Huckleberries Online

JF: Steve Martin Banned In La Grande?

Posted by DFO

March 9, 2009 9:28 a.m. • 9 comments

Who in these parts would ever have suspected the not-so-distant community of La Grande, Ore., would be so infected with fear? When some residents complained about a play scheduled to be performed at the high school, not only did the school superintendent, backed by the school board, ban the performance, but the president of the public university in town tried to keep it off her campus as well. Yes, a university president decided that a play considered unfit for a high school was also unfit for a university. And who is the playwright whose work so scandalized small minds in La Grande? Steve Martin. Yes, he of the arrow through the head and the “wild and crazy guys” of the golden era of “Saturday Night Live”/Jim Fisher, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Does this sound like a suitable play for high school? College? Both? Neither?

Nine comments on this post so far. Add yours!

moscow_minidoka on March 09 at 9:38 a.m.
My high school shut down a production if “Grease” 16 years ago because of the phrase “knocked up” and the suggestion that some characters smoked cigarettes. Seriously. Thank you, LDS hegemony.
JeanC on March 09 at 10:08 a.m.
Oh good Ghodz, those schools are farking morons.

Sheesh!
cantyoureadthesigns on March 09 at 2:06 p.m.
Completely suitable for a high school or college.

The opposition to this is idiotic.

http://afreehand.blogspot.com/2009/03/banning-picasso-at-lapin-agile-part-3.html
Bluesman on March 09 at 3:31 p.m.
To those of you who have opined here about this play and it’s contents: Have you actually read or seen the play?
The school has a policy. It was followed. Nothing less would have been wrong.
The director could have changed some of the language in the play (that was an option) and perhaps found acceptance by parents and paytrons. The adult content of the play can be delt with without the high degree of profanity.

It all comes to a matter of propriety and taste. Don’t blame some religious group entirely. Many folks just don’t need the “f” bomb used profusely to make a point especially from teenagers.

La Grande HS has brought many wonderful plays to the community over the years. Musicals, comedies, dramas all in good clean fun and entertainment.
markr on March 09 at 5:43 p.m.
Hmm. I have seen the play, and I own a copy of the text as well. I don’t remember anything I’d consider inappropriate. And the teacher’s comments to the school board are well worth reading:

http://afreehand.blogspot.com/2009/02/why-we-shouldnt-ban-play-picasso-at.html

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.