- NYC Today
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What: "My First Time"
Where:
When:
Who: Kathy Searle
Marcel Simoneau
Dana Watkins
Cydnee Welburn
Ken Davenport
Link: http://www.myfirsttimetheplay.com/about.htm
Summary:
- Naked Broadway
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What: Equus
Where: Broadhurst Theatre
When:
Who:
Link: http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/theater/reviews/26equu.html
Summary: “Equus” features a moment involving a naked boy and a horse. For many hearing this, not even seeing the play or knowing what it is about, they automatically think of zoophiliac actions.
- Gay Broadway
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What: ''
Where: Manhattan Theater Club
When:
Who:
Summary: This show is seemingly innocent and, deemed by numerous reviews, harmless. The only reason for controversy of this gay show is the main character involved, Jesus. In this show Jesus, as well as his disciples, are portrayed as gay. There are sex scenes in the show, but from reviewer’s standpoints they were heterosexual sex scenes. The main hoopla of debate concerning this show is that Jesus is gay.
- Racist Broadway
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What: Jean Genet's The Blacks
Where: St. Marks Playhouse
When: May 5, 1961
Who: the artists of the St. Marks Playhouse
Link: http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?html_title=&tols_title=THE%20BLACKS%20(PLAY)&pdate=19610505&byline=By%20HOWARD%20TAUBMAN&id=1077011428922
Summary: This show deals with peoples’ hatred of the word “black”. This show uses an all black cast; the “white roles” are played by African Americans with white masks. This was done to show that “the illusion of their whiteness is meant to be transparent.” This show was written to show the problems the community has with a word, a color, and a race of people.
- Raided or Closed
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What: "The Pleasure Man" by Mae West
Where: The Biltmore, at
When:
Link: http://www.playbill.com/reference/theatre_info/2151.html
http://emol.org/film/archives/west/
Summary: This show was closed by the police after only one showing because of the lurid content that shocked the audiences. The main character was castrated and dies under the knife of his “surgery”. This and the “surgery” being performed by a brother of a woman this main character has impregnated, and cares nothing for, and is watched by a largely transvestite crowd.
- Arrested
Quote: "As described in Becoming Mae West, the play included "prostitutes caught in arousing embraces, guns, knockout drinks, a jewelry heist, cops, an offstage suicide, bribery, and the threat of a shootout.""
What: "Sex" by Jane Mast (Mae West)
Where: Daly's Sixty-third Street Theatre
When:
Who: “The cast assisting her…” (Mae West) “…was composed for the most part of unknowns…”
http://www.answers.com/topic/mae-west
Summary: This was considered controversial because of several sex scenes. Mae West, and the entire cast, was arrested on charges of obscenity. This play was considered “A crude, inept play, cheaply produced and poorly acted….” It gave for a cheap thrills, but was considered indecent.
- NEA 4 (National Endowment for the Arts)
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What: "Dress Suits for Hire" by Holly Hughes
Where: Interart Theater
When:
Who: Split Britches Company
Link: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE5DF153BF930A35751C0A96E948260
Summary: This show was controversial because of the homoeroticism on-stage between two female characters; one being a comfortable femme fatale, in knowing and embracing her sexuality, while the other is not acknowledging her preference. It makes for a witty and dramatic show.
- Regional Theatre
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What: "Beclch" by Rochelle Owens
Where:
When:
Who: The players of the Theatre of the Living Arts
Link: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,840836-1,00.html
Quote: Two of the female trustees of this theatre say that if shows of this caliber continue the only attendees of the theatre will be "...junkies, delinquents, potential suicides and some college kids."
Summary: This production was controversial because of the violence and sexual scenes that happened. The violence was of the main female character that beats a child, sacrifices a goat, and eats the remains. The sexual scenes include the dancing in the script that not only mimic the act but with the chosen costumes it seems as though the women are truly naked. This show has been called "theatre of cruelty" and aptly so.
College/University
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What: "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You"
Where: Wendy Kurka Rust Flexible Theater,
When: Oct. 29 to
Who:
Link:
http://www.semissourian.com/article/20081109/NEWS01/711099954/0/news01
Summary: The show produced has been claimed a satirical commentary on western religion. There were complaints that this show wasn’t funny, nor intelligent and not suitable for performance. There were objections that this show wasn’t sensitive to people in the community, nor to season ticket holders. It ridicules certain peoples religion and they aren’t ready, perhaps nor capable, to handle such joking.
What show: The Laramie Project
Where: Grandfield, Oklahoma
Grandfield ISD
When: March 5, 2009
Who: Debra Taylor
"Debra Taylor was suspended for continuing with a class production of "The Laramie Project" as part of the ethics and street law class at the high school."
http://texomashomepage.com/content/fulltext/?cid=34512
"By penalizing this teacher for trying to teach students that they can have a disagreement with another human being and NOT have to kill them, Mr. Turlington is doing nothing but advocating the senseless violence against a class of people that he has a problem with. "
http://www.examiner.com/x-4158-Austin-Gay-Parenting-Examiner~y2009m3d6-Teacher-suspended-over-production-of-The-Laramie-Project
My Own Words: What seems to be the case in this situation is that the school board members have made a decision without knowing all the facts. The school board believes the show to be about gay rights activism and condoning violence against fellow human being; however, that is not the case. The teacher and the students and the parents of the students are rightly outraged because of the actions that are being taken against their teacher.
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