A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Safe for a Fourth-Grader?
I’ve written here recently about what great fun is the DTC’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My son, a fifth-grader, also shared his opinion of the show. So a FrontBurnervian sent me the following question:
I know you liked Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, so I need your considered advice. My wife has a friend who wants to take her fourth-grader to the play, but has heard that there are parts that aren’t appropriate for younger kids. She called the theater to ask what, and they told her it was sexual content, and advised her not to bring her child. But they won’t be specific. She’s in a quandary. She would love to take her kid, but she’s a little bit unnerved by the fact that the theater itself advises her not to bring her kid — but won’t tell her specifically what content has the potential to offend. Can you help? Is there [redacted] going on, or what?
The only thing I can think of that might be objectionable: near the end of the play, when Bottom kills himself repeatedly (and hysterically), one of the methods he employs is cutting off his penis. The act is pantomimed. As I say, it’s funny. Most fourth-graders would crack up and not have a problem with it at all. I find it very odd that the box office folks would advise someone not to bring a fourth-grader. I mean, it’s fourth-grade humor. (I mean that in the best possible sense.)
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Oh Lordy. You are exactly right: a fourth grader would find that HIGH-larious!
The box office probably said “don’t bring your kid” because they are afraid of the right-wing, high-mainenance, easily offended, Cathie Adams-types that would freak out and march up and down the street in protest.
“I didn’t see it, but a friend who has a friend told me about it, and it will RUIN OUR CHILDREN, so I don’t think ANYONE should be allowed to see it because it offends ME!”
I disagree. It’s not quite narrow-mindedness or provincialism if someone gets offended. My guess is, plenty of females in the audience would be offended if a female character killed herself by stabbing herself in the vagina — pantomimed or not. What’s one man’s (or woman’s) belly laugh might be another’s offense, and reasonably so. So let’s not pretend we’re all so evolved and above it all.
Way to be disingenuous, Tim. As if studies haven’t repeatedly asserted that somewhere between 60% and 75% of children and adolescents who cut off their penises have seen the act pantomimed in Shakepeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, whereas only 30%-40% of children and adolescents who do not cut off there penises have seen the play.
Personally, I saw the play as a youth and didn’t cut off my penis. But not all kids at that age can distinguish fantasy from reality. I think this is the parents’ call, not Tim Rogers’.
I said there instead of their, but still aver that I passed the 4th graid.
Tim said “penis”! And ADO said “vagina”!
I saw it Saturday. I think the first thing to consider is whether she (or he) will be patient during the 1st act. Will the child understand Shakespeare’s words? The party and hilarity doesn’t start until the 2nd act, although she can color on the stage during intermission.
It is long, not really 4th grader material
Adults were wiggly during first act
some things are worth waiting for
I’d put this on the to do list for later
maybe 12yr old and up
I am curious why anyone would want to bring a
nine year old?
Pam is correct – the theater was saying politely that they don’t want a bunch of squirmy and whispery children at an adult performance.
As far as the death by dismemberment scene, I feel re-attached whenever I see it.
A sheesh ADO!
So basically every play, movie, song, book and probably written conversation made must now be thoroughly vetted to make sure that no one, ever, anywhere, anyhow could possibly be even slightly, peripherally offended by anything included.
Oh wait – actually, we have to include the possibility that people might get offended by something that ISN’T included, right? I mean, I MIGHT get offended if the movie “Airplane” was actually about a tugboat, and one of the pilots was actually an ex-football star instead of an ex-basketball star, and the other pilot didn’t have a drinking problem, but only had one leg, and….
Everyone just needs to stop getting all pissy and realize sometimes things are gonna rub them the wrong way.
Heck, my fourth grader is playing Bottom in an abridged version of the show next week at his school, so we’re definitely taking him. The only concern I have is whether he will be turned off by the Shakespearean English.
@ Rudy, he may be squirmy in the first half. If you’re sitting on the floor close to the stage there is a chance one of the fairies may pull him on stage, as that happened Saturday to a young boy in the audience. He loved it. The 2nd half is definitely more fun. The actor playing Bottom has a son, I think. If they’re still inviting people on stage afterwards to dance, get your son to meet him and ask for advice on playing Bottom. I think he’ll get a kick out of it.
Thanks, Anne!
@rw: Your post is so far afield of what I wrote that someone might reasonably think you’re responding to a post that was deleted. Go back and read what I wrote, breath slowly, and then try again. Bobbitt jokes aside, some people might reasonably be offended by genital mutilation.
@ADO: “plenty of females in the audience would be offended if a female character killed herself by stabbing herself in the vagina — pantomimed or not.”
So I’m confused as to how I misunderstood what you wrote. People may be offended at something that is not in this play? As far as I can tell, female genital mutilation isn’t presented – pantomimed or not.
I 100% agree with you that many, if not all, females WOULD be offended at such. But apparently it’s not in this presentation.
My point is that I’m tired of righteous people getting all riled up and trying to decide what I can or cannot see or read. I thought that fear of angered Baptist soccer moms storming the ticket booth for refunds MIGHT have been why the DTC person thought someone may not want to bring their child.
Maybe a stretch, but it’s happened before.
@rw:
I was challenging Mr. Rogers’ flippant dismissal of the possibility that someone might get offended by what was portrayed (”The only thing I can think of that might be objectionable: near the end of the play, when Bottom kills himself repeatedly (and hysterically), one of the methods he employs is cutting off his penis.”) by putting it in a comparative context. (And you noted that the comparative context was indeed offensive.)
No one is telling you what you can or cannot read. The point I was making was that it was not unreasonable for the theater to advise the FrontBurnian quoted by Mr. Rogers that the play contained sexual content that might be offensive.
I would also observe that Mr. Rogers redacted a part of the FrontBurnian’s quote, presumably because he deemed it offensive. Isn’t that ironic? You should be more upset with Mr. Rogers than with the theater. They merely warned. Mr. Rogers censored — effectively determining for you what you could not read.