<p>UM</a> students, football players disrupt play - The Daily Mississippian</p>
<p>This article appeared today, describing disruptions made by an audience containing many football players at Ole Miss, at the theatre department performance of The Laramie Project. The audience shouted out derogatory slurs and heckled cast members for their body types and their characters' sexual orientation. </p>
<p>At my daughter's university, the department bravely staged Spring Awakening last year, and In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) and Avenue Q this year. Her high school had performed Laramie Project, then Laramie Project: 10 Years Later. While I have always believed that it is the charge of the artist to be open, and that schools should expose their students and their audience to a wider world, I am wondering if your children have had any difficult experiences when producing plays with difficult topics? I trust in most cases our performers are supported, but have there been any problems? There was some controversy in our high school when the theater rep performed Marat Sade and were required to do some things thought to be sacrilegious with the cross, but in the end parents tolerated it. </p>
<p>When looking at a college's season, does a department's selection influence you when you see shows of that sort?</p>
<p>We have had two area theaters put on The Laramie Project and last year my daughter was in Spring Awakening. The cast members of these shows talked before hand about the possibility of protesters or other issues that might come up. Fortunately they went off without a hitch. Also talk backs were done after the shows which really touched people. </p>
<p>I know for my D, when she was looking at schools she wanted one that wasn’t afraid to push the limit and was willing to explore different subjects.</p>
<p>Although the behaviour of those football players and other audience members doesn’t surprise me, it does sadden me. The first production of The Laramie Project opened almost 14 years ago, and what a shame that there are still hateful people in the country who react like that. These are the people who should be sitting quietly and paying attention! They might actually learn something. What a sad commentary on those individuals and on that school, if nothing further than a forced one person apology was the consequence.</p>
<p>I’ve seen dozens and dozens of performances of plays like Rent, Spring Awakening, TLP, Take Me Out, Avenue Q, Hair, etc. and have never seen anything remotely like that behaviour. I have to say, though, that I would never consider the production of those shows “brave” by a university. We have several friends who have been in various professional productions of Rent. Those who did the tours that included stops in southern cities were often the target of hateful comments, although never as bad as was seemingly the case at the Univ. of Mississippi. </p>
<p>The type of productions done at a school was definitely on the list of things my D was interested in when she applied and that was years ago. She wanted a school that did a variety of different types of plays and musicals, and not the standard dinner theatre fare. Student written and run productions were also of importance in her research. Good theatre should challenge and expand the horizons of audience members and performers.</p>
<p>It’s almost hard to believe things are still this backward. D’s high school did The Laramie project 5 years ago. Didn’t give a lot of thought to it-- it’s a good play, that’s all. I’m sorry to hear this kind of immaturity still exists. </p>
<p>D was very concerned about the kind of theater her school would do. She wanted the whole range, from Euripides to Sarah Ruhl-- wanted to be comfortable with the whole theatrical canon. I think it’s very important to see what kinds of shows a school does-- what they value. There are lots of different approaches too-- some lean much more toward contemporary theater and some focus on classical theater, etc…so you really need to look carefully.</p>
<p>[Y</a>! SPORTS](<a href=“Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze needs to hold players accountable for insensitive behavior”>Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze needs to hold players accountable for insensitive behavior)</p>
<p>An interesting article in the sports section of yahoo on the subject. The many disgusting comments afterwards give a view into how many hateful, awful individuals still exist. Appalling.</p>
<p>I live in a state in the north where the governor compared gay marriage to incest just a couple of days ago. Yes…simply wanting the right to make healthcare and end of life decisions for someone you’ve loved and built a life with for forty or fifty years is exactly like incest…I can’t wait 'til the next election.</p>
<p>As for this thing at Ole Miss, it is an absolutely horrible thing. I am of the opinion that the fact that these guys play a sport has nothing to do with the attitudes and sad outlook they have. That comes from how they were raised. I know plenty of football players, coaches and former players who do not think that way and would never carry themselves that way. The fact that this bunch thought they could act like trash and get away with it does have much to do with the privileges they are accustomed to receiving as athletes (let’s not forget that plenty of actors think they have a free pass for abhorrent behavior too). Also, considering the accepted statistics, it’s a good bet that one or two of them may have been heckling on the outside, but dying from shame, guilt and confusion on the inside.</p>
<p>This incident is appalling. It just goes to show how important plays like The Laramie Project are. </p>
<p>As far as the topic of the original post, I know my daughter wanted both in college and since, to be involved in theater that provokes thought. I recall some of her college app essays talking about this, in fact. While traditional musical theater or theater that entertains is also well liked, she prefers works that are either new works or pieces that stimulate thought in the audience and make a difference. </p>
<p>When looking for colleges, students should examine the production history to see what types of plays and musicals are produced.</p>