School District Cancels Theater Production of 'Rent,' Cites Concerns Over Subject Matter
Monrovia High School drama teacher Marc Segal said Tuesday he still doesn't know exactly why his plan to stage "Rent" was rejected by the district.
School district officials have halted a production of the musical Rent at Monrovia High School because of subject matter they deemed inappropriate, forcing the school's drama teacher to scramble to find another play for the spring theater season.
Marc Segal, Monrovia High School's long-time drama teacher, confirmed Tuesday that his plan to put on Rent as the school's spring musical was rejected by Monrovia Unified School District officials last month. He said his own attempts to obtain an explanation were rebuffed.
"All I know right now is my principal, when I decided to do Rent, … he asked for a copy of the script," said Segal, referring to MHS Principal Darvin Jackson.
Segal said Jackson then consulted with MUSD Superintendent Linda Wagner, the school's vice principal and the district's human resources manager. He returned to Segal and informed him that he could not stage the show.
Segal asked Jackson why, and was told "They said no," he said. No additional explanation was given, he said.
"There's no swearing in it; one song was taken out that was questionable, so I can't imagine what the problem is," Segal said.
Rent, the popular, Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that deals with AIDS and homosexuality, first opened in 1996, according to the play's official website. The musical is loosely based on Puccini's classic opera La bohème.
Wagner said in a brief interview with Patch Tuesday that she had concerns about the subject matter that Rent deals with. She said that some students and parents wouldn't be comfortable performing in the play and cited a stripping scene and a prostitute character as her main concerns.
"We need to consider all of our constituents," Wagner said. "If some parents/students don't feel comfortable with being in a play, where do we draw the line? There is a stripping scene and a prostitute. Some will not feel comfortable in such a role. Some will."
In years past, the MHS drama department has done a number of plays dealing with controversial topics. In 2006, the school performed The Laramie Project, a play that deals with homophobia and the murder of a young gay man in Wyoming.
Though the school has a history of performing controversial works, Wagner said those were staged under previous superintendents.
"There has been a change in leadership," she said. "I want every child and every parent to find [a play] to be acceptable."
Segal insisted in an e-mail that there is "no stripping scene in the musical." Wagner did not mention the topic of homosexuality as one of her concerns.
Jackson declined to comment on this story when contacted by Patch on Tuesday.
"This is an internal conversation right now," Jackson said. "In fairness to Marc and the students, I have no comment."
Segal wanted to perform the high school version of the play, which omits some language and one song, according to the Musical Theatre International (MTI) website.
The MTI site lists 23 high schools around the country--including MHS--planning to stage the show this year. The closest production is South El Monte High School, which will debut the musical in February, according to the site.
Segal noted that the movie version of the play is rated PG-13.
Segal is now searching for another play to put on and he believes he'll lose the $400 security deposit he already paid to a production company to stage Rent. He said he's now thinking about staging The Robber Bridegroom but feared that show "probably would be deemed inappropriate anyway."
He is also still waiting for the school's new auditorium to open.
"I'm in the dark right now," Segal said. "I haven't had an auditorium for two years. It's very difficut to picture a show when you don't know what space you're going to have. I'm kind of in a bad place right now."
Segal said he was supposed to meet with district officials to discuss the cancellation of "Rent" but he is still waiting for a formal meeting to be set up. He said he wrote to Jackson four days ago has not yet received a reply.
"Until I know what show I'm doing I can't hold auditions," Segal said. "Every day that we don't do anything is a day we're getting less and less prepared for this."
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Monrovia High School
845 W Colorado Blvd, Monrovia, CA -
Monrovia Unified School District Administration Center
325 E Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA
Danielle Fairlee
8:24 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Best of luck to the students. Perhaps if the school/school district doesn't relent, a community group could offer an off-campus site to house the production? Keep making art, kids!
Melissa
8:46 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Wow im floored by the decision to cancel this production. Shame on our school district to think with such closed minds. Its 2011 people! RENT is a wonderful production that can teach our children, love, happiness and even sympathy. Thousands of children across the country have had the opportunity to put on this production, why is it not good enough for ours or yet why is it to racy for us? If a school minutes from Monrovia can do this production what makes them think were better then them for not doing it. I really hope the district will reconsider there decision before it is too late. Dont throw in the towel Mr. Segal, keep hope alive!
Danielle Corona
9:39 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Adult content and possibly objectionable themes for teenagers? Good decision, MUSD.
They have plenty of time to delve into controversial adult themes when they are ADULTS.
Bill Beebe
9:49 pm on Tuesday, January 4, 2011
While I do appreciate the arts and the need to push the envelope, there does need to be decision-makers and leadership in public schools. We are a nation of laws and rules. But rules are no good without some background and context.
The article posed one side so it is difficult to judge either way. On the surface it does appear that the matter could have been handled differently; and the controversy over a controversy need not have happened. I would hope that the parties could get together (and face to face) sooner rather than later to come to a resolution and an understanding.
If an unresolved matter simmers too long, bad feelings can cloud even the most reasonable person's thinking. Find a way that both sides can win.
Steven Hirt
7:58 pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
As a graduate of MHS (1968) and a retired high school principal, I disagree with this decision. I agree that administrators must always screen school events. However, Rent does not seem to fall in the category of inappropriate content. I am very disappointed in the district's decision.
Steven Hirt
Laura
8:36 pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
I feel that it is immature for him to try to override the school board's decision by publicizing the issue. The point that the movie is PG-13 is invalid because that is for personal use- the play should not be pushed on the students. I will personally not be seeing the play if it is somehow produced.
John
8:45 pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2011
California K- 12 is now #49 out of 50 in in national educational standards. If they would teach the 3 Rs instead of social engineering maybe our kids would be better educated.
Jerry Baker
9:39 am on Thursday, January 6, 2011
I hear some buzzwords of the fundamentalist movement in what Wagner is saying, and that concerns me as a Monrovian. I'm feeling like perhaps the resurgence of fundamentalist right-wing activism and the decline of education aren't coincidence. Protecting children from dark themes is how you make a generation of children unprepared to deal with adult life. Just like abstinence-only education; banning books, movies, plays, or other material simply for ideological reasons leaves our kids ill-prepared for life.
Danielle Corona
9:46 am on Friday, January 7, 2011
If school is leaving a child ill-prepared for life, it is more likely the parents fault, isn't it?
Amy Call
10:13 am on Friday, January 7, 2011
@danielle:
"If school is leaving a child ill-prepared for life, it is more likely the parents fault, isn't it?"
That's a large part of the problem here. We as parents would like to have the opportunity to choose what our children see and experience for ourselves, in order to prepare them for life, and for many, many other reasons.
In this case, is it my fault that my family will not be given the opportunity to attend a Monrovia High School production of Rent? It most certainly is not. Despite concerns expressed by many people regarding censorship, myself included, the edict has been handed down from someone (who doesn't even know most of these parents or children) that we cannot be allowed to choose whether to see it or allow our children to see it. That should be OUR choice, not a choice made by a stranger who is primarily uninvolved in the raising of our children.
No one would be forced to participate or attend this production. No one. If it offends or concerns you and your family, by all means, please do not attend. That is your family's right, of course. But I want MY family's choices to be made by MY family. I'd like to exert what I feel to be OUR right to make OUR own choices.
Danielle Corona
4:47 pm on Friday, January 7, 2011
Amy, what then is the solution?
If material is offensive, and there is more then just the gay issue (which isn't even an issue in my opinion) then that leaves families that, "will not be given the opportunity" to perform in a play. There are only 2 productions a year? Why pick a production that has so many controversial issues in it, and therefor potentially leaving out many kids who may not be comfortable performing? This isn't college. If this was a college, my opinion would be a complete 180°. I enjoyed the musical on stage, I enjoyed the film version, although I don't think either are "amazing". It doesn't "offend" me. I just can see the point of view of the district, in this case. I haven't read this particular EXACT high school version, but OTHER high schools have put on pg13 productions that have drug use, prostitution, stripping (yes, I know this one doesn't have stripping), multiple examples of adultery, or at least cheating on your partner... not counting the stripping or the homosexuality, that is 3 extremely controversial issues.
Danielle Corona
4:52 pm on Friday, January 7, 2011
I do find it amusing that not attending or performing in a production of RENT might make our children "ill prepared" for life.
Jerry Baker
5:48 pm on Friday, January 7, 2011
It's probably amusing because nobody suggested such a preposterous thing. What I did suggest was that hiding the reality of life from your children leaves them ill-prepared. I am sure avoiding one play wouldn't hurt them much, but the mindset of keeping everything "dark" from them most certainly will.
Reverend joseph Shore-Goss
10:11 am on Thursday, January 6, 2011
They should do what burbank did when they put on the laramie project use a stage of campus then the school district has no say!
John Lewallen
2:49 pm on Friday, January 7, 2011
Reverend Joseph – excellent idea!
Ronald Martin
12:00 pm on Thursday, January 6, 2011
The administrations comment that all plays need to be appropriate, or approved, or whatever for all parents is ridiculous, some parents are going to object to almost any play.
Also the state of California has approved the reading of Shakespeare in high school classrooms and some of William's comedies contain prostitutes, and there are scenes in Taming of the Shrew that if the administration understood what was being said they would have to ban it's reading.
David Van Horsen
8:56 am on Saturday, January 8, 2011
A most unfortunate decision. Just to highlight the low hanging fruit, I guess "Jesus Christ Superstar" could not be staged because Mary is a prostitute. But the entire statement of wanting every parent and child satisfied with a play is ridiculous. Someone will always have some problem. Addressing the tough issues humans face daily is the strength of theatre. More so than TV or movies because of the drama and power that exists when presented by actual breathing people. Theatre is sort of self selected. I feel that those that would have most problem with the isses raised by "Rent" may not be the ones that would actually go to a production. Live theatre is just something that is not on their radar. Just as we say if you don't like what is on TV you have the abilty to turn it off, if you don't like the production,you don't go.
John Lewallen
11:12 pm on Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thanks, David, for a dead-on post.