2008 Woodie Awards
Show plays up shock value
Bonnie Birdsell
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: News
Parental discretion is advised for the theatre department's current production.
This week, "The Threepenny Opera" opened at the James G. Severns Theatre in Ophelia Parrish. Prior to the premiere performance Tuesday, posters appeared around campus with the warning 'Not Suitable for Children.'
The posters warned of nudity and violence, and the program for the show states that the play contains "scenes and language that some may find disturbing."
The history of "Threepenny" is complicated. It is billed as a play with music based on John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera," translated into German and then into English and most recently adapted by Bertolt Brecht. The music was written by Kurt Weill and the original German lyrics were translated into English by Jeremy Sams.
Stage manager Justin Been refers to it as "a hodge-podge."
The original "Beggar's Opera" is a satire of the culture at the time of its conception in 1728. Bertolt Brecht's adaptation brought the same satire to his culture in 1928, and the University's production of the show thrusts it into somewhere closer to the present day, though no year is specified. "Threepenny" is set in London near the time of the punk movement.
The main character, MacHeath (or Mack the Knife) is the ringleader of a group of thieves and general ne'er-do-wells who routinely cavort with prostitutes and the like.
Thus, the reason for the advisory.
"Ultimately, this is a pretty raunchy show," Been said.
Been said the warning was placed on the posters because of the partially-clad prostitutes, some strong language and a few graphic scenes.
"The [notice] is a way to warn people coming here what's in the show," Been said. "This show is definitely taking that further than we have in the past."
Been, who is in charge of making posters for all of the theatre department productions, said he has had to put the label on a few posters before, such as those for the department's production of "Cabaret."
This week, "The Threepenny Opera" opened at the James G. Severns Theatre in Ophelia Parrish. Prior to the premiere performance Tuesday, posters appeared around campus with the warning 'Not Suitable for Children.'
The posters warned of nudity and violence, and the program for the show states that the play contains "scenes and language that some may find disturbing."
The history of "Threepenny" is complicated. It is billed as a play with music based on John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera," translated into German and then into English and most recently adapted by Bertolt Brecht. The music was written by Kurt Weill and the original German lyrics were translated into English by Jeremy Sams.
Stage manager Justin Been refers to it as "a hodge-podge."
The original "Beggar's Opera" is a satire of the culture at the time of its conception in 1728. Bertolt Brecht's adaptation brought the same satire to his culture in 1928, and the University's production of the show thrusts it into somewhere closer to the present day, though no year is specified. "Threepenny" is set in London near the time of the punk movement.
The main character, MacHeath (or Mack the Knife) is the ringleader of a group of thieves and general ne'er-do-wells who routinely cavort with prostitutes and the like.
Thus, the reason for the advisory.
"Ultimately, this is a pretty raunchy show," Been said.
Been said the warning was placed on the posters because of the partially-clad prostitutes, some strong language and a few graphic scenes.
"The [notice] is a way to warn people coming here what's in the show," Been said. "This show is definitely taking that further than we have in the past."
Been, who is in charge of making posters for all of the theatre department productions, said he has had to put the label on a few posters before, such as those for the department's production of "Cabaret."
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