Shut down/Raided
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical
Off-Broadway: October 17, 1967 - December 22, 1967
On- Broadway: April 29,1968 - July, 1 1972
Music; Galt MacDermot.
Back in Hair's hay day it was very hard to handle. This being a by-product of the Hippie counter culture. This was one of the first shows to really deal with the social upheaval of the mid 1960's. Hair meets head on with the anti-vietnam war movement, brining a deeper exposer than what the NBC/ABC/CBS evening news ever gave it. Hair also gives the anit-draft "rebelion" a grander stage than what it was given in the common press that at best shown them as what the "powers that be" wanted them to be presented them as.
Spring Awakening
Music: Duncan Sheik
Book: Steven Sater
Based on "Spring Awakening" by Frank Wedekind
Off-Broadway: Atlantic Theater Co. 19 May - 5 Aug. 2006
Broadway: Eugene O'Neill Theater 10 Dec. 2006 - 18 Jan. 2009
"The smartest decision made by the creators of this adaptation was to retain the original setting in provincial Germany, to resist a facile attempt at updating the material. It wouldn’t have worked. The painful public silence on the subject of sex that warps the characters’ minds and in some cases destroys their lives would make no sense in a contemporary context."
I think "Spring Awakening" is controversial due to the fact that it is at it's core a tale that everyone can relate to. The awkwardness of hormonal budding in a young man and/or woman's body. Using young actors (or at the least one's who look the part) add a real dimension to the story. Along with that this gives the whole "rape" part of the story a added chilling effect. Granted one could read the original text (or one of the many translations their of) could argue that it was consensual. The idea of a child (close enough) raping/just having sex is a startling one. On top of this, the characters/ audience having to deal with the death of both Wendla and Melchior, brought on by a botched "back alley abortion" and via "suck starting a pistol" respectively.
Avenue Q
Music: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Book: Jeff Whitty
Off- Broadway: Vineyard Theater March 2003
Broadway: Golden Theater 11 July 2003 - 13 Sept.2009
Avenue Q is "too hot to handle" in the fact that it takes some still somewhat taboo topics in american society, and adds puppet. It gives those of us who grew up on PBS t.v. shows and how they instructed us on how to deal with child problems, a view on how characters in that realm would act if they were in their 20's and 30's. Plus I find it a shade bit creepy (but strangely hilarious) that puppets are naked, having sex, and tackling the issue of one's struggle with whether or not he or she is gay. That's a damn powerful thing (granted many other plays have knocked around the subject) but making it a puppet... that looks a lot like a childhood t.v. friend really makes it (just go with me here) more "real" for people who have never had to experience such a battle.
NYC Today
Girls in Trouble
Playwright: Jonathan Reynolds
Director: Jim Simpson
Flea Theater: Feb. 28- March 21 2010
"dares to explore the controversial history of abortion through its life-changing effect on women across three generations...This darkly humorous, shocking new work is sure to inspire spirited debate."
Girls in Trouble is "Too Hot" in that is seems to be a double edge sword that "piss's in both camps." Mr. Reynolds in a snarkie attacks one of the few taboos still standing in America, abortion. Now I can laugh at just about everything (and I really do mean anything) but I have to draw a line at somethings. This is an example of a work attempting to play for two different crowds who have very drastic battle lines in their views. Granted their is some actual "debate" on which side is right and which is wrong... but it fails to really draw a line.
Controversial College: Tarleton State Univ.
Corpus Christi
Director: John Jordan Otte
Playwright: Terrance McNally
Performance: March 27, 2010
"We received so many threatening calls and e-mails today across campus, the numbers were just staggering...One administrator received in excess of 800 e-mails."
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/28/2071802/corpus-christi-cast-members-generally.html"
I don't really know if this fits the criteria given in the assignment, but I do feel that it rates being noted. This really hits home on two fronts. For me as a budding director in the college world I feel that an artist should have the ability to express his or herself in the manner in which they choose, because that is the only way that our chosen art from will grow and die a stagnant death. This young man pick a play that just from what I have read about it does make me grind my teeth (gay Jesus... come on!), but I stand behind this artistic chose... and stand with his right to the Freedom of Speech. This is only a sign of things to come if we here at SHSU continue to do things with "more balls." It may disgust a lot of our patrons, but if we were to do it (whatever "it" is) and do it right... I think that will change many a tune.
