[NEohioPAL]Re: Max's Response to URINETOWN emails

[Carole Clement]

You go, Max!  And keep up the spirit, because you'll need to fight 
age-based protectionism again at the end of the surprisingly fast 
50-year journey from Senior High to a Senior Center.

This past summer, I offered an acting workshop at the Mentor Senior 
Center and was dismayed when I was told of the center's 
reluctance--policy set by the city--to present anything that had 
damns & hells in it, anything that might offend the more conservative 
members of the center.  (I think this restriction was set in place a 
long time ago when members that conservative were still alive.)

I polled my colleagues on the discussion list, International Centre 
for Women Playwrights (ICWP), and the consensus for senior theater 
was that seniors enjoyed seeing feisty seniors on stage, appreciated 
suggestions of sexuality--but didn't want to see or hear anything 
explicit or vulgar on stage.

I gave the information to our director and added that I didn't see 
why my classes should be held to censorship standards that didn't 
apply to the center's highly popular, well-attended Monday night 
movies.  She straightened her backbone, went back to the city with 
her pitch, and everything's been cool since--except the enthusiasm 
for our workshops & presentations.

We met a few weeks ago to reorganize and now, as Mentor's Act One, 
are planning our 2007 & 2008 season.  We've had to turn down requests 
for appearances, not only because of the demand but because of what 
we're asked to do:  in one part of a longer production, we were 
recently asked to waltz on stage, and we were delighted--until we 
learned we were supposed to waltz as creaky, old farts, which none of 
us knew the first thing about.  I was so proud of us--not one person 
would do it!

In December, we'll produce a play set in Medieval Italy about a 
princess, described in production notes as a "royal hotty."  She 
looks and acts like one on stage.  And our audience is gonna love her.

Max, put a hard copy of your well-expressed indignation and logic in 
a safe place--you'll need it again.

Carole

Carole Clement   Mentor, Ohio   USA
http://www.netspace.org/~icwp/cclement.html
          Babes in America at Brooks Theater, Cleveland Play House

Written by Carole Clement          Directed by Justin Tatum
Produced by Fourth Wall Productions
Nov. 10, 11, 16, 17 & 18 at  8 PM     Nov. 12 & 19 matinees at 2 PM
Tickets $10, $7 Students & Seniors   216-258-1318

"Babes in America is an often-inspired comedy about a . . . family on 
the edge between
going totally digital and pulling the plug on their technological rat 
race. . . .  (The play)
gets off plenty of clever lines (and) takes on this big subject with 
wit, imagination and a
strong sense of purpose."

                          From Off-Off-Broadway review, Joshua Tanzer