Artistic Freedom and Censorship in Theatre

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Artistic Freedom and Censorship in Theatre
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Freedom of Speech and the Arts

• Congress shall make no law respecting an
  establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
  free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom
  of speech, or of the press or the right of the
  people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
  Government for a redress of grievances.

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Exceptions to Freedom of Speech

• Defamation can not state publicly or publish
  alleged facts that are false and can harm the
  reputation of another.
• Sedition and Incitement to Crime if ones words
  incite another to commit a crime, you may be in
  violation of the First Amendment.
• Separation of Church and State.
• Government cant endorse any religion
• Freedom of speech can be suppressed if it causes
  physical or economic injury, but not for
  spiritual injury
• Obscenity is not protected.

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Exceptions to Freedom of Speech

• Breach of the Peace
• Some people hearing Orson Wells War of the
  Worlds radio drama thought the alien invasion of
  earth was real, and panicked.

Bettmann/Corbis
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You Cant Say That!

• Censorship the altering, restricting, or
  suppressing of information, images, or words.
• Licensing Act of 1737 placed the review and
  censoring of plays in England under the purview
  of the Lord Chamberlain.

Donald Cooper/Photostage Ltd.
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You Cant Say That!

• To Bowdlerize to remove possible vulgar,
  obscene, or otherwise objectionable material
  before publication.
• Comstock Act of 1873 used to censor mail in the
  United States.
• Hays Code used to censor movies from the 1930s
  to the 1960s.

Photofest
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Curtain Call

• If theatre is free conversation, free
  dialogue, among free people about the mysteries
  of the world, then it is precisely what will show
  humankind the way toward tolerance, mutual
  respect, and respect for the miracle of Being.
• Vaclav Havel, playwright and former
  President of Czechoslovakia

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