The Fantasticks by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones
New York City
Opened in 1960
Currently Playing
Few would believe that the musical Fantasticks was once subject to a fuss. However,the familiar number titled "Abductions" began as "the Rape Ballet". El Gallo, a pseudo- narrator, described various types of rape that were possible. As the word developed in popular perception, an alternative version was composed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fantasticks#Controversy
Laramie Project byLas Vegas Academy (High School)
Protest held by Westboro Church Group from Topeka, Kansas
Led by Pastor Fred Phelps, 2004
The West Boro Baptist Church Group has led several protests across the country concerning Matthew Shepard and those that remember him. Pastor Fred Phelps even appears in programs of the Laramie Project as a minor character resulting from his involvement at Matthew Shepard's funeral in 1998. The church group's primary claim is the show promotes homosexuality and mantains their views on their chief website http://www.godhatesfags.com/tesfags.com/. The magnet school responded by conducting impromptu performances and staging nonconfrontational protests of their own, while the media coverage of Phelp's efforts led to full houses honoring Matthew Shepard's life.
Broadway opening of Miss Saigon by Frank Chin, March 1991
Protests led by Pan Asian Reperatory Theatre (comprised of 15 Asian- American community organizations) in support of Equity's position against Cameron Mackintosh
When Miss Saigon made the move from London to New York, controversy ensued over the casting of the principal character. Equity argued casting British Jonathan Pryce and "painting him yellow" to portray an Eurasian pimp would affront the Asian community. Mackintosh then accused Equity of reverse discrimination and stated Jonathan Pryce was chosen on the basis of talent. The feud ended when Mackintosh threatened to cancel the expected success of Miss Saigon, though objection to race, stereotypes and sexism rendered in the show continued.
Oh! Calcutta! by Kenneth Tynan
Off-Broadway Production
New York City, 1969
A bold move for the end of the sixties, Tynan's Oh! Calcutta! featured full nudity, both male and female, coupled with simulated sex acts. The producer, Hilard Elkins, ensured the avant garde revue's survival by investigating it's legal limitations. Ultimately, this controversy earned Oh! Calcutta! more notoreity and translated into a smash hit.
Manhattan Theatre Club's production of
Terrence McNally's Corpus Christi
New York City, 1998
Dubbed the "Gay- Jesus" play, McNally's Corpus Christi produced by MTC resulted in total uproar from several communities. The show draws parallels from growing up gay in Corpus Christi,TX to a Jesus-esque figure who knew Judas in the "biblical" sense. Numerous publications helped usher in bomb threats, boycotts and threw the theatre into a battle zone between civil liberties groups and the Catholic League, among others. MTC cancelled the opening but eventually reinstated Corpus Christi the same year.
Goodman Theatre's production of O'Neill's The Emperor JonesChicago, Janurary 2009
The Third World Press, an African- American activist group, issued an email hours before the sold out Emperor Jones in hopes of a boycott. They deemed the image of the lead actress painted black and sporting a large, red pout racist and insulting. The Goodman's use of masks reminiscient of Japanese style theatre is accused of evoking minstrelsy which depicted African- Americans poorly pre- Civil Rights era.
Street Performer "Reverend Billy", real name Bill Talen arrested.
New York City, July 2007
A composite of an evangelical minister, Elvis impersonater, street performer and political activist- Reverend Billy was arrested during his act by NYPD. While reciting the first ammendment accompanied by a choir in Union Square, Bill Talen was incarcerrated on charges of harrassment. Numerous activists came to the Reverend's aid and the charges were later dropped. New York's very own version of Kinky, Bill is currently campaigning for mayor.
Washington State University's production of
My Name is Rachel Corrie
Seattle, 2008
This production chronicles a young female student, Rachel Corrie, a peace activist, that is run over by a bull dozer in her attempt to save Palestinian homes. Obviously, the Israeli/ Palestinian conflict is no stranger to controversy and unfortunately, neither is Rachel Corrie. Jewish Federations and Palestinian activists head up the heart of the conflict, displaying graphic banners to theatre- goers in attempt to sway patrons away from the play.
Karen FinleyPerformance Artist
Finley's performances typically start as rants in various voices and conclude with her, nude, and covered in familiar sticky substances. Her act caught the attention of Senator Helms who paraded her as the poster child in pursuit of eliminating the NEA 4. Finley banned together with other artists in hopes of retaining a grant- when it was denied, the group took the case before the Supreme Court, and lost.
New York City
Feburary 21, 1900
Olga Nethersole's Production of Sapho by Clyde Fitch
Raided
This play toured many American cities before arriving in New York and along the way had earned a certain reputation. New York officials were warned of the show and issued a warning to Nethersole and the Wallacks Theatre. Her indictment credits her with " in a certain entertainment of the stage, commonly called "Sapho," in a lewd, indecent, obscene, filthy, scandalous and disgusting manner, make divers lewd, indecent, filthy, scandalous and disgusting motions and assume lewd, indecent, obscene, filthy, scandalous postures and attitudes, and repeat and utter indecent, obscene, filthy, scandalous and disgusting words and conversations, all of which grievously offended public decency." The primary outcome of this entire ordeal? A rush for tickets to "Sapho".
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/otherpics/sapho.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dgillan.screaming.net/stage/th-sapho.html&usg=__RY0pP_MOxqRMdawup1cdPavpXZ0=&h=220&w=145&sz=27&hl=en&start=37&tbnid=cauN1Xm9Ep6WXM:&tbnh=107&tbnw=71&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsapho%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D20
