One of My Pet Peevs

I read an article by a theatre critic where he was talking about various high school drama departments that would ask him to come see productions they were doing. One such school he attened was a high school doing a production of Aspects of Love. First of all, a high school doing that show? What are they thinking? Second of all, there is material in that show that is inappropriate for that age of performance. I mean really, as if there isn't enough smutt on the stage, do you have to go and expect a public high school to be a place for it too? Anyway, he talks about the show and so on, but the main idea of the article that struck me was the drama teacher when asked why did he choose that show, he responded by saying there are adult issues in that musical, but they are relevant to what is happening in society today, so the kids should be exposed to it and be able to react to it. WHAT?!?!?!? No! No! No! Theatre in school is all about working as a group to create a unified product; about exploring your creative side and having some fun- not tackling so called "issues". My biggest complaint about drama teachers is they always think they need to push the envelope- by the way, I'm sick of that saying- "so and so did a production or a movie or a tv show that really pushed the envelope"- translation: they tried to get on some kind of soap box and announce the immoral beliefs they live by while calling it art! High school and community theatre is about creative entertainment, NOT about leading young people or the society around you out of their innocence. Here is the article if you want to read it. There is other stuff in the writing, but that was the part that really got me steamed.