<p>I'm wonndering if anyone has ever had issues reconciling faith and some of the things theei kids are asked to do for theater. For example, my D goes on her youth group mission trip every summer, and it causes her to miss a couple rehearsals for summer productions. The trip is very meaningful to her and her faith, but I always wonder if it might affect casting since she misses a couple rehearsals (note that they show itself is more than a month later that her trip, and she's a quick learner). Then you have the issue of kids participating in shows where the actions and /or language of the character are those that you would not condone if your child did them outside the theater. Our pastor indicates you have to make sure the character is just that, a character, and decide where you draw the lines (example: nudity, excessive vulgarity, etc). Just wondering if anyone else out there has had such issues and how you dealt with them.</p>
<p>My son attends a Lutheran High School, so in-school productions are not an issue. But there have been issues outside- even as far as dressing room talk from older actors (sex)- no more working with that group. I think you have to agree where you will cross the line and where you will not. My daughter (different high school) had to go on a confirmation retreat and would miss 2 basketball practices, therefore would be banned from starting 2 games and would incur the wrath of the coach. Basketball seasons are short and that seemed huge. She went on the retreat and we all lived through it. It seems so insignificant now. I have drawn the line while my kids are in high school. They may not perform in any show that I feel crosses our Christian values- even if it is just language. I think that it is my job to instill values at this age. As an adult (18) he can handle those “acting” situations with a a strong moral background. I think adult actors should take on any role they like, but we need to give them a clear upbringing. Adult situations and language is part of the theatre and will be part of their lives. But not in high school for us. Not looking forward to the nudity! This works for me but sometimes my kids hate me- oh well…</p>
<p>Good timing! Today was Ash Wednesday and I was surprised to see some of my classmates come in with crosses on their foreheads into class, since I’ve never known their religion to come into play in regards to theatre before. This is as ManVan said, a complex issue but here’s my take on it:</p>
<p>I think it comes down to each individual’s beliefs and how it is translated into action. I’ve known people who say that they are not their character and while they may perform as such onstage, they do not participate in/condemn the action offstage. Or, they use their religion to inspire their theatre (doing religious productions for example, I have a friend who’s doing a Jew-friendly production of The Merchant of Venice). I have known many more people who keep their faith to themselves and as far as I know them, their faith is no more than to do good is to be good and that’s all that really matters to me.</p>
<p>theatremomma, I think I’m on your kids’ side! If my parents were to forbid me from doing a performance because it conflicted with their beliefs, I’d feel a distinct lack of trust, that they can’t determine me from my character and probably rebel from there. 
I’m not a parent though, so maybe if I had a child, I’d feel differently. Just my thoughts there, probably unwanted, but I’m throwing myself out there anyways just for a different perspective. </p>
<p>Speaking of non-Christian religions since faith comes in many forms, I consider myself to be pagan (which is sadly rather unrepresented in theatre aside from Hollywood’s idea of magic). In some ways, my beliefs are in compliance with theatre as there is the patron god of theatre, Dionysus but rehearsals have a way of leaving me no time to celebrate holidays! I think that’s the extent of my issues with theatre and religion personally though. So long as I do not intend or act harm upon another (except for acting that I’m hurting another character!), I am satisfied that my passion for theatre is as strong as my faith.</p>
<p>theatremomma…I think that is a very appropriate way to look at things. high school is one thing, college and adult theatre is another. much like a lot of other age-appropriate distinctions in life.</p>
<p>We have had to deal with this issue some. My sweet, mild mannered son is a pretty good “character” actor and so over the years he has been cast in several roles where he is the evil villain. (Bill Sykes, Javert, etc.) and has murdered/molested/unfairly persecuted his share of lovely damsels. Most of the time, it was high school and they didn’t push the edge as far as language, etc. but we realized he was playing a “character” and was the “spice in the stew”. </p>
<p>The first time we had to deal with “should we call grandma to see this one?” was Rent in the summer before his senior year at a civic theatre. They did the student edition, but still…I was leery about the subject matter, but the kids did a great job with it, and really I have to admire that people write thought-provoking musicals that portray real life in an artful way. My own mother would’ve maybe drawn the line at that one because of some of the language and the issues dealt with. That was high school.</p>
<p>Now in his sophomore year in MT, he most recently played (sigh) another dirty rotten scoundrel. It was an original musical, and (almost to a fault) squeaky clean in language and subject matter. With the sole exception being his character, who was a bigot and an abuser and an overall no-good carnival scumbag. His character used some foul language, beat up and pinned down his girlfriend, uses the “N” word, and the a couple of times people in the crowd actually cheered when he was killed in self defense. (sigh) I loved the play…knew it wasn’t HIS morals on display, and was entertained BECAUSE his character added to the plot. My mother was upset about it and tried to tell me that he shouldn’t take roles like that…he should stick to his moral ground. Really? </p>
<p>While I agree it is where you draw the line, think about the wonderful theatre we would miss if we cut out the “bad” parts sometimes. (I mean Judd Frye was a real perv…should Oklahoma be banned?)Sometiimes the language, and the actions are necessary to tell a great story…a real life story. </p>
<p>Nudity might be a different issue, but I no longer get to draw the line. As you said, I tried to give my son a great moral basis, and it is up to him to decide if the artistic stuff is valid.</p>
<p>Great question, JeffandAnn…interested to see what others think. I wish you wouldn’t do it in PM-ing…that’s what we are here for, to discuss in an open forum. The rest of us miss out on so much when you all keep it to yourselves.</p>
<p>I don’t have any experiences to share but will just share my opinion. I think if one is going to be an actor, then they need to be comfortable with the fact that they are playing a character that is not themselves. Their character may have beliefs or morals very different than their own. The audience knows that the actors are portraying characters and not representing themselves. I also think that a lot of very good theater involves depicting thought provoking issues or many perspectives and it is important if being an actor and sharing good theater, to not only represent or depict your own values, beliefs, etc. For example, my daughter has depicted being a whore/prostitute in shows even though she doesn’t hold such values. My other daughter portrayed a nun in a show and she is Jewish. </p>
<p>What would theater be if every actor only was willing to portray roles or act in plays that represented their own moral and religious beliefs? An actor portrays a character, not themselves. An actor interprets a work, which doesn’t necessarily represent their own views.</p>
<p>Totally agree nicksmtmom and soozievt. I LOVE Rent! We are doing OK in 3 weeks! I think, for me, this was more of a discussion about at what age everything becomes age appropriate. I have picked the arbitrary age of 18- for lack of a better gauge. I’m talking about my high schooler appearing nude, simulated sex, over the top vulgar language. I went and saw “A New Brain” and loved it but he could not be in it. Not on my watch. Choose another show at this age. Volunteer at children’s theatre. But after that you make your own calls. I have laid the foundation to fall back on. Go to college- do your own thing. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Some good input here, thanks. I do believe my daughter has a good head on her shoulders and understands that she’s playing a character, that it’s not her belief system. She was juror # 10 in 12 Angry Jurors this year, and she had to go on a bigoted rampage at the end of the show. I honestly didn’t recognize her, which I guess means she did her job well!</p>
<p>I am a United Methodist pastor and both my kids are actors, so we’ve had this discussion many times in our home. Our son was offered some film roles when he was younger (like 8 or 9) that involved foul language and we turned those down. Yes, my son is an actor and knows the difference, but he would also be presenting himself as a role model for other children who might see the film and we didn’t want that. </p>
<p>As our children got older we would talk about their roles together - the good, the bad, the motivations. In most cases, we realized that their character (if negative) could be a teaching moment for them and their audiences. We tried to instill our values and morals in our kids, and now that they are 16 and 19, we trust them to pick their own roles. I was very pleased when D drew the line at playing Wendla in Spring Awakening - a great show but too much nudity and foul language for her.</p>
<p>D is sometimes the only practicing Christian on the stage and it makes for interesting moment. She called from college last year to report that she was glad that I sent her to school with 3 Bibles. They were all being used as props for a show and a friend had asked to borrow one of them after the show to read.</p>
<p>Once a student is in college pursuing theatre as a career, they should be comfortable playing any role for which they audition. Acting is all about stretching oneself as a human being and as an artist. If a student is unwilling to do that, then, in my opinion, they should choose another career path, study something else, and maybe do safe community theatre for fun as an adult. </p>
<p>I never vetted any role for any of my Ds, to be honest, and the ones who acted started around middle school age. I don’t recall anything that should have been of concern back then. At the arts h/s, it never occurred to me to check to make sure that any of the roles were ‘appropriate’. That just didn’t happen at that school, and I’m glad that it didn’t. My D who is now a professional actor played many roles (some of which she wrote!) where the character was not a particularly likeable individual, or was a criminal, or had personal habits that were cringeworthy, but these were characters she was portraying, characters she was inhabiting. She wasn’t the one who was doing/thinking/saying the things that were being done/thought/said onstage, her character was. 
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<p>Of the hundreds of actors I know, there are many who would be considered religious individuals. I can only think of one who allowed her beliefs to influence a particular role she played, and she admitted years later that she shouldn’t have done that. This is such a very difficult career path. To further limit the already poor odds of earning a sustained, good living from theatre alone, by allowing faith to enter the equation, is very likely a mistake.</p>
<p>theatremomma, I have to ask. Was it a high school production of A New Brain that you saw? I can’t imagine Bill Finn granting the rights to a high school. It’s done in many colleges, though, and is a wonderful show! Speaking of Rent. Since the rights were released, it’s the most requested show for high schools, colleges, and regional productions. As some of you here know, I have a close connection to the show and think that it’s a show that all young people should see. Nicksmom, you made me smile when you questioned whether grandma should see Rent. Two of my Ds took their grandma to see the show when they were teenagers, more than once, and I took grandma again for her 75th birthday a few years ago. :)</p>
<p>Alwaysmom- I would let my son do Rent at this age. I don’t see a problem with it. His school will not do it. New Brain was a college show that allowed outside auditions. We had a friend do it. Great show. That was hypothetical. I am not talking about a show compromising his beliefs. I wouldn’t care if he played a Nazi or a murderer. I am talking about whether it is appropriate at this age to appear in 'R" rated situations. A high school would never do this.</p>
<p>“I’m talking about my high schooler appearing nude, simulated sex, over the top vulgar language.”</p>
<p>I think that’s the key thing here, is that a high school should remember that these are high school students performing when they are selecting the material. This is regardless of an individual’s religious beliefs. I’m not saying they should stick to doing Cinderella and the like but they should be reasonable about the content (I for one, will never go watch a high school production of Rent). </p>
<p>“Once a student is in college pursuing theatre as a career, they should be comfortable playing any role for which they audition. Acting is all about stretching oneself as a human being and as an artist. If a student is unwilling to do that, then, in my opinion, they should choose another career path, study something else, and maybe do safe community theatre for fun as an adult.”</p>
<p>Alwaysamom, wonderfully said!</p>
<p>A fascinating discussion. Thank you, jeffandann, for starting it!</p>
<p>I agree with the idea that what’s appropriate in high school may be different than what’s appropriate later, both because of what the actors have to portray and because of language and adult situations that might be awkward or inappropriate for the younger siblings (and grandmas!) in the audience. </p>
<p>We are Christians as well, and for us, the issue is always one of truth. We feel we never have to be afraid of truth. If a given show takes us down some unpleasant paths that show sides of human nature we wouldn’t want to acknowledge or live with, yet it tells the truth, then probably it’s a show we <em>should</em> do, factoring in our kids’ comfort level w/ a given role.</p>
<p>My S isn’t going into MT (he’s a musician), but he is an actor, and is in all our HS shows. We just did The Laramie Project – lots of language and adult situations, a hate crime no less. Among other roles, my son was cast as the main killer – he was devastating, and I felt bad that he had to go to the emotional places the role took him. But it was a great show and a great performance, and if he used some language I wouldn’t want him to say in real life, so what?</p>
<p>I think of what I read from Peter Coyote once. Someone asked him how he felt playing so many villains and he said that he considered it an honor to play villains, because he got to show the audience, “This is what evil looks like” so they’d recognize it again when they see it in real life.</p>
<p>I am not quite sure how to put this, and I certainly don’t mean to imply any judgement of any kind, but there are faith-based production paths through the theatre world, that is, a career in which you limit your theatre path within your faith. For example, there is a professional Christian theatre company in our city that limits their productions to those within their value system, they hold prayer meetings in conjunction with their staff meetings, etc. Abilene Christian, for example, has a fairly well-regarded theatre program in a school that includes daily chapel, etc. Many of the large Christian churches in our area hire theatre staff for large productions and classes. I am sure that similar programs exist for other faiths. This is obviously a different and most likely more limited path in terms of overall opportunities (depending on your point of view, of course) than a “conventional” actors journey, but I know people that have taken this route.</p>
<p>My kids MT coaches are a husband and wife team with extensive Broadway credits and are practicing Christians. They chose shows based upon their Christian values and worked on Broadway, national tours and regional theatre for the last 30 years. Granted theatre has gotten more edgy and “mature” in recent years but I think its nice that my kids have role models who always put their faith first. My S also belongs to a Christian dance company that chooses music and costumes that are appropriate (no bare midriffs or sleazy outfits on 7 yr olds). IMO whatever your values are, you should not have to compromise them in order to pursue your art. BTW, we never let our kids play sports or perform on Sundays before noon so that we could go to church together. Never was an issue for any coaches or directors (we live in the Bible Belt, of course.)</p>
<p>I can speak from personal experience as a SAG/AFTRA professional (and parent of a budding actress). </p>
<p>I am strong in my Christian faith and have always been able to separate my acting work from my religion. However, there was one time that I questioned auditioning for a commercial; it was for a political campaign. I looked up the candidate and found that certain aspects of his platform didn’t sit well with my religious beliefs. I politely declined the audition (my manager and the casting agent wanted to know what my reservations were, since this never happened before). I told them, they moaned and groaned a little, but I still get auditions!</p>
<p>Love the discussion…</p>
<p>Just to clarify, my kids go to a Catholic high school, and we all have a very big belief in Christian value and traditions.</p>
<p>That’s why I thought JeffandAnn’s question was a good one…I think it is a little disingenuous to say that “oh it’s just theatre and everyone knows those aren’t our values so I shouldn’t care what roles they choose.” </p>
<p>For instance, a high school should not consider Equus or Spring Awakening. Can you imagine if a middle school suggested doing the full rendition (not a school edition) of lots of musicals…even Grease…cute musical with catchy music…not appropriate for middle schoolers to be in or to watch.</p>
<p>So we can’t really pretend it doesn’t ever matter…</p>
<p>On the other hand, as soozievt and some others have said, we would miss a lot of good stories if that subject matter was never covered. Even our perocial high school leaves in some of the language (Grease is still a good example) to be true to the story.</p>
<p>That being said, I don’t judge the people who do remain true to their values and only do “clean” things…nothing wrong with the other side of the coin. There are authors who will only write “clean” inspiring stories. I love those, too. Or songwriters who purposely only write upbeat lyrics. How wonderful.</p>
<p>But, I do see how we can’t ALL do that or life would be a little un-real and one dimensional. And I feel you can present adult matter without compromising who you are as a person. But it is something to always think on carefully, as SYDSYM did.</p>
<p>Not just one good answer…</p>
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<p>nicksmom, I don’t see anyone saying that. I think the discussion is an important one but it’s one mainly for those who are pursuing theatre as a career, not high school or middle school students. High school kids are minors and the amount of input parents have in what their children do, in theatre productions or otherwise, makes a certain amount of sense, in context. My comments, which I imagine are those to which you are referring, are for college students and grads who are planning on pursuing theatre as a career. </p>
<p>There aren’t many plays that don’t include some characters who would be objectionable on some level to someone, although it seems as though the nudity/sex issue always prevails as the problem, not characters who are murderers, abusers, gamblers, generally unlikeable roles. If actors make the decision to limit their options in that way, their chances of making a living as an actor are virtually nil. As I said, this is an incredibly difficult business in which to earn a sustained and good living solely onstage. It just doesn’t happen for most people who are willing to pursue their desire for acting, that’s a reality, and to further limit yourself in this way makes it almost a certainty that it won’t happen. And that really is the bottom line for a career, right? Being able to pursue your career while having the ability to support yourself? </p>
<p>There shouldn’t be any reason that an actor whose faith is important to them, cannot keep the two separate, as sydsim has mentioned. I know many who have done this successfully.</p>
<p>This discussion confuses me a little since I don’t see a lot of high schools or youth theater doing sex or nudity. Do many colleges?</p>
<p>If we’re just talking about characters with questionable values I don’t know how or why you would want to avoid those. They’re the most interesting. I guess you could work for Disney.</p>
<p>Glad I started this thread, lot of interesting comments. I would of course not support my high school daughter doing sex or nudity at her age. As far as language, I’m starting to understand that’s part of the job, although I think there’s extremes there that can and should be avoided, at least at her age. And for the types of characters, this year she was the a juror in 12 Angry Jurors and went on this bigoted rant, which of course she’d never do if not on stage. Actually had me and a lot of her friends hating her for a few moments. Which I guess means she did her job well!</p>
<p>Oh, and my daughter would LOVE to work for Disney. It’s one of her goals in fact.</p>