Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: The Foreigner: I have a problem with this show

Author

Message

pjturner07
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 11/23/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7

Topic: The Foreigner: I have a problem with this show
Posted: 5/07/10 at 1:39pm

Am I the only one who doesn't think the KKK is funny? My board has decided to do "The Foreigner" for next season, and frankly, with the atmosphere in the nation right now, I don't think we should even get involved with having people in sheets prancing around on stage. On top of that, we have been working hard to get a more culturally diverse group of volunteers, and I'm not sure that doing this show sends the right message. I am far from a politically correct person, but when I read the end of the play, I gritted my teeth. I'm told it's a way of making fun of racism and the Klan, but frankly, I didn't see it that way...
Am I out of line?

IP Logged

edh915
Celebrity

Joined: 11/19/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 325

Posted: 5/07/10 at 11:31pm

I have the same problem with this show, but everyone tells me to lighten up. I say, if I lighten up then I'm implicitly condoning something I detest. Maybe I should just lighten up - and stay away from those shows that do not reflect my values, and which I cannot recommend to others.

IP Logged

pjturner07
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 11/23/09
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 7

Posted: 5/08/10 at 12:49am

My biggest problem is, I'm the theater manager. I don't have a vote on the board, and I've voiced my concern. I hate the idea of having to voice enthusiasm and support for a show that I am offended by. Anyone else struggle with that issue?

IP Logged

pdavis69
Celebrity

Joined: 3/26/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 437

Posted: 5/09/10 at 11:51am

I have done the show several times each time it was extremely well recieved by the audiences. The Klan is represented as undermining decieptful bumbling idiots. They are not even supported by the locals. "if I lighten up then I'm implicitly condoning something I detest." You detest the Klan being humiliated and their scheming being defeated? As for voicing enthusiasm and support, look at reviews where it has been done in the past and present them, you do not have to share your own opinion.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

IP Logged

Spectrum
Celebrity

Joined: 4/16/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 176

Posted: 5/09/10 at 3:53pm

I, too, see the klan as a disgusting collection of hate filled idiots, and at first glance I was appalled with the thought of doing this show. ...To the point that I demanded my name NOT appear in the playbill for this production, even though I designed and built most of the set myself. Then I watched the show and saw that they are made to look like the small minded fools they are (on stage and in real life), so the message in the show is these people are NOT respectable or credible people. You could also bolster your opinion (as I do) by donating to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that puts many of these people (in real life) out of business through the courts as well as teaching/promoting tolerance in schools.

Edited by Spectrum - 5/14/10 at 1:28am

Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.

IP Logged

Kathy S
Celebrity

Joined: 8/21/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 303

Posted: 5/13/10 at 11:54pm

It seems to be similar to the argument against a show like the old "Hogan's Heroes" in TV from the '60's... That show portrayed the Nazis as bumbling idiots, when in real life they were ... well, we know what they were. The KKK may be made up of some ignorant inbred fools, but they also have been responsible for horrors brought down on many innocent people. Producing The Foreigner might be likened to producing the show "The Producers", too. Distasteful, but funny... there is a tightrope to walk it seems.
By the way, I love Southern Poverty Law Center, too and have supported it for 10 years. They do GREAT work!!

IP Logged

gelcat
Celebrity

Joined: 6/12/09
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106

Posted: 5/20/10 at 11:21am

The show is really more about a comedy of errors and secret knowledge than about the KKK, the KKK is just the crisis that is used to carry the show along-

The KKK is not glorified, it is revealed as the group of cowards and idiots it is, and no one finds anything likeable about the characters involved with the KKK, except to laugh at them.

As long as you don't have anyone attending that whoops and hollers when the hooded ones show up, no worries! (grin- though we had that worry in our area)

Really, the person with the worst job? The costumer, who has to figure out how make the robes, and has to be really careful about discussing what they are working on.

I don't think we had anyone think the show was approaching dangerous territory.

The worst thing about the show when you are trying to promote diversity is that there are only 2 possible chances of casting outside 'white Southern' for the show to make sense, and they are 'British' men, but that can cover a lot of area, with care.

www.actorsguildonline.org
Actors Guild of Parkersburg
Parkersburg, WV

IP Logged

godolphs
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 2/19/10
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 5/21/10 at 9:32am

Hey PJ,

I hear what you say about the racism but I have experience with the show as I played Owen Muser a few years ago. Trust me, the lines I had to spat out on stage made the hair on the back of my neck raise every time I had to deliver them.

However, the KKK is not the focus of the play, it's the "evil" character in the play that is shown to be cowardly and, yes, stupid.

I would not play it as funny but ignorant and naive.

We won several awards for the show so it can be a great show if done right.

I think your concerns are justified but I think if the message sent is that racism is ignorant then I think your theater will send a positive message to audience.

Just my thoughts,

GoDolphs

IP Logged

MartyW
Celebrity

Joined: 2/02/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 555

Posted: 5/21/10 at 9:41am

I hear the negative that some of you are saying about the whole Klan issue here, and no one is in favor of promoting the Klan or their agenda. And I agree with those of you who are saying that in the Foreigner they are made to look like dolts. I guess my biggest problem with the "discussion" is that there are SO many worse/questionable things out there in the play catalogs, that if you really knew the Foreigner, it probably wouldn't fall into your sights for things that trouble you in the theater... just a thought...

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

IP Logged

POB14
Celebrity

Joined: 7/01/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 349

Posted: 5/21/10 at 1:25pm

I just got done directing The Foreigner.

The play does not, in any way, shape or form, glorify the Klan or make them funny in a "Hogan's Heroes" way. The Klansmen are the villians of the piece. Without bad guys, how can the good guys win?

We worked hard on making the Klansmen (Owen in particular) as evil and realistic as possible - I wanted the audience to be scared of them, so that the victory over them would be meaningful. And there was dead, stunned silence in our theatre when Owen yelled, "Y'all don't #%$* with THE KLAN!"

There's no drama without conflict. Nobody wants to see Frodo kick a puppy; we want to see him defeat Sauron, doggone it!

Edited by POB14 - 5/21/10 at 1:25pm

POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard

IP Logged

Other Topics
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Other Topics

Topic: The Foreigner: I have a problem with this show( Topic Closed)
	Page of 2 Next >>

Author	Message
pjturner07 Walk-On Joined: 11/23/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Topic: The Foreigner: I have a problem with this show Posted: 5/07/10 at 1:39pm
	Am I the only one who doesn't think the KKK is funny? My board has decided to do "The Foreigner" for next season, and frankly, with the atmosphere in the nation right now, I don't think we should even get involved with having people in sheets prancing around on stage. On top of that, we have been working hard to get a more culturally diverse group of volunteers, and I'm not sure that doing this show sends the right message. I am far from a politically correct person, but when I read the end of the play, I gritted my teeth. I'm told it's a way of making fun of racism and the Klan, but frankly, I didn't see it that way... Am I out of line?

	IP Logged

edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 5/07/10 at 11:31pm
	I have the same problem with this show, but everyone tells me to lighten up. I say, if I lighten up then I'm implicitly condoning something I detest. Maybe I should just lighten up - and stay away from those shows that do not reflect my values, and which I cannot recommend to others.
	IP Logged

pjturner07 Walk-On Joined: 11/23/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 5/08/10 at 12:49am
	My biggest problem is, I'm the theater manager. I don't have a vote on the board, and I've voiced my concern. I hate the idea of having to voice enthusiasm and support for a show that I am offended by. Anyone else struggle with that issue?
	IP Logged

pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 5/09/10 at 11:51am
	I have done the show several times each time it was extremely well recieved by the audiences. The Klan is represented as undermining decieptful bumbling idiots. They are not even supported by the locals. "if I lighten up then I'm implicitly condoning something I detest." You detest the Klan being humiliated and their scheming being defeated? As for voicing enthusiasm and support, look at reviews where it has been done in the past and present them, you do not have to share your own opinion.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
	IP Logged

Spectrum Celebrity Joined: 4/16/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 176	Posted: 5/09/10 at 3:53pm
	I, too, see the klan as a disgusting collection of hate filled idiots, and at first glance I was appalled with the thought of doing this show. ...To the point that I demanded my name NOT appear in the playbill for this production, even though I designed and built most of the set myself. Then I watched the show and saw that they are made to look like the small minded fools they are (on stage and in real life), so the message in the show is these people are NOT respectable or credible people. You could also bolster your opinion (as I do) by donating to the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that puts many of these people (in real life) out of business through the courts as well as teaching/promoting tolerance in schools. Edited by Spectrum - 5/14/10 at 1:28am
	Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
	IP Logged

Kathy S Celebrity Joined: 8/21/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 303	Posted: 5/13/10 at 11:54pm
	It seems to be similar to the argument against a show like the old "Hogan's Heroes" in TV from the '60's... That show portrayed the Nazis as bumbling idiots, when in real life they were ... well, we know what they were. The KKK may be made up of some ignorant inbred fools, but they also have been responsible for horrors brought down on many innocent people. Producing The Foreigner might be likened to producing the show "The Producers", too. Distasteful, but funny... there is a tightrope to walk it seems. By the way, I love Southern Poverty Law Center, too and have supported it for 10 years. They do GREAT work!!
	IP Logged

gelcat Celebrity Joined: 6/12/09 Online Status: Offline Posts: 106	Posted: 5/20/10 at 11:21am
	The show is really more about a comedy of errors and secret knowledge than about the KKK, the KKK is just the crisis that is used to carry the show along- The KKK is not glorified, it is revealed as the group of cowards and idiots it is, and no one finds anything likeable about the characters involved with the KKK, except to laugh at them. As long as you don't have anyone attending that whoops and hollers when the hooded ones show up, no worries! (grin- though we had that worry in our area) Really, the person with the worst job? The costumer, who has to figure out how make the robes, and has to be really careful about discussing what they are working on. I don't think we had anyone think the show was approaching dangerous territory. The worst thing about the show when you are trying to promote diversity is that there are only 2 possible chances of casting outside 'white Southern' for the show to make sense, and they are 'British' men, but that can cover a lot of area, with care.
	www.actorsguildonline.org Actors Guild of Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV
	IP Logged

godolphs Walk-On Joined: 2/19/10 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 5/21/10 at 9:32am
	Hey PJ, I hear what you say about the racism but I have experience with the show as I played Owen Muser a few years ago. Trust me, the lines I had to spat out on stage made the hair on the back of my neck raise every time I had to deliver them. However, the KKK is not the focus of the play, it's the "evil" character in the play that is shown to be cowardly and, yes, stupid. I would not play it as funny but ignorant and naive. We won several awards for the show so it can be a great show if done right. I think your concerns are justified but I think if the message sent is that racism is ignorant then I think your theater will send a positive message to audience. Just my thoughts, GoDolphs
	IP Logged

MartyW Celebrity Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 555	Posted: 5/21/10 at 9:41am
	I hear the negative that some of you are saying about the whole Klan issue here, and no one is in favor of promoting the Klan or their agenda. And I agree with those of you who are saying that in the Foreigner they are made to look like dolts. I guess my biggest problem with the "discussion" is that there are SO many worse/questionable things out there in the play catalogs, that if you really knew the Foreigner, it probably wouldn't fall into your sights for things that trouble you in the theater... just a thought...
	Marty W "Till next we trod the boards.."
	IP Logged

POB14 Celebrity Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349	Posted: 5/21/10 at 1:25pm
	I just got done directing The Foreigner. The play does not, in any way, shape or form, glorify the Klan or make them funny in a "Hogan's Heroes" way. The Klansmen are the villians of the piece. Without bad guys, how can the good guys win? We worked hard on making the Klansmen (Owen in particular) as evil and realistic as possible - I wanted the audience to be scared of them, so that the victory over them would be meaningful. And there was dead, stunned silence in our theatre when Owen yelled, "Y'all don't #%$* with THE KLAN!" There's no drama without conflict. Nobody wants to see Frodo kick a puppy; we want to see him defeat Sauron, doggone it! Edited by POB14 - 5/21/10 at 1:25pm
	POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard
	IP Logged