Citing Racist Language, Wilmette Officials Cancel 'Ragtime'

Officials of a north suburban park district say strong racial language in the musical "Ragtime" prompted their decision Wednesday to cancel the show two weeks before it was set to open.

[janet]

This is where our PC society gets us,...a world where artistic expression of historical facts will become obsolete and we will be destined to make the same mistakes as our grandparents. Also, the fact that NO ONE knew of the content or language used in this performance when the rights were being purchased tells us that Wilmette officials have no appreciation for or knowledge of classic pieces of performing art.

[Nancy]

Why don't people just grow up. Its a freakin' show!!!!!!

[Just My Opinion]

It should not have been cancelled. It is a long classic play. Not a racist piece of work. It depicts history as it happened, not the "politically correct" society that we now live in. It is ridiculus that they cancelled this show.

[spotlessmind]

This is beyond ridiculous. Worrying that some people may take some of the words "out of context" is, at best, cowardly. At worst, it is censorship.

I'm now ashamed to acknowledge that I spent a good part of my childhood in Wilmette.

[EasyE]

Somebody started this PC snowball rolling, now look where we are. Not to mention I have no respect for people who get offended by words.

[Michael McGuire]

For those of you who are as outraged as I am in regards to this decision, I urge you to contact Tom Grisamore, the Park District Executive Director and the man who lead the decision to cancel the show - [e-mail]

[Larry]

As Ragtime is a depiction of the times it is set in, maybe someone should write a play about this situation in Wilmette. It would be about the PC times we live in wherein we censor art for the sake of offending someone, thereby rewriting history. They could call it Gagtime. Any good writers out there?

[Bahama mama]

I don't know why they would cancel the show. If this is the case, then alot of shows and old shows should be cancelled. How do you get the whole concept or the point of a play if you can't say the original words.

Like Perry Tyler said, people can't act like the N word was not used back then or now. They were not trying to ban shows back then.

[tired of it all]

WE R CHOKING ON OUR PC enough is enough

[Ben Bessman]

So let me get this right, Mr. Grisamore and his board had never seen "Ragtime" or at least not "all the way through" to know what type of play this was before they purchased the rights? "Ragtime" has been around for a long time, and somebody in Wilmette should have known about this unflinching look at rasism in our country's past. The rasism shown in "Ragtime" is in no way over the top or gratuitous. It is quick and to the point in order to make the audience understand what the characters had to go through.

I have seen Mr. Bolden as Coalhouse in a pervious performance, and was delighted to know that I could once again catch another production with him as the lead. I think anyone who has seen him perform would agree that his talent and heart bring this difficult and complex character to life like few others can. It is a shame to have wasted his time (and money- driving back and forth from Rockford to Wilmette four days a week at these prices!) and the time of his fellow actors with a simple hatchet job. It is a disgraceful way to treat those that only sought to enlighten the township of Wilmette.

Mr. Grisamore, maybe you aren't ready to face the honest truth that American culture has not always been kind to those of other races. And we certainly need more understanding and compassion today, even on the eve of possibly electing an African-American president. But most of us are ready to deal with the ugly issues of our past. A simple disclaimer before the show and/or an open discussion afterwards could have cleared up the vast majority of confusion about what was about to be said.

[stop the insanity]

Nice going Wilmette! Way to over react! This isn't some gutter written show that was created to shock and exploit a racist point of view; it is a critically acclaimed stage production representing a very real time period of American life. You say you like to have productions like "Hello Dolly," "Showboat" and "State Fair." Well aren't those all nice and lilly white shows.

[Donna]

Well doesn't this send a nice message about the folks in Wilmette, or more accurately what the Wilmette Park district thinks about their residents. I find it interesting that Mr. Grisamore cites Showboat as an example of a nice uplifting show & someone else refers to it as a lilywhite show. The depiction of the treatment of African Americans in that play is nothing to be proud of, yet he considers it a nice safe classic American musical. Additionally, one of the themes in Showboat, I actually find offensive, that you're supposed to stick with your abusive, philandering, gambling sorry excuse of a husband because you're supposed to stick by your man because to leave him wouldn't "look right". That's a great lesson to give our kids, but dare to acknowledge the actions of the WASPs ancestors & their treatment of African Americans & immigrants & all of a sudden a play is incendiary & offensive.

I also find it amazing that no one on the park district board was familiar with this play. It only ran for many months in Chicago last year, first in a production at the Theatre Building which was then transferred to the Apollo theatre! Maybe the park district board should actually venture outside of the lilywhite borders of Wilmette to experience some culture a little more & not just to head north to Ravinia!

[Mark]

Donna wrote:

Well doesn't this send a nice message about the folks in Wilmette, or more accurately what the Wilmette Park district thinks about their residents. I find it interesting that Mr. Grisamore cites Showboat as an example of a nice uplifting show & someone else refers to it as a lilywhite show. The depiction of the treatment of African Americans in that play is nothing to be proud of, yet he considers it a nice safe classic American musical. Additionally, one of the themes in Showboat, I actually find offensive, that you're supposed to stick with your abusive, philandering, gambling sorry excuse of a husband because you're supposed to stick by your man because to leave him wouldn't "look right". That's a great lesson to give our kids, but dare to acknowledge the actions of the WASPs ancestors & their treatment of African Americans & immigrants & all of a sudden a play is incendiary & offensive.
I also find it amazing that no one on the park district board was familiar with this play. It only ran for many months in Chicago last year, first in a production at the Theatre Building which was then transferred to the Apollo theatre! Maybe the park district board should actually venture outside of the lilywhite borders of Wilmette to experience some culture a little more & not just to head north to Ravinia!

Yes, let's have them come on down to lilywhite Clarendon Hills.

[Just My Opinion]

maybe they cancelled it because the truth hurts? they just couldn't handle the way other races were treated (and still are at times and in certain places) back in the day. too much PC in society now. it's called history, don't like it? tough. you must learn about history so as not to repeat it.

[mamashu]

As a Wilmette resident, I resent the Park District censoring artistic material on my behalf. Shame on them!

[Anne]

My name is Anne, and I am(was) a cast member of this production. We are all devestated over what has happened, and yet we are outraged. It is NOT ok that this has happened and I am so encouraged that there has been such a supportive reaction. Ragtime was a passion project for all that were involved and I am deeply saddened that the community may not be able to see this truly inspirational work of art. I do say "may not" for a reason. As a cast we have decided to push forward with our efforts of not only having our voices heard, but we are desperate to be able to perform at least one show, somewhere. We are in the process of trying to find another venue, and hopefully some financial support,(as ours was obviously abrouptly cut off.) We are asking for any help we can get.
For those of you who may not know the music...at the conclusion of the show is a song titled, "Make Them Hear You" and we intend to. If anyone can help, please email me at [e-mail]

[Mike]

Well - I never heard of a theatre company selecting a show without reading the script and listening to the music first - That alone shows us all what a ding dong Tom Grisamore, the Park District Executive Director is. So the fact that he doesn't know how to run a theatre - does it surprise anyone he would make this bad decision? Everyone should boycott the bowl, and the park district - and speak poorly of that bozo in charge Tom Grisamore,(who should be fired over this)- it won't help I guess - but it can't hurt for Tom to be reminded what a idiot he was about this situation.

[bill]

Mike wrote:

... That alone shows us all what a ding dong Tom Grisamore, the Park District Executive Director is.

Add this to the list of morons at WPD...from Playbill.com :

"Playbill.com learned that a June 17 letter to the show's licensing agent, Music Theatre International, asked for changes in the script, and even included suggestions from Robert Bierie, performing arts supervisor of Wilmette Park District. MTI president Drew Cohen, who denied the right to change a word of the show, told Playbill.com that the Bierie-signed request suggested the no-less-offensive (out of context) words "darkie," "coon" and "boy" in lieu of the n word."

[Anne]

About that article in Playbill...
Bob Bierie was the visionary for this entire production and worked hand in hand with us (the cast). It was his dream to see this musical come to life at such a momentous time in history (presidential elections, Wilmette's 100 anniversary, etc). He was given a choice by the Park Board to change the words and lyrics or Cancel the show! This letter written to MTI was a last ditch effort on his part to keep the show in production. He was extremely against having to change a single word, but he was trying. WITHOUT BOB BIERIE, we WOULD NOT have had a show at all!

[Chrystal Perry]

I,m very proud of my brother for taking a stand for what he believes in.