Ragtime Performance Canceled

As someone who lives nearby, it seems a lot of you are missing some facts about this.

1. The production will be done outdoors, in an area where people (including small children) who aren't necessarily there to see it, can pass by and potentially hear one word out of context.

2. The production may be put on by a community theater group, but it's being done in a city park. So it's really the city that had to be cautious about the language.

Given that, I don't think the city was out of line in asking the performance not to proceed.

Also, I read yesterday that the production will continue in an indoor theater (possibly privately held) in the area.

Sorry to keep banging this drum, but I fear you have missed the point of most of our objections to this action. As I said in my first comment, it is clear that no one in authority read the script before greenlighting the show. I totally agree that Ragtime is inappropriate for a public, outdoor venue. It is an important, sometimes rough show, that deals with very relevant issues, but the language for the show needs to be heard in the context of the play. The time to object was before any preproduction began. Not within two weeks of opening night.
 
I think there is an important piece of the puzzle missing from this discussion. That is the heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears put into a production.

If the city officials who canceled this production had wisely read it ahead of time and said, "No, this script has too much controversial language. It isn't appropriate for this venue, Find something else." it sounds like most of us would NOT be upset. Yet those are the same grounds they are using to cancel the performance at the last minute. However now, we don't like it and are calling it censorship. It's funny how your perspective changes after you've built a set, hung a plot, and designed some killer sound cues. From Their point of view canceling a performance is no different from canceling the viewing of a film. From our perspective it's radically different. In our world once the producing organization says "go" that show is going to happen no matter what.
 
I think there is an important piece of the puzzle missing from this discussion. That is the heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears put into a production.

If the city officials who canceled this production had wisely read it ahead of time and said, "No, this script has too much controversial language. It isn't appropriate for this venue, Find something else." it sounds like most of us would NOT be upset. Yet those are the same grounds they are using to cancel the performance at the last minute. However now, we don't like it and are calling it censorship. It's funny how your perspective changes after you've built a set, hung a plot, and designed some killer sound cues. From Their point of view canceling a performance is no different from canceling the viewing of a film. From our perspective it's radically different. In our world once the producing organization says "go" that show is going to happen no matter what.

Thank you for embodying the crux of my problem with this whole thing.
 
There is, no doubt, a “rest of the story” that I’m missing. Could just be over-sensitivity on the part of the Park Executive Director. (Can’t figure out if there’s a money angle – the Park seems to be doing okay, relying nearly exclusively on taxes and user fees. It’s not like a major portion of their budget comes from outside sources.)

The last minute cancellation is really bad form. But I disagree with the statement regarding the city officials reading the script first; I believe that those involved in the production were fully aware of the content: The Wilmette Park District has a healthy bureaucracy: A board of elected officials oversees the parks administration. In the administration, an executive director oversees seven departments, each with its own manager. Further, the articles mention a Performing Arts Supervisor, which would appear to be a level below the managers. While I can’t be certain, I would expect a performing arts supervisor to have been fully aware of the content of the show and its context (Gotta be part of the job description). Reading between the lines of the article, there was some scrambling around on the part of the supervisor prior to the cancellation announcement. I suspect someone on the board talked to the Executive Director, who talked to the Supervisor.

My conclusion is that the Park officials did read the script first, if only in a delegated manner. It wasn’t the executive director’s job to read it. (In my own cursory look into “Ragtime” articles and reviews online, I found nothing that would indicate offensive language. It was nominated for Tony awards, for crying out loud. Certainly the wikipedia article doesn’t mention dialogue or lyrics. You have to look hard to find articles about issues at an Indiana high school production of it.)

The executive director says that the cancellation was his call. But it’s impossible to tell what outside pressure he was taking. To his credit, though, he didn’t publicly criticize the supervisor.

Seems to me that there needs to be a list of seven (or maybe eight) words that you can’t say on a Wilmette Parks stage.

[I see they’ve moved the show to an indoor venue. I was about to suggest a Blazing Saddles solution.]

Joe
 
I'm fully aware of the content of Ragtime and have absolutley no probelm putting on a performance of it in a free/outdoor situation.

My job is not to police and censor shows for the audience. They have the descion when walking past whether or not to see it or leave. That is their job. Just as its a parents job to know what they're doing and where they're going.

My job is to put on the best **** performance possible. My job is to make audience members think. To entertain them. To inform them and ultimetly to perform for them. No matter the script.

I garuntee you that the Executive Director was feeling pressure. Especially from special interest groups which are ruining our art form. They've started with the large targets of television and radio and they're working their way down into your theatre.
 
Sorry to keep banging this drum, but I fear you have missed the point of most of our objections to this action. As I said in my first comment, it is clear that no one in authority read the script before greenlighting the show. I totally agree that Ragtime is inappropriate for a public, outdoor venue. It is an important, sometimes rough show, that deals with very relevant issues, but the language for the show needs to be heard in the context of the play. The time to object was before any preproduction began. Not within two weeks of opening night.

I get it. I really do. I've seen the movie, and read the book, which is far better than the movie, which I really like. And no, I don't like censorship.

And yes, I agree that these decisions should be made before a production begins, not at the 11th hour, which I don't think this was.

But I also realize that things get changed at the last minute. People are busy. And community government is often run by part-timers. They mostly work a full time job, plus serve the community, and seldom have time to screen everything in a timely manner and as thoroughly as they should.

Further, you said that "no one in authority read the script ..." Assume that the people producing the show knew exactly what they were producing and exactly the theme of the play. Wouldn't it have been wise to bring that before the park district, or whoever else was in control of the property BEFORE production began? Or at least to review the history of the space to get an idea what was typically within bounds?
 
Certainly the wikipedia article doesn’t mention dialogue or lyrics.

You could always add a section to the article citing this story... In all fairness to those reading wikipedia...
 
And yes, I agree that these decisions should be made before a production begins, not at the 11th hour, which I don't think this was.
It was canceled two week before opening. That's the 11th hour. Money has been spent, sets have been built techs are about to happen.
 

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