Whenever we turn on the news in today's society we will most likely be greeted with a headline about violence or sexual assault. We have come to accept this violence as normal in society, but whenever a topic of this caliber is discussed in a high school it suddenly becomes taboo. Many schools across the United States have a "banned book list", meaning that teachers are prohibited to create lessons around these books and have students read the said books. Some of the books on this list include but are not limited to "Catcher In The Rye", "Grapes of Wrath", and "To Kill A Mockingbird". These books are American classics and teach readers the importance of equality and inclusion, as well as show how far we have come as a society. Recently my school district has now moved on from censoring books to censoring everything that is put on our auditorium stage.
March 15th, 16th, and 17th were the public showings of my high schools All School Production of "The Pajama Game". Many of us involved in the All School Production program had never heard of this musical whenever it was first announced to us in April 2018. Over the months leading up to auditions and eventually the show, we all learned that this musical touched on some important issues that are still relevant in today's society. "The Pajama Game" is a musical that was adapted from the 1953 novel "7 1/2 Cents" by Richard Bissell. The story follows a love interest between the two main characters through their struggle to obtain a 7 1/2 cent pay increase, but it also covers conflict between management and the labor union, the battle between sexes, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Music Theater International gives the show a PG rating. We, the production members, were more than ecstatic whenever the show was about to hit the stage for the first time. We thought that the audience would be captivated by the love story unfolding onstage and find humor in all of the little gimmicks sprinkled throughout the show. We also hoped that some would leave the show with some thought towards the battle between sexes, and sexual misconduct in the workplace, since the theater is supposed to make the audience think after all. We were not expecting though, was what was actually to follow.
At a recent school board meeting, the School Board President brought up the recent All School Production of "The Pajama Game".
The President said that "People said the theme of the show is not appropriate," the President than agreed with the concerns saying, "It's not appropriate in this time". Some other school members then spoke out and said that they had not heard any negative comments about this year's production, they actually heard the opposite, they had only heard praise for the production. After some back and forth between members it was ultimately deemed that, the Superintendent will have the option to review the play with the school board before deciding whether the show is appropriate for audiences. A video of the entire school board meeting will be linked at the end of this article.
It is important to note that my school district has put on this production a total of three times, the only backlash ever received was on this year's production. The director of the production made multiple comments to the public about how this years production had some adult themes that might not be suitable for young children.
Also in the playbill given to every audience member, there was a directors note printed on the first page an excerpt from this note reads "This show was originally written in 1954 and included quite a bit of satire involving corporate and union relationships and sexual harassment in the workplace. Unfortunately, in 2019, the story holds just as much relevance. My wish for all students is that through our discussions in rehearsal and our presentation on this stage, that they all understand their worth in this world and the value of self-respect. That being said, I ask that each member of the audience understands that the story we are trying to tell is much more than clever puns and beautiful songs...but it's up to you to figure it out."
Many students and production members are attending an upcoming school board meeting to try to get the motion passed by the board reviewed. This censorship in schools stifles artistic freedom, undermines the creative duties of the producer, and shows students that they're not allowed to stand up for a cause they find worth fighting for.
A link to the video of school board meeting:
