Almost, Maine - Final Pairing of Dave and Rhonda
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=5504
Printed Date: 11/22/24 at 4:59am
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Topic: Almost, Maine - Final Pairing of Dave and Rhonda
Posted By: JGrigsby
Subject: Almost, Maine - Final Pairing of Dave and Rhonda
Date Posted: 9/30/13 at 5:43pm
Help!
So, I selected Almost, Maine as my fall show here at the high school. Now, I'm second guessing the scene with Rhonda and Dave - the intense kissing and stripping of each other to their long johns.
The guidance counselor was in my classroom a little bit ago and read the scene and thinks it's too much. A church near my school did this play a few months ago. Schools all over the country are doing Almost, Maine. Has anyone received and turmoil for that scene with high school kids. I admit the innuendo is heavy, but I have it set with two seniors who work well with one another. Thoughts ... suggestions? Insight? I don't want to pull the plug on this show, especially since we're short on rehearsal time this year. We had to bump the show up three weeks due to sports conflicts.
Love y'all! Thanks!!
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Replies:
Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 9/30/13 at 11:23pm
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Slide over to You Tube and look at a few of the clips they have listed for this segment. It "plays" a lot less suggestively than it might "read" - especially when they've got on three or four layers of clothes. The kissing doesn't have to be "intense", and the humor in shedding the clothes lies mainly in the long process of removing the multiple layers. I've never heard of any blow-back over Rhonda and Dave. I would expect a bigger possibility of fuss over the Randy and Chad scene. But please don't let that stop you. This is a wonderful play that deserves to be seen.
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/01/13 at 8:12am
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Thank you. I try and stay away from YouTube so I can let me creative juices flow without comparing my work to the work of others. But, I had to give it a look. You're right - it does play out much funnier than sexy. Thank you. I hope there's no guff given for Chad and Randy, but I'll wait until that moment happens. Thank you again. The show will go on.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 10/01/13 at 4:49pm
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When does the play go up? I'm close enough to you, I might be able to come see it.
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 9:36am
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Our show dates are Nov. 22, 23, and 24. But, a parent complaint was made yesterday about the last scene. It was an anonymous parent complaint saying, "Some of the students are uncomfortable with the last scene." I now have to send a YouTube clip to the principal. It's moments like these that make me want to quit doing what I do.
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 11:19am
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And now ... it's been asked if I can change the scene to where it doesn't suggest that people in love end up in bed together. I go through something in every play. Even when I did Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, I had to change the diamond studded bra to something else. I couldn't let students say bra. Why ... why do I go through this all the time?
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 12:35pm
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And now I'm learning that there are people in the community upset with the fact there's a gay couple in the play ... as you said I might experience, edh915.
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Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 1:25pm
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I feel your pain. Trying to please everyone never works. I'm in a diff situation, I listen politely and then do things my way. I sincerely appreciate peoples comments and concerns, but......
Good luck, strength to ya. Let us know.
Keith
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 1:34pm
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Thank you, Keith. I have a meeting after school to discuss this. I'll keep my friends and theater family on here posted.
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Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 3:59pm
Look, obviously if the kids discover there are gay people in the play they might discover there are gay people in real life, and that would do irreparable harm to them.
Just as they couldn't be permitted to discover that there are bras in the world. Think of the horrors that could've unleashed!
Stay strong. Hopefully it will all work out!
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www.donzolidis.com
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/04/13 at 5:41pm
Thank you, Mr. Zolidis!
I'm in the process of trying to contact Mr. John Cariani about changing the last scene of Almost, Maine. I don't know how this will go. Dramatists told me it could take 2-4 weeks for an answer. I can't get the "Contact Me" e-mail option on Mr. Cariani's website to work.
But, my principal is supporting me with keeping the scene "They Fell" between Chad and Randy as is - we'll weather that storm. One of the cast members was asked at her asked at her work, "As a Christian girl, how do you feel about a gay couple in the play." She told this person it didn't bother at her. The person told her she should mind - it should bother her. More and more I think I need to find a new community in which to teach.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 10/06/13 at 2:27am
Good luck. Be sure to let us know if the show is still on. I'll come see it.
- Side note: we're having our own problems right now with our community theater production of Glengarry Glen Ross. A member of the local theater arts council, or some such organization (I didn't get the exact title), left our performance this evening (three minutes into the show) vowing to extract some sort of retribution for subjecting her and her morals to the corrupting influence of filthy language.
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 10/07/13 at 11:05am
That was someone trying to crusade, not legitimately shocked and offended. Any member of a theatre arts council or whatever should be aware of the well-deserved reputation of Mamet in general and Glengarry in particular for language.
We had a good payoff this weekend doing Rabbit Hole. We've done two shows at a church, and we got invited back this year and chose RH. We did warn them at the submission of the plan that it's seriously-themed and includes some language -- in this case, about a half-dozen f-bombs. For that, among other reasons, we proposed doing the show in the basement area rather than the sanctuary, as we'd done the first two. It was OKed and we just barreled into it with a little trepedation. No worries were needed -- the production was universally loved. In fact, we were given our own key to the building for use in the future.
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 10/07/13 at 2:14pm
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Rorgg--just out of curiosity what denomination is the church you use?
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 10/07/13 at 2:26pm
Originally posted by edh915
Good luck. Be sure to let us know if the show is still on. I'll come see it.
- Side note: we're having our own problems right now with our community theater production of Glengarry Glen Ross. A member of the local theater arts council, or some such organization (I didn't get the exact title), left our performance this evening (three minutes into the show) vowing to extract some sort of retribution for subjecting her and her morals to the corrupting influence of filthy language. |
We had a couple walk out of our August production of the Nerd loudly complaining that it was "pointless and stupid." :)
As for Almost Maine, you see much more adult content on any network sit-com at 8 o'clock not to mention something like Family Guy which is frequently syndicated and broadcast even earlier in the evening.
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Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 10/07/13 at 4:30pm
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Anytime I mention "you see worse/more things on television" people tell me (and this is a compliment to our trade) that theatre is much more real and powerful. And it is.
Keith
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 10/09/13 at 12:02pm
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UCC -- United Church of Christ, which is, admittedly, pretty far on the progressive end of the Christian spectrum.
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 10/10/13 at 5:30pm
Good news ... the show is still on. My administration is supportive of the same-sex couple and will defend it to the community if it's a matter that's brought before the school board.
The administration is supportive of the kids "drinking" on stage since they are portraying adults. They will also defend this to the community.
Now, "Dave" and "Rhonda." We've met a compromise that I do not believe I need to get approval from the author or the licensing company. I have to give it to my actor and actress who came up with this.
We will do the show as written with one small change. The two actors will undress themselves but not down to their long johns. They will undress to "normal" street clothes. We will keep the dialogue the same. As "Rhonda" tells Dave to, "Get in here and show me what's next, Mr. Arctic Cat man," he will go. We're going to move to blackout while the northern lights are happening, and then lights up to "Dave" and "Rhonda" on the couch, cuddled together watching TV and enjoying popcorn. No new lines, but to show people the "what's next" isn't sex but a relationship. The infamous heart painting will be at the foot of the couch. We'll then keep "Dave" and "Rhonda" on stage while the Epilogue plays out. The curtain call will happen around "Dave" and "Rhonda," too.
There you have it ... what do ya' think? The administration is very happy with this, as long it is clear that watching TV and eating popcorn isn't what is done AFTER having sex. I told them that would not be the case.
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Posted By: JGrigsby
Date Posted: 11/27/13 at 1:53pm
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Things were a success! The high school students gave favorable reviews. The administration was pretty happy (with the exception of the superintendent who didn't like the heavy innuendo in "Seeing the Thing." He made the principal come and talk to me about it. We talked, the principal liked it ... all is good. But, some colleagues with whom I work felt the need to tell me I shouldn't have a show that has cussing in it (Almost has "hell" twice and "Dammit" once) and that they were unhappy with a gay scene. Tough nuts ... I'm not apologizing for anything. All worked out ... we made about $200 after royalties, scripts, set costs, etc. Thank you all for your support over the past several months!!!
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 11/27/13 at 4:06pm
Congratulations! It's a great show, isn't it?
As to the "cussing"--if two "hells" and a "dammit" constitute unacceptable language I don't know where you go from there. Harvey and Arsenic and Old Lace over and over again, I guess.
As far as our CT is concerned I continue to be confused as to where the line is and how much we should cater to those offended.
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Posted By: Aimee
Date Posted: 12/05/13 at 9:17pm
we did this as our spring play!I wish I had seen this post sooner! We did not have them kiss crazy at the end.. it was actually quite sweet. The had tons of extra clothing on, got down to their long underwear.. put boots BACK on.. it was funny and cute again. We did the Randy/Chad scene too.. and it went really well and was well received. The kids STILL talk about it now. they loved it!
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Aimee
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