I am set to begin directing a shortened version of Hamlet in two weeks at a middle school here in Colorado Springs. I edited the script myself down to a managable 1-hour long production removing anything that might be too strong of content for 11-13 year olds. Now the school says that Shakespeare works in general are not appropriate in schools! Really? This is a charter school that has the term "Classical education" in their mission statement. I'm appalled. GAH! Banning classical literature makes me a tad angry. Apparently we're all psycho killers because we've read Chaucer, Euripedes, Shakespeare, etc. Maybe I'll get to do Our Town or some other over-done standard. Or maybe the older students will have to do Charlotte's Web like I did with the younger ones. Edited Shakespeare might ruin them.

PS- Charter schools in general make my stomach heave. Maybe I'll rant about that sometime.