Update: South Williamsport High School Annonces New Performance Guidelines After Cancelling SPAMALOT

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this month. South Williamsport, a high school in Lycoming County, PA, had been forced to cancel their spring production of Monty Python's Spamalot due to "controversial content," which includes a homosexual marriage. According to WNEP, the school administrators thought that the musical's subject matter was too inappropriate for students.

The drama continues in Lycoming County, as Howard Sherman reports that a recent School Board meeting was held to establish new guidelines for performances. Superintendent, Dr. Mark Stamm read: "Public performances serve as a capstone project for students to showcase their dedication, determination, and talents for their peers and for their families. Performances must be age appropriate for participating students and audiences. Material that is generally considered offensive, suggestive, or demeaning based on race, religion, age, gender, or sexual orientation is not appropriate for school performances."

Sherman, who has been covering the conflict since the beginning, writes: "As it is now, the policy seems more a declaration for the public, and a very general yardstick that teachers might be struck with should they violate its amorphous tenets. Since the school already has a practice of the principal approving the drama productions, it seems that process would presumably address content concerns, based upon reading the text and exploring productions and educational materials from other schools as aids, but in an open dialogue that would negate the need for future Right To Know inquiries. That said, I don't favor shows going to any manner of public vote, and school boards shouldn't decide play selection any more than they tell a coach what athletic plays to run."

Click here to read more from Howard Sherman's blog.