Steve Martin’s play Picasso at the Lapin Agile, was recently banned from production in a La Grande, OR high school, because parents objected to it’s adult content.’ The play is about an imagined meeting between Picasso and Einstein in Paris.’ ALA’s’ Office for Intellectual Freedom reports that over 420 books were challenged in 2007 (this is the most recent data available).’ ‘ If only every book could have a celebrity in’ it’s corner, writing’ a letter to the editor in the community newspaper, as Steve Martin did.
Martin writes in his letter:’ ‘ “So while the question of whether students should perform the play at their high school remains something to be determined by the community, I firmly believe that seeing the play will bring no harm to them and might well uplift them —’ and acting in the play, if they are permitted by their parents, would also bring them no harm, and may help them to understand the potency, power and beauty of the arts and sciences.”
Martin’ is indeed funding the independent’ production’ of the play in La Grande, as promised in the’ letter,’ under the direction of the high school teacher who originally planned to produce it.
Holly Anderton,
Chair, Intellectual Freedom Committee
