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What to Do When (and before) Controversy Strikes Your University Theatre
Recently, the University Theatre at Texas Tech University presented Hair as part of the 1999-2000 "All American Season." Shortly after the nearly-sold-out- performances, the following Letter to the Editor (Lubbock Avalanche Journal, November 2, 1999) appeared: The theatre department at Tech is making the students get naked for certain plays. I'm writing in the name of common decency, natural morality and the need for people to have a sense of privacy and natural human shame. Our younger generation should not be subjected to the morality of older adults who have power and authority over them. Let's get to the real issue here and let me address the "mature" adults who are doing this. I shall focus on the real reason they are doing it. It's called lust. You are nothing but a group of perverted seekers of personal thrills in the name of education and at the expense of the emotionally immature. You do this to fulfill the lust of your own sick minds. I can just imagine the looks the faculty give to one another when the students aren't watching and the perverted laughter over alcohol and drug parties by the "honorable" professors; the role models for our youth and country. The narcissistic, lustful thoughts that must go through their heads. Thoughts like: "Oh boy, let's figure a way to get these youthful bodies naked." And who knows the immorality that may occur by professors of "dignity" at the expense of the needs of their prey. It's not about art, it's not about theater. It's about the lust of the human heart in whatever disguise can conceal it. -- ACA McDonald,
What's an arts administrator to do when such a letter appears? First, count the number of times the word "lust" or its derivatives appear? (4). Or "perverted?" (2). Does one dismiss this letter, not wanting to dignify it with a response? Does one use the "Letters to the Editor" as an open forum to counter such an assault? How did the University Theatre, and its faculty, get in such a predicament? Did the University Theatre prepare properly before committing to present Hair, along with "the nude scene?" Below are some steps that a University Theatre should follow in order to prepare for a possibly controversial production. (Incidentally, the Texas Tech University Theatre prepared extensively before Hair, knowing that the highly religious, conservative local community might pose a public relations problem for the theatre. Even with the best plans, a disgruntled citizen might write a derogatory Letter to the Editor. How to handle that situation is covered at the end of this article.) 1. Obtain a Consensus within your Group. The faculty, staff, and students must agree that the chosen "controversial" play is worth presenting. At the preliminary season planning meetings, the faculty should discuss any possible repercussions that presenting a particular play might have on the organization. Does the play fit within the departmental mission? Is it a valid educational experience for the performers, designers, director, and for the audience? If presented, what public relations activities should the department plan to help prepare the community, both university and local? Non-tenured faculty members involved in the production should have the support of the tenured faculty and the departmental chair. Artistic and academic freedom could become an issue, and those whose jobs are on the line should definitely be supported by the more senior members. Once the decision is made to present the work, the department should... 2. Notify the Powers that Be. At the university level, certain offices should be involved in the process of supporting the department's decision to present a controversial work. The department should inform offices from the Dean up to the highest administration. Recently, Kilgore College came under attach from a small section of the local community during a production of Angels in America. The college president became one of the biggest supporters of the theatre department and a loud voice for artistic freedom. Enlist the support and encouragement of those above the departmental level in order to bolster your decision to make bold programming choices. Next, the department should... 3. Designate a Point Person. There should be one person who communicates with the media and the community. Actors, designers, directors, and faculty members will all have personal opinions about the presentation of the controversial work. One person, however, should speak "officially" for the department or producing organization. During our "Hair-y" situation, the television media arrived at the theatre and talked to the actors. Although we tried to steer them to the "point person," the media does have the freedom to seek comments and opinions of others. Prior to rehearsals, however, we met with all involved in the production, to... 4. Communicate the "Company Line." Using the Director's Notes (which would eventually be printed in the playbill) as a guide, we discussed the reasons that we were presenting Hair; it is important to include the faculty, production team, and others in "the loop." While we had our reasoning in writing, we also verbally communicated the same reasoning on radio and television interviews, as well as in press releases. While the terms "company line" and "loop"sound like a "handling" of the media, the basic idea is to have one consistent message, and that message should . . . 5. Focus on the Positive. Whenever a theatre decides to do a certain play, there are abundant positive reasons why it is important to present a particular work at a particular time. The organization must articulate those points in a positive manner so that the local community, department, and administration can clearly relate to the significance of the endeavor. Ideally, the director will have a passion for the work and will be able to communicate to all involved the benefits of performing the piece and the necessity of presenting such important material. Whenever a controversial work is suggested at a season selection meeting, the question of audience acceptance is raised. Is our audience "ready" for this work? How will individual or season tickets be affected? Will the organization be able to engage long-time supporters in the presentation? A large part of our duty is to educate not only our students, but also the public. Common wisdom holds that our patrons appreciate prior information about an upcoming production, so it is important to... 6. Notify Your Patrons. First, and foremost, let you patrons know why you are presenting the work. Additionally, most patrons appreciate a notice if the play is "for mature audiences," (or whatever other phrase you might use) in order to alert your customers that this is a challenging or controversial piece. Many times, this notice will increase ticket sales to a particular group that has not attended before. Some theatres get into the trap of using a ratings system, similar to the movies: "PG," "PG-13," etc. The ratings systems for film and television are under attack and don't seem to translate well into the theatre. Those patrons who watch "R" rated movies, or even primetime network television, seem to find the same material more objectionable when it is presented live, at the university theatre, by those "impressionable young college actors." Likewise problematic is attempting to answer a question such as "Is this play acceptable to a 12-year old?" The answer should probably not be a "yes" or "no," since each 12-year old is different and each parent's opinion of what is acceptable varies widely. A possible response might be to delineate the type of language and subject matter that is involved in the production. The parent should then make the final decision. By alerting your audience, in writing, prior to the performance, the theatre has performed a community service. Those who feel they might be offended have little to complain about if they have been forewarned. Even for a seemingly innocuous presentation of Hair, we put a "warning" on pre-performance postcard reminders, on posters distributed on campus and in the community, on signs at the box office, as well as in each press release. If you are not sure how your community will react to a particular script, you might... 7. Hold Focus Groups. Even a group as small as six people can provide valuable insights into the upcoming obstacles and concerns of the community. Be sure to invite a wide segment of your population, including those who do not normally attend your productions. A set time frame, possibly one hour, should be established, along with specific questions. Each person should be encouraged to participate actively in the discussion. The theatre should be able to ascertain how the community might react to a controversial work and how to plan a public relations campaign to enlighten the population to the upcoming presentation. One common method of educating our patrons is to... 8. Plan Pre- and Post-Show Discussions. This technique worked well for Texas Tech during a recent production of Caryl Churchill's Vinegar Tom. This is where a dramaturg comes in handy. Placing a particular play in an historical/social/political context raises interest in the production, as well as addressing the educational mission of the university. Vast opportunities exist for pre-show lectures: local civic clubs, dinner-before-the-play events, library visits, or merely a talk at the theatre prior to opening. Post-show discussions should focus on themes, as opposed to production values. In the past, we have invited community members (AIDS activists for The Baltimore Waltz, a priest and a psychologist for Agnes of God) or university scholars (an art historian for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof). The main objective in the pre- and post-show discussion again focuses on the educational mission of the department and the university. These are community outreach activities, designed to enlighten the patrons, as well as promote upcoming events. Whenever the department hosts such offerings, an opportunity exists to... 9. Make It a Media Event. Visibility is vital to your theatre. Be sure to send media alerts whenever a pre- or post-show discussion is planned. Sometimes unplanned events occur during the production of a controversial piece. Kilgore College endured picketers during their production of Angels in America. Texas Tech had devised a plan in the event of angry citizens outside the theatre. None appeared, but if they had, the theatre intended to pass out flowers to the protesters. The flower-power of this action would have provided a positive spin on the inevitable media photos. We also planned to allow for peaceful protesters, only intending to call campus police if the entrance to the theatre were blocked or if patrons were harassed. Remember that "negative" reactions can be turned into positive results if a public relations plan is instituted. With creative positioning, a public outrage of your theatre's activities can be turned into a positive public relations opportunity and a chance to promote your educational message. When controversy strikes, plan to take advantage of your networking opportunities. All of the arts in your community have potential controversy/censorship concerns, so plan to... 10. Contact Other Arts and Advocacy Groups. Each community has a myriad of choices. Local, state, and national arts organizations, along with other interested entities, such as the League of Women Voters, local churches, attorney organizations, educational groups, etc. might be able to offer advice, support, or encouragement. The ATHE Advocacy group has been very helpful when controversy strikes. Letters of support have been solicited for situations ranging from the Kilgore College matter to the conflict arising from Samantha Gellars' lesbian-themed new play. Contact with outside groups will help you validate your position as well as provide advice for the dilemma. While each situation of controversy will be different, we should know that we can find solace among those who have traveled the road ahead of us. Use your local arts organizations to seek support from other groups and individuals who might provide positive links with the community. A strong case for your programming could come unexpectedly from an influential city council member or local pastor. So, how did the Texas Tech University Theatre
respond to the vitriolic Letter to Editor regarding Hair? First,
we presumed that the letter writer did not see the production.
Public response was overwhelmingly favorable, due in large part
to the self-selected audience memberscomposed of those people
who could not help but see the "mature audiences" warning. The university students were outraged by the letter and wanted to respond. Our department brought in a journalism professor, who held a workshop on "How to Write a Letter to the Editor." Since we knew our students were going to send letters, we wanted to assure that they were well-written and in a positive vein. The students did a fine job of representing the department and proclaiming our educational message to a wide audience. University Theatres must plan for controversy, not to avoid it, but to turn a conflict into an opportunity. The above Ten Steps will provide a framework for instituting a campaign to use controversy to your benefit.
Dr. Linda Donahue is Assistant Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance and Head of Theatre Management at Texas Tech University. |