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oraxx's avatar

I suspect this is once again a case of Christians attempting to mark their territory in the public schools. They can't demonstrate demons exist, but they can slap the word demonic on a classic play and get it cancelled. The horrors perpetrated by Christians in the name of Christianity go far beyond anything that could legitimately be attributed to a demon.

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Saralyn Fosnight's avatar

Most often those protesting “Christians” never bother to see the play or read the book, so they don’t actually know what’s in the book or play. Someone tells them there is demonic content and they are off to the races.

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John Smith's avatar

That person is usually the clergy who has political/social reasons to denounce or wanting to prevent something from happening. Christianity was never about love, acceptance, equality, etc., it is about power, control, and blind obedience (to the clergy or their leaders).

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oraxx's avatar

I remember an incident several years ago about Christian parents being up in arms and demanding a book titled 'Making it with Mademoiselle' be removed from the school library. 'Making it with Mademoiselle' turned out to be a book of sewing patterns put out by the fashion magazine Mademoiselle.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Several years ago, I enjoyed (if I can use that word) a production of The Crucible at the Hanna Theater, as a part of the Great Lakes Theater Festival. To put it at its mildest, The Crucible is powerful and disturbing and reflects the madness that possessed Salem, Massachusetts some 400 years ago. It may not be utterly historically accurate, but it gets the idea Arthur Miller had in mind and it does so effectively and without pretense.

Cut to 2025 and what seems to be a bunch of religious snowflakes in Fannin County, Georgia. Apparently, some people can't deal with theater which approaches or reflects what happened back in that time, to the point where they feel the need to STOP THE PLAY because it has spiritual cooties or something to that effect.

Sadly, what we have here are scared little kids in grownup suits who can't deal with real life, or what was real life in the American colonies of 400 years ago. Worse, because of their allergy to reality, they have to spoil it for everyone else.

PA-THE-TIC.

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Joe King's avatar

The religious snowflakes of Fannin County are possessed with the same madness that infected Salem. They don't want to be forced to look in the mirror to see that they are the real monsters.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

Yup. That's the big issue here. They are filled with shame that they don't want to deal with so they project it on others. Classic narcissism. During the first Trump administration, back when I was telling myself "Hillary won by 3 million votes, America still has hope," I used to joke about writing a humorous book like "Dialectical Behavior Therapy for White Nationalists: Radical acceptance and distress tolerance strategies for people who can't cope with reality." But then all the cults got together behind MAGA and reality lost. The Bible, Ayn Rand, sci fi novels that Elon Musk thinks are real, "nice billionaires As Seen On TV" like Batman and Ironman, "manifesting," the idea that "Kim Kardashian worked hard for her billions" [see lawsuits by subcontracted workers], etc. etc. Americans hate reality for some reason. Sorry to vent at you, but based on my interactions with you here, you no doubt agree that reality has so much cool stuff, if you're only willing to look. Just today someone in a gardening FB group I'm in posted a photo of an upside-down luna moth caterpillar--it's little legs were cooler than sci fi.

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Fromper's avatar

Your ending about finding cool stuff in nature reminds me of an article I read earlier: A wild hawk in New Jersey learned how to use a pedestrian crossing signal and city traffic to ambush its prey:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-young-coopers-hawk-learned-to-use-a-crosswalk-signal-to-launch-surprise-attacks-on-other-birds-180986685/

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Maltnothops's avatar

There’s an article in the Washington Post today about trying to identify the emotional state of dogs. One tidbit is that wagging the tail to right conveys different emotions than wagging the tail to the left. Rightwards is associated with positive emotions. Leftward is caution or concern or anxiety.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

Makes me wonder if this is another case of humans and dogs affecting each other's behavioral evolution. The two species have been closely associating with each other for tens of thousands of years and humans are predominately right-handed. My guess is that somebody will get around to asking this question at some point.

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Maltnothops's avatar

The story talked about right-brain and left-brain specialization. Also, that dogs seem to be pretty good at identifying the emotional states of humans.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Aria* wagged her tail fast when she expressed a positive emotion, slowly when it was a negative. Rhapsodie tucked hers between her legs for the latter.

* It's Aria, did you expected her to conform to what is standard for dogs ? 🤣

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Zorginipsoundsor's avatar

Cesar Millan has been saying that for over two decades.

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Dianne Marie Leonard's avatar

This was a good one!

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Matri's avatar

Would they even have a reflection?

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Joe King's avatar

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦? Demonic? I vaguely remember reading this play in english class around1980. My very fundamentlist parents would have objected to it back then if there was anything "demonic" about it.

I can believe that a parent objected to the added dancing scene. I can even believe that parent calling it "demonic and disgusting." However, it's probably a safe bet that the principal is a MAGA Trump worshipper who is very aware of the play's real themes and was looking for an excuse to shut it down. After all, right wing McCarthyism is pretty much the same demonization of the "left" that the MAGAts are pushing now.

[𝑇]ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑠, 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎...ℎ𝑎𝑑 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡.

They really hate being called out on their bigotry.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

Christians have become snowflakes in the last decade.

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Black Hole and DM mourner's avatar

Make that the last two millennia.

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Sko Hayes's avatar

As one person put it, they want to be martyrs, but they're trying to do it without dying, That's not how this works, people!

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Lynn Veit's avatar

They don't want to be even mildly inconvenienced.

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

👆👆🎯

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Crowscage's avatar

They always were.

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Stephen Brady's avatar

Christianity comes in about 45,000 different flavors and reichwing evangelical is among the worst. Imagine arranging your whole life around invisible and undetectable spirits and consequences you might suffer when you die? This whole mindset seems to me to be a disease and the afflicted are intent on making the whole world play along with their delusion. If you want the right to force your delusion on others, get your Jeebus down here and have him show and tell everyone it is real.

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Sarah Longstaff's avatar

It's Christianity mixed with American individualism, entrepreneurialism, and sales. The Protestant Work Ethic on steroids--or Red Bull. American Christianity is about tax-free real estate investment and covering up sex abuse and enabling fossil fuels exploration cuz "god gave us oil!"

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Psittacus Ebrius's avatar

You nailed it!.

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Walt Svirsky's avatar

Excellent, Stephen!

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Lee's avatar

It’s sad that an ignorant complainant perceived demons in a masterpiece of theater. The only demons here are the complainant and the cowardly people who bowed to their bigotry and small-mindedness. Whether the USA or Iran, religious bigotry and absolutism are dangerous for a whole society.

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Aaron Joy's avatar

I was Judge Hawthorne in my high school's production in the 90's, and was so into its history I read every book I could find published on the witch trials. I've also done 250 theater productions in two countries, won a few modest awards, on and off stage work, done shows with 5 people in the audience to 1100, performed in summerstock, private and public performances, done touring theater, volunteer and paid, wrote some shows and directed off-broadway, before calling it a day 5 years ago, did lots of improve classes, was a member of the director's union. I have a firm theater background and know the ropes. So, that's my credentials.

And, my credentials say this is dumb. Actually, without my cred, this is dumb!

Why? Cause the play - as any IDIOT can see - is a classic because

1. it talks about an important and fascinating point in history that we still enjoy discussing today (note the tourist season in Salem),

2. Its just a lot of fun to perform!

3. (More importantly) its a disturbing educational moment from history that Miller put on stage wonderfully. He found a balance between the lessons he wanted to give and history, without dumbing the history to knock us on the head with a morality hammer. Its a classic piece of playwrighting for that lost art of balance (which so many complain about today where the message eclipses the story). While it was not just drawing lessons from history, but pointing a finger at the Communist scare of his day .... and still has 100% value today in 2025 when we are dealing with different problems. Humans/society doesn't change as much as we think it does, just the names.

So all that being said.

Essentially ... the good Christians who want to teach people about morality and being good don't want folks to see a play that at its core teaches about morality and being good! That's the problem.

Are they afraid demon spirits will take over the school? LOL Wait till I show them how many kids are likely having "pre-marital" sex and their souls are thus condemned to hell.

Are they afraid folks will think horribly on Christians? LOL No, the play is bigger than just "Christian man bad. the end". If that was the whole lesson it wouldn't be such a classic. There's lots of avant garde theater from the 60's I've read and does that, and those plays live forever never read on bookshelves in university libraries. And, by cancelling it they are making themselves look far worse ....

Oh, wait ... yeah, they don't want to look bad from a show, so they cancel a show which makes them look bad, a show that teaches (inherently) good morality which is also what they want to do.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

“ Are they afraid folks will think horribly on Christians?‘

Possibly, but that’s because they don’t understand it’s way too late for that.

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larry parker's avatar

I was in the school play in 8th grade. Big school, big production. I played a butler. I was terrible. End of theater career. I might have given it another shot but I moved to a smaller school district, and they only did musicals. The only thing worse than my acting is my singing. 🎭

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Thus continues the proud conservative tradition of tragically missing- and then 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨- the point.

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dammit barry's avatar

And they hate that others are standing against their bullying tactics.

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Bensnewlogin's avatar

Hmmm. Not quite awake yet but….

It seems that certain parents were very upset about the play because it struck very close to home. “how dare you show us as we are? That’s our job to show us as we are. And we’re going to prove it by showing you exactly how we are.“

But because I want to be fair about this …

Unless it struck too close to home because some of those very same righteous parents thought that somebody might figure out that they are witches devil worshipers. I mean, in a world where carpenters can be resurrected, and people believe in witches and demons and broomsticks oh my, anything is possible.

One of these scenarios is better than the other.

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Joe King's avatar

Some of them may remember when the play was taught to them in school. And they may remember something about Salem witch trials = McCarthyism. And since the play was against McCarthyism, it must have been against anti-communism. Therefore, since in their minds communism is the same as socialism is the same as liberals/woke/DEI/insert right wing boogeyman here, having the play on a stage where people can SEE the anti-communism, it must not be allowed.

In short, yes, it strikes close to home.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

It's a confused knot of unreality, which reflects on something I said a while back:

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑙𝑦 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑛’𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑙𝑜𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒.

-- me

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Kay-El's avatar

Maybe the students should have performed Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” instead. Isn’t stoning biblically approved? 🙄

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larry parker's avatar

Well, they'll stone you when you're tryin' to be so good

They'll stone you just like they said they would

They'll stone you when you're tryin' to go home

Then they'll stone you when you're there all alone

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Kay-El's avatar

Apparently there is a good way to be stoned. :D

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Joan the Dork's avatar

There are 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 good ways to be stoned. All of them now available over-the-counter if you live in or near the right states!

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Maltnothops's avatar

“ Critics accuse Fannin County High School of caving to hysteria over witchcraft in a play about hysteria over witchcraft”

Damn, Hemant, you are GOOD!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Homophobic phony backwoodsman who advised guys to marry 15-year-olds has been permanently removed from the gene pool? Maybe there's a god after all.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Never watched him. Never wanted to watch him. Heard enough about him to know that I wasn't about to watch him.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Bunch of yuppies playing dress-up and creating characters. They personify fake news.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Well, whoop-whoop. I'll stick with Law & Order, thankuverymuch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP3MuUTmXNk

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Maltnothops's avatar

The unhappy news remains that his progeny still afflict humanity,

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Joan the Dork's avatar

Well... I suppose I should only say good things about the dead.

He's dead.

𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥.

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Troublesh00ter's avatar

Seconded. 😝

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larry parker's avatar

One down, 77,284,117 to go.

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MichaelL65's avatar

These are the same people that complain to the FCC when they get all butt-hurt over a TV show that offends them. As usual, officials kowtow to these religious freaks. Just once I would love to see school officials stand up to these bullies and tell them if they do not like it - do not watch it. I feel bad for all these students that put their heart and soul into this production, only to have some Christian zealot ruin it because they got all butt hurt. Jesus, this shit has to stop.

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Maltnothops's avatar

Andy Borowitz said Trump laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Podiatrist.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

Hee hee!

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NOGODZ20's avatar

SOME CALLED OTHERS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES "SUCKERS AND LOSERS"

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dammit barry's avatar

Rather than st and wait, I went meme hunting.

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Lynn Veit's avatar

I would have liked to see him say that to my dad's face back in the day. Dad was a pretty quiet-spoken man most of the time, but there were some things he would not tolerate. Cadet Bone Spurs would have learned very quickly that you don't fuck with an ex-Marine.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

My dad (who fought Nazis in the ETO during WW2) would’ve slapped the taste out of Trump’s mouth.

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Boreal's avatar

They should have put on a wholesome, family friendly play based upon Genesis 19:30-38

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NOGODZ20's avatar

That would require a Lot of effort.

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

An effort of biblical proportions.

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Joe King's avatar

Three actors and plenty of booze? Easy peasy. And there would be plenty of salt for the popcorn. A whole pillar of it.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

How about the two strangers, the mob and all the destruction? They're gonna need a bigger stage.

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Joe King's avatar

All that happened before the "drunk" baby making. It would be a great show, though. Just unsalted popcorn until the intermission.

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NOGODZ20's avatar

I mean, you have to have the set-up and all of Lot's actions before you get to the aftermath in the mountain cave.

(By the way, how would the actors besides Lot be billed? Daughter #1? Daughter #2? Lot's Wife? None of the women even have names)

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Maltnothops's avatar

Oflot. (Wife)

Oflotine (#1)

And….um….hmmm….

Oflotish?

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Boreal's avatar

You sir, are a pillar of our community. 🤣

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Ethereal fairy Natalie's avatar

🤢🤮

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John Smith's avatar

Maybe put the movie: Passion of Christ. That is a wholesome family movie (yes, I am being sarcastic).

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Maltnothops's avatar

I’d like to say “unbelievable” but I try to be honest.

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Whitney's avatar

I see the classic right-wing propensity toward screaming blue murder whenever something reminds them of their own history is still going strong.

Realistically, once someone found themselves accused of witchcraft at the time, there was no getting out of it no matter what. They would be found guilty and then murdered by their oh-so-Christian community, regardless of the actual facts of the matter. Having never seen/read the Crucible*, I can't say much about the work, but the subject matter is always going to make some Christians cry about how hard their lives are. The fact said Christians crying about it are getting what they want despite the hard work of these high school students is not encouraging.

*According to IMDB, there's a film version produced back in '96, anyone know if it's any good?

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larry parker's avatar

Roger Ebert gave it 2 out 4 stars. I don't know if that's a thumbs up or thumbs down.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-crucible-1996

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

Anything less than three stars from Ebert in his print review of the movie would get a "thumbs down" from him on his show with Siskel.

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Joan Diehl's avatar

Wouldn’t be the first time Ebert got it wrong!

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Daniel Rotter's avatar

It was with Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder. I saw it in the theater. I thought it was pretty good.

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