Can students at an Oakland County high school handle one of Stephen King's horror classics?
The answer depends on who's asked, as Tom Greenwood explains in The Detroit News:
North Farmington High School’s plans to stage the horror classic “Carrie, The Musical” in May has some parents seeing red.
But the district says despite the complaints, the show will go on — with “appropriate editing.” . . .
Opponents of the musical say it’s vulgar, violent, unfairly anti-religious and sends the wrong message about settling disputes. Fans say it takes a searing and empathetic look at bullying, loneliness and teenage immaturity.
The stage show is adapted from a best-selling 1974 novel by King, who depicts the telekinetic revenge of an isolated wallflower with killing power. Spoiler alert: Carrie eliminates her senior class at their prom.
Greenwood speaks with parent Julie Devine, a school district volunteer, who calls the play “vulgar and unspeakably violent.
She said the play’s message suggests “that people who are the target of bullying have no power and no choices other than despair and violence. ... It is the wrong message for any audience, most of all a school community.”
“We know kids who are targets of bullying need affirmative tools, hope and a sense of empowerment,” she said. “. . . This selection of ‘Carrie’ is clearly a mistake and in conflict with our community values.”
The News also quotes the principal and school superintendent.
