Another one bites the dust
United States: Life is hard right now for teachers who want to teach the classics. Yesterday, we mentioned the case of Tresa Waggoner. Today it's the turn of drama teacher Wendy DeVore, formerly of Fulton High School, Columbia, Missouri, who has resigned from her job, complaing that [i]t became too much to not be able to speak my mind or defend my students without fear or retribution
. Fear of whom? Barking mad fundies of course!
The trouble started when she and her students put on a performance of the musical Grease. Admittedly the 1972 musical is a lot more hard-hitting than the film, and concerns the trials and tribulations of a group of teenagers, including the various ways in which they get into trouble. Members of Callaway Christian Church complained about scenes showing teens smoking, drinking and kissing
and DeVore was ordered to stick to more family-friendly
material in future.
So, she turned to that old staple, Shakespeare. Parents often complain that the Bard isn't taught enough in schools these days, so surely there should be nothing wrong with A Midsummer Night's Dream?
Apparently, the literary classic, a staple on English Literature exams throughout the English-speaking world, is right out. Apparently there's too much dicey subject matter, including suicide, rape and losing one's virginity
, none of which can be found in the Bible, of course.
And the spring production, the cancellation of which led to DeVore's resignation? The Crucible.
Teacher decides to leave—Columbia Daily Tribune, 18th March 2006. See also Prat of the Year 2006, first nominees: George Sauter and the Babis—Pagan Prattle, 20th March 2006.
Technorati Tags: a midsummer nights dream, christianity, grease, grease, the crucible, united states