Big River
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4875
Printed Date: 11/04/25 at 2:57am
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Topic: Big River
Posted By: luvtheatre2
Subject: Big River
Date Posted: 11/17/10 at 3:12pm
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We are planning to submit Big River for our upcoming season, and we have an African American Board member that is vehemently opposed to this show, because she is offended by it. I've been involved in community theatre for 30 years, been involved with 2 productions of Big River and this is the first time I have heard of someone being offended by it. I'm just curious to hear from my fellow theatre friends to find out if you have run into this issue with this classic musical before. I don't want to replace it, as I believe it's a fabulous show, with a wonderful story, and it will bring in the patrons; however, if you have found this to be the norm (offending audiences), then I certainly don't want to put it on our season. Thank you, as always, for your valued input. It is appreciated.
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Replies:
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 11/17/10 at 4:53pm
I don't know the show but wasn't this just revived on Broadway relatively recently?
What specifically does she object to?
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Posted By: luvtheatre2
Date Posted: 11/18/10 at 9:28am
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She is opposed to the fact that slavery is part of the show. I don't quite understand, but then again, I'm not in her shoes. I'm just trying to understand if this is only one person's views or if there are others who feel this way. I absolutely do not want to offend anyone, but I have never heard of anyone being offended by Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, which is the novel the show is written after.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 11/18/10 at 10:41am
Has your offended board member actually seen the show, or is she reacting solely to the fact that it's a musical version of "Huckleberry Finn"?
The sad, sad truth is that "Huckleberry Finn" has actually been banned from several libraries around the USA because of the slavery issue and the "n" word.
Even more sad is the fact that a major portion of Huck's growth as a character involves coming to seeing Jim as a man - a human being - and not a piece of property. The language and attitudes of "others" in the show is offensive. It's supposed to be offensive - because it is offensive. Both the book and the musical play illustrate the evils of slavery - they do not advocate slavery.
This is a perfect vehicle for teaching the evils of slavery. Why any African American, or any American would object to it is far beyond the powers of my comprehension.
BTW - I have never heard of audiences reacting the same way as your board member. They seem to be perfectly capable of "getting" the message inherent in the play.
Best of luck to you.
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Posted By: Spectrum
Date Posted: 11/18/10 at 11:20am
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I tend to agree with edh915. The show addresses and denounces the same issues your board member seems to oppose. The sad fact is we, as Americans, are generally a population that is so timid and insecure we cannot, and will not openly discuss issues that divide us in order to eradicate them. No, we tend to ignore them and they only get bigger and scarier. Your uninformed board member is a classic case. Banning books and plays for ANY reason is the first line of defence for spineless ignorance. Hitler's Germany SHOULD have taught us that lesson, but instead, we (all too often) meekly follow down that same road of ignorance.
I say education is the best way to 'open the drapes and let the sun shine in.' Produce the show. If your board member actually sees it, she might resist the temptation to 'hide in the closet' about future shows and other issues. And may you have great performances and full houses!
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Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 11/18/10 at 6:36pm
So it looks like this was revived on Broadway in 2003.
That being the case I can't imagine this was perceived by anyone as "politically incorrect" but I'm not an African American.
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Posted By: jonplaywright
Date Posted: 11/19/10 at 1:03pm
I directed a production of Big River at a prep school near Philadelphia some years back. We had no issues, and the show was a huge success. As others have said, the show is not in the least bit "pro slavery," and it's important that we not forget that such chapters exist in our history.
Jon
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Co-Chair, Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights
Resident Playwright, Final Draft
YouthPLAYS, plays for young actors and audiences
http://www.youthplays.com - www.youthplays.com
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Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 11/19/10 at 2:32pm
If we avoid doing shows because someone may be offended, all theatres would close down. There are certain people out there who go out of their way to be offended. We did Big River serveral years ago without incident or controversy.
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Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse
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Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 11/19/10 at 8:39pm
That's silly.
It doesn't ENDORSE slavery.
That's like saying you don't want to do Man of LaMancha because you don't agree with treating mentally ill people poorly...and you disapprove of prostitution.
Geesh.
There is NOTHING WHATSOEVER in Big River which suggest that slavery is a good thing.
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http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
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Posted By: vickifrank
Date Posted: 11/20/10 at 10:58am
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I find it sad that some of the literature (Hucklberry Finn) and the shows (Show Boat) that led the way out of prejudice now are blacklisted or shunned because of the use of language of the times (n-word) and other issues (racial violence). Or go out of fashion because of the historic themes (much of the Rogers and Hammerstein works).
I sometimes wonder if the real reason is something else entirely--but very human: Perhaps your boardmember is tired of everything being about being black. Perhaps she yearns for shows about blacks with the usual problems of everyday people. Perhaps she sees all the candidate shows to be essentially of the logic, if the show has black characters then the show is about slavery or prejudice. (Unless someone is cast as a minor 'friend 'role) Maybe she'd like to see black characters in a show about life. Not comedies that are specifically 'black' but just about the comedy of life. Not dramas about prejudice struggles, but about human struggles.
All humans want to seek the future through the present. All traumatized humans want somehow to either make the past disappear, or place it in perspective and move forward. Maybe your boardmember simply wants to paint a non-prejudice, non slavery picture for herself or her kids.
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http://www.studio-productions-inc.com
1-800-359-2964
The theater scrim people
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 11/20/10 at 3:05pm
Originally posted by tristanrobin
That's like saying you don't want to do Man of LaMancha because you don't agree with treating mentally ill people poorly...and you disapprove of prostitution. |
Stupidity happens. I think I've mentioned this before, but last year (Chicago Metropolitan Area) a local theatre group's production of "Sweet Charity" was successfully boycotted because it "condoned" prostitution. Over the run of their play they had a total of 500 patrons, rather than the 5,000 they normally draw. -- What's really funny is that the following year they did "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum", a play rife with prostitute characters, and played to capacity crowds.
Go figure.
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Posted By: Nyria
Date Posted: 12/16/10 at 3:32pm
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Has she ever even seen the play. Of course it talks about Slavery - how else do we learn about mistakes in history so they won't happen again?
And as others have said there will always be someone who objects to something.
Don't be afraid to do this play or to be seen as 'racist' - have your board do some research on the show first ;)
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NYRIA
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Posted By: TonyDi
Date Posted: 12/17/10 at 7:17am
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For pity's sake I HOPE they never try to do PURLIE!! That's an ALL BLACK cast with only 2 whites in the cast. AND it's set in an era where slavery was happening as well. BUT it was a Broadway play nonetheless with numerous nominations for awards including a Tony Award. And nobody ever had a problem when I've seen it done with the two token whites in the show. So what's their problem. AND it's a GREAT FUN show too originally written by Ossie Davis though he had little to do with making the musical other than it was based on his play Purlie Victorius - the shows lead character. I've been around and seen this done twice in my life and the first time in the late '70s. The ENTIRE cast were wonderful and none of them had any issues or problems with the content or the intent of the show. Maybe because it was written by an African American whereas Big River wasn't may account for some level of acceptance. I don't get it. Prejudice still exists - we all know that. Time to let actors who aren't afraid of putting it out there in people's faces, get it done to educate and ENRICH our understanding so tolerance might result and we can all get along better than we have. Gee, I just don't get some people's actions. Time to grow up for pity's sake.
TonyDi
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"Almost famous"
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