Steve Martin: comedian, actor, playwright, novelist, and…first amendment activist? The multi-hyphenate may have to add this title to his job description now that he’s helping Oregon-based La Grande High School perform Picasso at the Lapin Agile after its school board canceled the production due to parents’ concerns over the play’s content. Martin, who wrote Picasso back in 1993, sent a letter to the La Grande Observer‘s editor, which was published in its paper Friday, describing his intent with the play and offering a proposal to the school’s director and his cast. “I will finance a non-profit, off-the-high-school campus production (low-budget, I hope!)…so that individuals outside the jurisdiction of the school board but within the guarantees of freedom of expression provided by the Constitution of the United States, can determine whether they will or will not see the play, even if they are under 18.”
According to the Observer‘s article on the decision, the school board’s superintendent canceled the show after a parent filed a complaint accompanied by a petition signed by 137 community members. The parents objected to the play’s bar locale and its sexual references. The play depicts an imaginary meeting between Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein at the Lapin Agile bar in Montmartre, Paris. The comedy has been performed professionally all over the U.S. and in quite a few high schools and colleges, too. Said Martin in his letter, “I have heard that some in your community have characterized the play as ‘people drinking in bars, and treating women as sex objects.’ With apologies to William Shakespeare, this is like calling Hamlet a play about a castle.”
La Grande’s version of Picasso at the Lapin Agile will now be performed at the McKinsey Theater at Eastern Oregon University, May 16-18. Martin will not be able to attend. “His presence will be palpable even if he can’t come,” La Grande English teacher Kevin Cahill, the director of the play, tells EW. “We will leave a seat open to him in the middle of the front row.”
Steve Martin is a class act. That’s awesome. It would only be better if he would go see the play…. can you imagine the kids’ excitement???
When will school’s realize that by canceling and/or banning something only makes people/students even more curious as to why such actions were taken
My best friend directed me in this play last year when we were both Seniors in High School. I can’t see how anyone, parent or otherwise, could object to a PG-13ish play (at its most risque; it’s mostly PG) being performed in a school where everyone is between the ages of 14 AND 18.
Martin’s “Hamlet” line in the article is fantastic. Let’s hope it all works out in the end!
Gotta love Steve Martin… Just wish he’d stop making Pink Panther movies.
What a sad and silly thing to happen.. At first I thought this was maybe in Mississippi or Alabama or possibly South Carolina. But no – this is in Oregon, what a shame. Trust your kids, they can discern and make theirr own judgements. I encourage everyone to visit the homepage of the La Grande Observer, and let them know you do not agree by selecting “no” on their poll about this on their homepage. Found here: http://www.lagrandeobserver.com/
I guess the line has to be drawn somewhere, and this is one of those cases that was right on the line (The board voted 4 to 3). Having said that, I respect the parents that did not want their children to be in the play. I’m not a fan of hearing anyone curse, especially kids, and to have a school system ask kids to do it seems wrong. I liked the idea of cleaning up the plan and performing though. I have not read it, but it sounds like it has some good messages.
Steve, I salute you!
Whoever started that petition is a douchebag of the highest order.
TONY MULLENBURG: Here’s a wacky idea…before you post a comment about something, try reading it first. Given that you admit you’ve never read the play in question your comment is rather disingenuous. I’m willing to bet your name would be right at home with most of the adults who signed the silly petition that led to this play being banned in the first place.
It’s a beautiful, hysterical, and surprisingly yet deliciously weird play. How could anyone hate it?
What a prince.
Picasso is a blueprint acceptable play for a high school. In fact, most of the innuendo is so brainy that the school board members who voted the play down probably wouldn’t even perceive it. The bar is meant to be a modest location for a sublime event. The women in the play are smarter than the men. Every concern of theirs is truly baseless and idiotic.
I wonder how many of those kids were allowed to see Watchmen this week? I’m guessing any and all that wanted to.
Perhaps the school should have performed an innocuous classic like Romeo & Juliet. There’s nothing questionable about that play. Except for the 2 randy young teens running away and getting married. And getting it on. And murder. And drugs. And a double-suicide. Hmm, maybe this Picasso wasn’t such a bad idea…
And I wonder if they would have had the same reaction to a performance of Grease.