Chairman Moe
Member
A children’s theater production of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” scheduled to be performed in March 2023 was canceled after the Board of First Stage Theater Company got cold feet. The show had been cast and rehearsals were under way.
First Stage is located in Huntington, West Virginia and is in its thirty first year of children’s theater productions.
There were complaints from some parties about the use of racial epithets. These were asked to be removed but the director refused.
This pattern is not uncommon. The director, anticipating the possibility, spent time with the Board prior to the play’s approval explaining the challenges. The Board believed it understood the stakes, but at the first sign of trouble it folded.
This should serve as a warning to any theater company considering performing a controversial play: make sure it’s a hill you’re willing to die on before giving approval. Directors and dramaturgs will have to work harder to meet this growing challenge.
First Stage is located in Huntington, West Virginia and is in its thirty first year of children’s theater productions.
There were complaints from some parties about the use of racial epithets. These were asked to be removed but the director refused.
This pattern is not uncommon. The director, anticipating the possibility, spent time with the Board prior to the play’s approval explaining the challenges. The Board believed it understood the stakes, but at the first sign of trouble it folded.
This should serve as a warning to any theater company considering performing a controversial play: make sure it’s a hill you’re willing to die on before giving approval. Directors and dramaturgs will have to work harder to meet this growing challenge.