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 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing |
 Topic: changing profanity( Topic Closed) |
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falstaff29
Celebrity 
Joined: 9/17/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 155 |
 Posted: 11/16/06 at 4:11pm |
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Sorry to be the grammar police, but directors should be hanged; clothes should be hung.  |
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jdlewallen
Player 
Joined: 1/11/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 18 |
Posted: 1/20/07 at 11:03pm |
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Yeah, because the director being hung would be a totally DIFFERENT issue!! 
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Paramitch
Player
Joined: 10/16/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 12 |
Posted: 1/25/07 at 3:17pm |
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This has been a really fascinating and informative discussion. I've faced similar quandaries about materials specifically three different times:
* Once, on one of my own plays, that involved a schizophrenic character and a few too many uses of the F-bomb. I had no problem cutting them out because, on reflection, they really weren't necessary and their loss had little impact on the play. I can think of plenty of other works where this isn't the case -- Glengarry Glen Ross, for example, but then again, this is also why I ain't David Mamet. (sigh, hee)
* I worked with a director once who was constantly changing Sam Shepard's dialogue in "Fool for Love" out of ego, claiming, "no one would care." Then, about two weeks before the performance, we got a call. Guess who was coming to our staging of "Fool for Love?" Mr. Shepard himself. The director feverishly and hilariously returned the actors to doing the play as written. (Oh, and Mr. Shepard didn't end up showing up, but a friend of his did, so all worked out OK...)
* One thing I have seen mentioned here several times is that the audience is "conservative," so they may not be OK with language, nudity, etc.
But people can surprise you! One of the best productions I've ever worked with was a community theatre production of "Wit" in Sonora, California 4 or 5 years back. The cast was terrific (several people came in from the Bay Area 3-4 hours away, along with some wonderful local talent), and the play was to staged with absolute faithfulness, right down to the full frontal nudity in the final scene. We did put notices in our press releases and materials that the play involved nudity, phrasing it as tastefully as possible.
So here's a small California town, maybe 3,000 population (lots of antique shops and little old ladies!), staging the play in a 3/4 round seating maybe 100 people. Well, we staged it with the nudity of the final scene intact, sort of quailing every night for the first few nights, waiting for the outrage, and instead, people were amazing.
They loved the show and seemed to have no problem with the nudity or language, they were stunned, weeping, transported, etc., as they left. By the end of the run, we had reviewers giving raves as far away as San Francisco, Sacramento, etc.
But the coolest part was, here was this little "conservative" town doing something a little risky or edgy, and nobody was offended after all, not in the slightest. You just never know how people will react.
I guess my point is, those of you seeking material for smaller or more conservative areas, just be careful that you aren't making all of your decisions out of fear (i.e., you pick what you think they want, never what you want, so they never get inspired and you never win). If you find something that you're passionate about, that you think these people will love, the audience might be more resilient than you expect, and be fully capable of hearing a bad word, or of witnessing something mature or surprising.
Just my 2 cents. And thanks, Craig, for that look from the other side of the fence -- it was fascinating.
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Angela Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Performing Arts Guide, About.com http://performingarts.about.com performingarts.guide@about.com Twitter PerfArtsGuide |
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red diva
Celebrity
Joined: 5/15/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 199 |
Posted: 1/26/07 at 1:59pm |
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Bravo, Paramitch!! I've been pushing for years to challenge and "educate" our conservative audiences. Sure, there are going to be some that object, but there are also going to be some that applaud you for not playing to the lowest common denominator. Don't insult your audiences' intelligence thinking you have to "play down" to them.
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"I've worked long and hard to earn the right to be called Diva!"
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Paramitch
Player
Joined: 10/16/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 12 |
Posted: 1/26/07 at 6:20pm |
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Aw, shucks, thanks very much for that.
It's just an issue that's been on my mind quite a bit. I do think that ultimately it's far more important to pick something absolutely wonderful, stage it to the best of your abilities, and then see what happens. IMHO the audience is far less forgiving of a bad production than of a few bad words.
I do believe in choosing something with your audience and demographic in mind -- the story about "Three Tall Women" is such a good one. People feared the reactions to a rather explicit story that worked perfectly in context of the play -- instead, people laughed and loved it.
So I guess for me, if you choose something that you really feel is right for your audience, but hey, it has a few bad words, or some mature content... you just have to have faith in your show.
If the work is transporting enough, and the performances and staging wonderful, the payoff can be an audience who leaves with a more open mind.
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Angela Mitchell
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Performing Arts Guide, About.com http://performingarts.about.com performingarts.guide@about.com Twitter PerfArtsGuide |
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Nanette
Celebrity
Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399 |
Posted: 1/27/07 at 6:24am |
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I once worked with a young actor who simply didn't swear ... period! It was against his principles ... end of discussion. During a production of 'She Loves Me' he refused to sing "... they can go to h---" so he and the director compromised. Everyone else sang the word, and he covered his mouth and acted shocked! It was brilliant! |
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In a world of margarine, be butter!
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B-M-D
Celebrity
Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346 |
Posted: 1/27/07 at 5:17pm |
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I'd have replaced the actor.....on principal. I actually admire the young man's principals but sometimes there's a price one needs to be willing to pay for it. Very lucky that the compromise worked in this instance. Most compromises, I've found, unfortuantely do not.
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BD
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
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POB14
Celebrity
Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349 |
Posted: 1/30/07 at 9:16am |
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Great solution, but I have to ask again: why in the world would someone audition for or accept a role that requires them to do something they won't do?
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POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
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suzecue1
Star 
Joined: 9/19/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 90 |
Posted: 1/30/07 at 10:04am |
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Stuff like this amazes me. I was in "Over the River and Through the Woods" A VERY family minded show. A cast member refused to invite her church friends because the word "a**hole" was used in it. It wasn't even her character that had to say it. The directer changed it as not to lose out on her church friends (and possibly more just to keep her happy). Unbelievable! That was my first instance of what a directer will do to keep the cast - or audience - happy. Then the next year - for our high school children's workshop production of "Annie" - I had a family of 24 walk out because Daddy Warbucks said hell. Go figure - You want to talk conservative - I think I live there!
 So, when you talk nudity and F bombs - I just shudder - that would never make it past play-reading.
A couple of summers ago, our family was invited (by my son's future inlaws) to see a production of "Hair". Now this was a small rural CT. I grew up in the 60's I knew what "Hair" was about. I figured they would wear beige body suits? Right? Nope - clear as day - front and center - was Billy Bob in his birthday suit. Proud as a peacock!
 My teenage daughter covered her eyes! She was horrified to be with her parents and viewing this. We still laugh about it! |
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Sue
***** So many hats.....so few heads! |
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Nanette
Celebrity
Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399 |
Posted: 1/30/07 at 11:06am |
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This wasn't CT .. it was at a small theatrical college. He was a theatre major and was required to perform for part of his grade.
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In a world of margarine, be butter!
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