.
Feedback

Poll: Is the School District Being Too Prudish?

The drama director at Monrovia High School resigned partly because he felt creative expression was being stifled in his department. What role should the district have in choosing what kinds of art kids are exposed to?

drama director Marc Segal spent more than two decades teaching drama, and he said his productions over the years ran the gamut from "G-rated" to more "thought-provoking" works.

After the district , Segal was limited to doing productions of a much more tame variety. He said he was getting tired of doing fairy tales and mild musicals and .

Former students and parents spoke out in support of Segal in comments on Patch and Facebook, calling for the district to broaden its artistic horizons.

"As a parent whose daughter blossomed under Mr. Segal's direction, I am saddened by his decision," wrote parent Stephen McCarthy on Patch. "I am even more saddened by the district's turn from what was an enlightened inclusive support for drama to one of apparent narrow mindedness, more concerned with being "safe" than allowing students to appropriately explore the world around them I wonder what's next?"

Some local residents came to the district's defense, however.

"Not every play or musical gets produced nor is it acceptable in all venues," wrote Miguel Montes on Patch. "I for one agreed with our board's decision regarding the issue of the musical Rent and believe there are other productions far more deserving of the talent of the Monrovia High School students."

Question: Should MUSD students be exposed to more challenging material, or has the approach of the district in selecting productions been appropriate?

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from Monrovia Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Loading comments ...
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Ellen Zunino May 19, 2013 at 01:37 pm
I kind of lost interest when, along with the Lion's barbecue, the carnival disappeared but thereRead More were always people I knew in the parade so I kept the date. Now that the parade is gone, it's just another festival day in town. Times change and this kind of under-stated event is what people want. The old Monrovia Days used to be a day we could all get together and have fun. Now, people are too busy with their own lives and "community" doesn't mean what it once did.
rubberband May 19, 2013 at 01:09 pm
Interesting. There was one person who decided that letting Monrovia Day slide with nothing doneRead More wasn't gonna play. BY HERSELF and her family and friends planned all of it and set everything up. That person was Keely Milliken. It was astounding how much got done, and without financial support or the usual cast of players to do anything. There were many pitfalls, permits that needed approval and what not...Perhaps if you voiced your displeasure to the City Council and volunteered your personal money and weeks of planning and organizing you'd feel a lot better about it. I can say with absolute conviction that Keely should hold her head high, and I was glad to be a part of it. With almost no money, the people that volunteered their time and efforts are not ashamed, but rather glad that at last minute a albeit mellower version, something nice was created. Sometimes being able to apologize is the biggest most wonderful quality a human can have. I am wrong, often, but not on this one. Great job Keely and family/friends. Thank you for all the hard work.
K. Eckstrom May 19, 2013 at 10:46 am
Danielle, you can call City Hall and they will direct you to the correct people. These peopleRead More worked hard to plan this with what little money we have.
Mike Day May 17, 2013 at 09:56 pm
Thanks for the compliments. mor video to follow
Buzlightyear aka marty May 17, 2013 at 07:37 pm
Yeah, it's cute...... For now......
Ellen Zunino May 17, 2013 at 01:02 pm
Cool presentation. Many of us have had our own encounters and all of us have seen numerous photosRead More and videos so your creative approach freshened it up for us.
Dan Crandell May 16, 2013 at 09:28 pm
A California city will never prevail in a lawsuit against the STATE. All CA. cities must merge toRead More sue in mass under Federal RICO laws while we still have Federal laws. Filing alone at the State level is useless. Wake up people.