Parents Wary of Dark Side of 'Bat Boy'
The spring musical at La Canada High School doesn't open until June 1, but it's already getting bad reviews -- from some parents.
Last week, detractors and supporters of "Bat Boy: The Musical," now in rehearsal, packed a meeting of the La Canada Unified School District board. Worried parents asked officials to cancel the production of the satiric comedy about a creature who is half-human, half-bat. A representative of the conservative group Focus on the Family flew in from Colorado to speak to the board, which met on the campus.
But defenders of drama teacher Gale Caswell, who outnumbered critics more than three to one, cried censorship.
"Bat Boy," an off-Broadway hit whose title character was inspired by the pointy-eared creature of supermarket tabloid fame, is a story about the alienation and bigotry that the half-human mutant endures as he tries to assimilate. The original production touched on several dark themes, including incest, rape, bestiality and murder.
The play was not on the board's agenda, and no official action was taken last week. But individual members supported the production, with the caveat that it be made more appropriate for high school students.
Principal Michael Leininger said he told the 200 people at the board meeting that the play had already been toned down.
He said he had met with Caswell about the musical before parental e-mails began to fly.
"We sat down and went through the play," evaluating what was and wasn't appropriate for a school production and how specific scenes would be staged, he said.
"Obviously, you are not going to have a rape scene in the middle of a high school play."
A couple who asked that their daughter's name not be used said she read the script because she had considered trying out for the show.
"She told me, 'There is no way I would be in this play,' " the mother said, adding that she believed the play's themes ran counter to her daughter's values and the family's Christian faith.
In a letter addressed to the school board, the couple said that the material made their daughter "uncomfortable and fearful" and that reading the script was tantamount to sexual harassment.
Concerned parents posted their concerns on a website, www.nobatboy.com. The site is no longer in operation.
"The musical is filled with violent and graphic elements that we don't think are appropriate for kids under 18," the play's detractors wrote.
