Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Grease for a middle school play?

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Karin
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Topic: Grease for a middle school play?
Posted: 7/05/07 at 4:48pm

I am considering Grease for our spring 08 play. I would love people to share their thoughts on its appropriateness for grades 6,7, and 8. Also, if anyone has directed this before, what script would you recommend.

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donzolidis
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Posted: 7/05/07 at 5:03pm

Urch. Might depend on where you are, certainly not in my neck of the woods. (There was even a high school production of Grease shut down this year.)

You'd have to eliminate "Greased Lightning" and "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee", you have an entire plotline of Rizzo being pregnant, I don't know how many references to alcohol and cigarettes (which you probably aren't going to be able to get away with).

Mysteriously, people seem to be more okay with violence on stage in productions than references to sex and drugs. Go figure. (No one ever complains about knife fights in West Side Story.)

Look, Grease is a classic and everyone loves it, but then again, not everyone actually listens to the lyrics of the songs. You get one parent who actually quotes what people are singing in Greased Lightning and you're in hot water. I think any middle school version of Grease you do would have to be so watered-down as to be a disappointment.

Middle schools in my area have done Godspell, School House Rock Live, The King and I... there are plenty that can be done with 6th-8th graders, I just think Grease might be too much. (Then again, I'm in Texas, so... take what I say with a grain of salt, when I was living in Wisconsin, my high school did A Chorus Line with all songs intact and no one said a thing. I'd probably be pilloried for it here.)

Don

www.donzolidis.com

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MikeO
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Posted: 7/05/07 at 6:13pm

Karin,

You should be OK with that. Just make sure that you get the 'school version' from Samuel French. Most of the references that donzolidis mentions have been removed. Greased Lightning has different lyrics, and the Rizzo thing is not in there. Give it a read, and good luck!

I'd rather act, but they found out I can do tech & sets!!

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B-M-D
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Posted: 7/06/07 at 12:30pm

Pretty sad commentary that a "cleaned up," version of Grease of all things had to be created to assuage the ever so delicate sensibilities of a few people. I guess I should be grateful and shut up that at least it'll be performed for more audiences as a result.

Would love to see a cleaned up version of Sweeney Todd. Would everyone just be sent for a very long time out and Mrs. Lovett just make bad toll house cookies.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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Scott B
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Posted: 7/07/07 at 1:50am

Yeah but ... grades 6, 7, and 8? No way would I consider Grease to be an appropriate choice for that age group unless it had been altered.

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claning
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Posted: 7/07/07 at 2:21am

Saw a dinner theatre version of this (unedited) and then two weeks later saw my co-host's production with his middle school kids. They did the clean version and it was just as entertaining...if not more so...than the dinner theatre one. I am hardly a prude, but the language in the original can tend toward the gratuitous side, distracting from the overall story.

Anyway I digress. It seemed a great choice for a middle school show (clean version) and a very popular one. I say go for it.

If you have any specific questions about the show, you can email my co-host Rob (rob@neighborhoodstage.com) and I am sure he will be glad to answer them.

Chris Laning, Co-Host
"Your Neighborhood Stage" Podcast
http://www.NeighborhoodStage.com
chris@neighborhoodstage.com

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Nanette
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Posted: 7/09/07 at 8:09pm

I once saw a production performed by youth and was just slightly more than uncomfortable when Sandy sang " ... feel your way". Nope, definately not a kid show in my book.

In a world of margarine, be butter!

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biggertigger
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Posted: 7/09/07 at 8:37pm

You are right about the way shows are done and "cleaned up" but there comes a point in theater when they gladly produce one show over the other but they have similar subject matter. Case in point Grease has Rizzo's song "There are worse things I could do" is complete unexceptable by many groups because to the conotation however that same group will produce Oklahoma and you have Ado Annie sing "I cain't say no". Ok here a girl talks about being promiscuous, same subject matter but Oklahoma is a "classic".

There are many similarities if you look at the complete context of the shows.

Oklahoma - two guys compete for the affection of an innocent girl. Another guy has an interest in the promiscuous girl and has a photo viewer of "hoochie" girls. Another actor has pictures of hoochie girls in his shed room. He attempts to "have his way" with the lead. As previously mentioned, one girl talks about not being able to say no to men. There is even a murder in the end. But this is a classic show and appropriate for schools.

Grease - a guy has a summer fling with an innocent girl. There is talk about girls. A female sings of her conquest with men. They talk about smoking (or smoke) the innocent girl changes into popular girl by end of show. There is no act of murder in this show. Totally inappropriate for schools.

So I think the thought pattern is murder - ok, smoking - not ok.

The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.

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MikeO
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Posted: 7/09/07 at 11:47pm

It still amazes me that we complain when we can't find kids to be in theater, but we complain when someone takes the time to rewrite a show so it can be done by children. Maybe they will come around when they are adults. Then they will be able to handle profanity and sexual inuendo that apparently must be included in all 'popular' shows. OK, I'm done ranting. Beat me up if you must.

I'd rather act, but they found out I can do tech & sets!!

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Kathy S
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Posted: 7/10/07 at 2:33am

I want to take issue with biggertigger's post:

1) There isn't a murder in Oklahoma -- Jud falls on his knife.

2) The problem I see with Grease as a show for middle school or even high school for that matter is that it reinforces the idea that its ok and even desireable for a girl to compromise her standards in order to be popular. Bad message for young girls -- who needs their daughters fed that crap in school?

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Topic: Grease for a middle school play?( Topic Closed)
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Author	Message
Karin Lead Joined: 12/27/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 47	Topic: Grease for a middle school play? Posted: 7/05/07 at 4:48pm
	I am considering Grease for our spring 08 play. I would love people to share their thoughts on its appropriateness for grades 6,7, and 8. Also, if anyone has directed this before, what script would you recommend.

	IP Logged

donzolidis Celebrity Joined: 5/15/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 156	Posted: 7/05/07 at 5:03pm
	Urch. Might depend on where you are, certainly not in my neck of the woods. (There was even a high school production of Grease shut down this year.) You'd have to eliminate "Greased Lightning" and "Look at me, I'm Sandra Dee", you have an entire plotline of Rizzo being pregnant, I don't know how many references to alcohol and cigarettes (which you probably aren't going to be able to get away with). Mysteriously, people seem to be more okay with violence on stage in productions than references to sex and drugs. Go figure. (No one ever complains about knife fights in West Side Story.) Look, Grease is a classic and everyone loves it, but then again, not everyone actually listens to the lyrics of the songs. You get one parent who actually quotes what people are singing in Greased Lightning and you're in hot water. I think any middle school version of Grease you do would have to be so watered-down as to be a disappointment. Middle schools in my area have done Godspell, School House Rock Live, The King and I... there are plenty that can be done with 6th-8th graders, I just think Grease might be too much. (Then again, I'm in Texas, so... take what I say with a grain of salt, when I was living in Wisconsin, my high school did A Chorus Line with all songs intact and no one said a thing. I'd probably be pilloried for it here.) Don
	www.donzolidis.com
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MikeO Lead Joined: 9/15/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 35	Posted: 7/05/07 at 6:13pm
	Karin, You should be OK with that. Just make sure that you get the 'school version' from Samuel French. Most of the references that donzolidis mentions have been removed. Greased Lightning has different lyrics, and the Rizzo thing is not in there. Give it a read, and good luck!
	I'd rather act, but they found out I can do tech & sets!!
	IP Logged

B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 7/06/07 at 12:30pm
	Pretty sad commentary that a "cleaned up," version of Grease of all things had to be created to assuage the ever so delicate sensibilities of a few people. I guess I should be grateful and shut up that at least it'll be performed for more audiences as a result. Would love to see a cleaned up version of Sweeney Todd. Would everyone just be sent for a very long time out and Mrs. Lovett just make bad toll house cookies.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
	IP Logged

Scott B Celebrity Joined: 12/08/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 239	Posted: 7/07/07 at 1:50am
	Yeah but ... grades 6, 7, and 8? No way would I consider Grease to be an appropriate choice for that age group unless it had been altered.
	IP Logged

claning Player Joined: 6/15/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 18	Posted: 7/07/07 at 2:21am
	Saw a dinner theatre version of this (unedited) and then two weeks later saw my co-host's production with his middle school kids. They did the clean version and it was just as entertaining...if not more so...than the dinner theatre one. I am hardly a prude, but the language in the original can tend toward the gratuitous side, distracting from the overall story. Anyway I digress. It seemed a great choice for a middle school show (clean version) and a very popular one. I say go for it. If you have any specific questions about the show, you can email my co-host Rob (rob@neighborhoodstage.com) and I am sure he will be glad to answer them.
	Chris Laning, Co-Host "Your Neighborhood Stage" Podcast http://www.NeighborhoodStage.com chris@neighborhoodstage.com
	IP Logged

Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Posted: 7/09/07 at 8:09pm
	I once saw a production performed by youth and was just slightly more than uncomfortable when Sandy sang " ... feel your way". Nope, definately not a kid show in my book.
	In a world of margarine, be butter!
	IP Logged

biggertigger Celebrity Joined: 4/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 188	Posted: 7/09/07 at 8:37pm
	You are right about the way shows are done and "cleaned up" but there comes a point in theater when they gladly produce one show over the other but they have similar subject matter. Case in point Grease has Rizzo's song "There are worse things I could do" is complete unexceptable by many groups because to the conotation however that same group will produce Oklahoma and you have Ado Annie sing "I cain't say no". Ok here a girl talks about being promiscuous, same subject matter but Oklahoma is a "classic". There are many similarities if you look at the complete context of the shows. Oklahoma - two guys compete for the affection of an innocent girl. Another guy has an interest in the promiscuous girl and has a photo viewer of "hoochie" girls. Another actor has pictures of hoochie girls in his shed room. He attempts to "have his way" with the lead. As previously mentioned, one girl talks about not being able to say no to men. There is even a murder in the end. But this is a classic show and appropriate for schools. Grease - a guy has a summer fling with an innocent girl. There is talk about girls. A female sings of her conquest with men. They talk about smoking (or smoke) the innocent girl changes into popular girl by end of show. There is no act of murder in this show. Totally inappropriate for schools. So I think the thought pattern is murder - ok, smoking - not ok.
	The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
	IP Logged

MikeO Lead Joined: 9/15/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 35	Posted: 7/09/07 at 11:47pm
	It still amazes me that we complain when we can't find kids to be in theater, but we complain when someone takes the time to rewrite a show so it can be done by children. Maybe they will come around when they are adults. Then they will be able to handle profanity and sexual inuendo that apparently must be included in all 'popular' shows. OK, I'm done ranting. Beat me up if you must.
	I'd rather act, but they found out I can do tech & sets!!
	IP Logged

Kathy S Celebrity Joined: 8/21/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 303	Posted: 7/10/07 at 2:33am
	I want to take issue with biggertigger's post: 1) There isn't a murder in Oklahoma -- Jud falls on his knife. 2) The problem I see with Grease as a show for middle school or even high school for that matter is that it reinforces the idea that its ok and even desireable for a girl to compromise her standards in order to be popular. Bad message for young girls -- who needs their daughters fed that crap in school?
	IP Logged