3 March 1999

Dear Friends in Charlotte,

I'm writing on behalf of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education, an international professional organization for theatre educators and scholars. Our 1600-member association has been actively involved in arts advocacy over the last several years, as more and more incidents of ideologically-based defundings and censorship have begun to occur.

I'm writing now to register our protest against the way in which Samantha Gellar's play, Life Versus the Paperback Romance, was treated by the Charlotte Young Playwright's Festival. The festival's sponsors-The Children's Theatre of Charlotte and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools-apparently believe that plays that address sexual orientation are not appropriate for the festival's middle and high school audiences. We very much regret their decision not to present Gellar's play in the school district.

We at ATHE believe that theatre can be a strong voice in teaching cultural pluralism, and in helping people who are different from each other understand and respect the richness of their various lives. If the play was good enough to receive one of the festival's awards, preventing its presentation sends a censorious message.

A play about two women who are mutually attracted to each other and fall in love might have offered opportunities for important discussions among teenagers who are very much concerned with their own sexuality.

The decision that such work is inappropriate means that Gellar's play won't reach the very people who need to see it: teenagers who need to know that sexuality can be expressed in a variety of ways. The presentation would be especially meaningful for other gay and lesbian teenagers in the school district. Gay and lesbian youth are often at high risk for depression and proportionally more inclined to commit suicide, almost solely because of their cultural invisibility and lack of social support.

The play offers a wonderful chance for dialogue and discussion that was foreclosed by the festival's decision not to mount the production.

We regret this lack of courage, and the decision to censor, rather than support, the clear talents and important message of a promising new playwright.

Sincerely,

Prof. Jill Dolan
President
Association for Theatre in Higher Education