Wingblad writes, "Supporters, though, say the story portrays the tragedies of bullying and nonacceptance — and invites thought on how to better deal with their consequences."
And objectors? Well, here's an interesting point from Julie Devine, “I thought, ‘how arrogant, how insensitive and how reckless to put on a show that ends with a mass murder in a high school gym.’”
So take it to the principal, right? “It pushes the notion of anti-bullying through a fantastical lens, It’s a look at difficult topics and engages people into thinking about it.”
What do you think? Is A CARRIE Musical great for high school?
Fine by me. I read all of King's books in high school, and it didn't turn me into a blood-crazed lunatic. I see no reason to think that it'd do that to anyone else, either.
ReplyDeleteSome grown-ups need to just grow the hell up.
We would make the odd couple.
DeleteMaybe it's just the free floating paranoiac in me, but I somehow think it might be a mistake to perform such a show in a high school.
ReplyDeleteKing once wrote that stuff like violent video games of the kind of stories he writes may not be the cause of violence in schools, but that they can act as accelerants to violent acts.
I don't know, high school was a long time ago, and to be fair, I had so much fun back then I wonder if I've peaked in my life. That said, I can't say whether or not others are so lucky. Not every high school can be breeze, and some of them may be so down at the heels that it would be a mistake to try and show such a play at such places.
ChrisC
I went to High School (1980's) before mass shootings at high schools became a sort of cultural norm, I think that might color my perspective on this.
ReplyDeleteI was very active in high school theater and doing a musical about Carrie would have been a dream production for the kids. I think they're going to have a great time, I think the audience will be huge, and I think it will spark a lot of dialog about issues like bullying, religion, and even the role of the theater.
The musical is a good adaption of an excellent novel that isn't simply portraying violence to get a kick. There is a message here (and I think a very complex message), and lots of food for thought.
I'm not that far removed from high school and I think that the problem of bullying and school violence runs so deep that it's unlikely that the message behind Carrie will have an impact one way or another. There might be a number of students who identify with it, but odds are they aren't going to act on it. It's also unlikely anyone will genuinely take offense. Carrie has been around for so long (in one form or another) that people already know what they're getting.
ReplyDeleteI think the medium matters. Carrie communicates best as a written work.
ReplyDelete