BackStage Utah

I was wondering about what everyone her on PA think about local theatres breaking copyright laws to censor a show. In most shows I have been involved with, the directors, production staff, and the actors have been taknig the liberty of changing lines in the play. To my knowledge this is against the law. Most lines that are changed are changed due to language, sexual innuendo, or religous mockery. The most common reason's I am given for changing the lines are:
-They don't want to offend the audience
-They don't feel comfortable saying the line
-Their religion counsels them not to say words or phrases in the line

I say the same thing to all three of these excuses..."DON'T DO THE SHOW", or "READ THE SCRIPT BEFORE YOU CHOOSE TO DIRECT OR PRODUCE THE SHOW!"

Bottom line is it is against the law to change the lines! Why do I have to be placed in the situation of changing a line because of how someone else feels about it? Why is it ok for them to ask me to break the law so the can please their audience. Who are we to decide the moral views of our audience. I don't want to change the line, but unless I want to fight city hall I have to.

Just a little venting here too I guess. Any opinions are welcome. Thank you!

I completely agree that you should read the script before being involved with a show.  But before too many of us get on our high-horses, thare are some scripts that allow you to change things around a bit.  A few examples are A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (which encouraged changes), and Sylvia (which gave suggested changes for a few of the more ilicit lines).  And I know of a couple theatres here who go the legal way about changes by contacting the right holders.  So if your director asks you to tone down a line, he might actually have permission to do so.   

I understand the problem with this demographic, though, especially in Utah valley.  Directors seem to feel the desire to change an F word here, a lord's name in vain there, because if they didn't they'd be stuck doing the same five "clean" shows season after season after season.

When it's done with permission, like HCTWVC's productgion of "Lend Me a Tenor" last year, I'm fine with it. When it's not, I'm dead set against, especially because, as pointed out, in Utah theatre it's usually done for religious reasons, and dishonesty and violating the law is a greater violation of our religious and moral principles than saying bad words is. It doesn't make sense.

One thing I do feel the need to add to the discussion is, that when we're talking about simply cutting a few words here and there, if you're going to have qualms with it, you need to be sure you're also not add-libbing, adding jokes, updating references or anthing else of the sort, which may seem less distasteful artistically to us but are just as much a violation of copyright.

shimmer wrote on Sep 19^th, 2008 at 3:41pm:


Me too. My point is, I know a lot people who will get on a moral high horse about censoring an artistically meaningless profanity, but will sacrifice the entire reality and aritistic integrity of a play for one extra laugh. �

I am, to be honest, a little bit vague about the strict application of copyrights, and I think most community theaters are willfully so. I can scarcely recall ever being in a play where some sort of liberty wasn't taken with the script, for one reason or another. Whether all liberties are equal in the strict eyes of the law I can't say with absolute certainty. I assume this is an issue Tshep has had to deal with, so I would be interested to hear his thoughts.