Re: HS Version of Rent (was Re: Which two of 3 musicals should I see in coming 2 months)

David Levy wrote:
On Aug 7, 2:20 pm, Robert Bouton <mprov...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Mr. Ketcham is not alone here. I, too, read much in this thread that
asserts it's a bad thing if high schools do Rent, and someone who may
or may not have seen the show accuses Rent of glamorizing drug use and
murdering pets(!) Others justifiably point out that certain parents
might have trouble with Rent getting done by teens, but it's easy to
confuse these posts with those that opine it SHOULDN'T be done.

You're not misreading my posts. I do not think that Rent is a piece
of theatre that high school actors should be performing. I like
Rent. I don't object to teens seeing it, reading it, or discussing it
in class. But I do think that there's a value to acknowledging that
teenagers are not adults, and I don't think it's a wise choice for
teens to be putting on this show. I have not seen the student
edition, but I have seen the original version multiple times and I
can't imagine editing it in any way that preserves the integrity of
the show but makes it appropriate for teen performers.

I think there are more important issues than what will fill seats in
an auditorium, or even than what might get a kid interested in
theatre.

I am not being a hysterical conservative here. However, I work with
teens, I have some (and continue to do) learning about teen
development, and I think it's foolish to think that just because the
themes are relevant or just because teens are already exposed to this
stuff that it's a great idea to put them on stage acting it out. (I
will concede that there are some teenagers who are capable of handling
this. The likelihood of finding them all within one school is small,
but I could imagine a magnet school for the gifted/performing arts
having those kids.)

Teens are not just miniature adults. It is the job of parents and
educators to set limits and offer guidance to kids are they get
older.


Your post raises the situation raised was a private school with a strong emphasis on performing arts. As you admit a case could be made in this situation that the performers, even though kids, should be fully aware of the purely artistic aspects of the show and that the connections of teens as tiny adults should of little concern. The expectation should be that this is being done strictly as part of their artistic training as opposed to any titillation factor. Would you amend your blanket opposition in these cases?
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