoes were on the wrong feet."

The anonymous reporter says the audience was none the wiser because her disheveled appearance happened to fit the role she was playing.

You'll notice there were no reports of banning the play or censoring it.


I found this reported on the ONLINE daily news in a BLOG
We are TRULY regressing as a society.

 

[questor]

you beat me again Jdarg!

 

[steele mama]

I believe it is every parent?s right and responsibility to know what is being taught and going on at all schools to which their children attend. The parents that spoke out against the play have a right to speak their opinion as does every parent at the school. It is their right even if you disagree with their position. I haven?t read the play so I can?t speak to the details, however, would like to point out that schools have a different responsibility regarding freedom of speech than does someone just talking on the street corner or even in a community theatre. Not all things are acceptable. Again, don?t know the play but there are plenty of works of drama that I would find inappropriate for a high school setting. Not everything goes! Anyway, if you don?t agree with their position I don?t think it is necessary to mock their faith. You can mock their (anyone?s) politics!!

 

[questor]

By a vote of 3-2, Blithe Spirit remains part of the curriculum of Walton county Schools.

The principal and superintendent have stated that they will not allow the play to be performed as written- it would have to be "sanitized". Unfortunately, the copyright holder was contacted to get permission to do this, which now means that we can't do what every other high school does- adapt the play and perform it. Apparently copyright permission is never requested. The contact was made to try to help, but it hurt us in the long run.

The Seaside Rep Theater has offered to put on Blithe Spirit- look for news on that at a later date. It will be in the winter after the new year.

Come see the SWHS perform Harvey December 5, 6, and 7. That is our 3rd play.

If you read the Daily News Editorial Today you will see that somone has already considered that there WILL be people who are going to protest Harvey as well, based on the fact that it contains "imaginary charactors"

 

[Hop]

If you read the Daily News Editorial Today you will see that somone has already considered that there WILL be poeple who are going to protest Harvey as well, based on the fact that it contains "imaginary charactors"

oh dear lord....

 

[GoodWitch58]

I believe it is every parent?s right and responsibility to know what is being taught and going on at all schools to which their children attend. The parents that spoke out against the play have a right to speak their opinion as does every parent at the school. It is their right even if you disagree with their position. I haven?t read the play so I can?t speak to the details, however, would like to point out that schools have a different responsibility regarding freedom of speech than does someone just talking on the street corner or even in a community theatre. Not all things are acceptable. Again, don?t know the play but there are plenty of works of drama that I would find inappropriate for a high school setting. Not everything goes! Anyway, if you don?t agree with their position I don?t think it is necessary to mock their faith. You can mock their (anyone?s) politics!!

It's my understanding that the person who filed the complaint does not have children in the school...

 

[Romeosmydog]

Anyway, if you don?t agree with their position I don?t think it is necessary to mock their faith. You can mock their (anyone?s) politics!!

I have tried to read all the posts, and this one makes the most sense. But at the same time, as a former teacher, parent, and proponent of free speech; I hate to see anything censored. It is definitely a lose-lose situation.

 

[Jdarg]

Steelemama, if these people were like you we would not have a problem. I could never imagine you condoning censorship, and if you had been riding this out from the beginning with us, you would be aghast at what people do in the name of the Lord. I have spent so much time on this already and y'all don't even know the half of it- I know that sounds crazy!

Oh, and yes, I can mock their faith when they are using it for political nastiness. It is not faith- it is scare tactics. Bdarg put it well- they mocked their own faith when they filed the complaint. Yes, they have a right to speak, but their agenda was inappropriate and it is the responsibility of the school board and principal to not be swayed by any religion.

I hope I can ever get Will to even think about going to church again, because the weak teenage faith that he did have is pretty much shot. It is hard to explain to your kids how church people can be so wrong. I have explained to them that this has nothing to do with religion but everything to do with control and power. Thankfully there are a few LOCAL youth pastors that have been helping the kids deal with this mess and their confusion, and behind them 100%. It makes me question my own faith as well, and with the rise of this new type of Christian, I am getting grumpy and weary of them constantly trying to push their agenda upon us. They do not have the right to do it, and the last time I checked, Biblical scripture is not the law of the land.


Several high schools in other parts of the county are performing this play THIS WEEK (not to mention the hundreds of other performances at high schools through the years). This was researched and mentioned by one of the teachers on our district committee that approved the play for high school use. I can't wait to read their reviews, and I will post them when I see them. Lucky for them- if this craziness happened in their community, it happened years ago and was quickly snuffed in the name of common sense and the importance of keeping public education secular.

Even back in my more conservative days (and I was a toe the line righty- don't be shocked!), I never believed that religion should have influence in government and education. The 2000 election sent me in the other direction- I never understood how religion and politics would work well together. And they do work- if you are a conservative Christian. Which leaves out many many people in the USA.

 

[questor]

This entire quagmire was the result of a few narrow minded extremists
who actually believe there are "REAL Goblins and Witches" hiding behind every bush. These are not rational people and have no place
being in any position of authority in our society.
Can you imagine the results? What if the person in charge of filling your
prescriptions from your Doctor were able to refuse to dispense your medication
just because it was against their beliefs.
OH...WAIT! I forgot! that is a FACT! (Look it up if you don't believe me!)

My wife and daughter are on the way to attend a wonderful ballet tonight at
the OWC Art's Campus...IN NICEVILLE. (Amazing at the difference one bridge and
about 15 miles can make in the mindset of the community!)
Maybe you have heard of it. The "Nutcracker Suite".

It is FULL of fairies and magical places. Full of Hope and Beauty.
I wonder if this performance will also be destroyed by these same fanatics
who have managed create this religio/political quagmire that sucked in
the whole school curriculum here. I wonder if those same people would ALLOW
that ballet to be performed at SWHS. And if they DID, how could they POSSIBLY
justify it?

I also wonder if the current events are portentous of a return to the
Dark Ages when religious fanatics held sway in all the highest courts.
Books were burned. PEOPLE WERE BURNED!

A time and place our forefather fled to create a new country where one could
live without the yoke of ANY kind of tyranny and oppression, whether it be
from religions or kings.

I may be being overly "dramatic" but this WAS all about a Drama after all.
And just like that "Drama", I am trying to make a point. When I moved here
almost 15 years ago it was because I saw a place of great natural beauty and
peace. In the last few years, I have seen that tranquility slowly fade, like flower
left un-watered. People used to respect the rights of others and valued their own
rights and freedoms.
It wasn't the developers or builders who are ruining the Emerald Coast. They had nothing to do with this. I won't spoil the answer by stating the obvious.

 

[Smiling JOe]

So these people don't want kids to learn to act in a play (it's a freaking play), but they have no problem with the girls wearing ... never mind. Let's not get them started.