An Open Letter to Middleton High School

Dear Middleton High School,

It’s come to my attention that you’ve been hosting “Jesus Lunches” at your high school every Tuesday, where students are given free food in exchange for listening to sermons about the Christian faith.

You need to stop.

No, seriously, you need to stop this. The fact that you’re promoting any religion in a public high school is horrifying, not to mention in clear violation of the separation between Church and State. Let me just make that perfectly clear. You should not be actively promoting or speaking against any religion in a public school. That is not an okay thing for you to be doing. For one thing, this is a school. We’re here to learn and prepare ourselves for college, not gain new religious affiliations.

This isn’t to say that religion is a bad thing. In fact, I’ll be the first person to admit that a lot of people find comfort in organized religion, and that is perfectly okay. What’s not okay is that you’re luring kids in with what seems like free food and then proselytizing to them about Christianity. And let’s talk about the food. The fact that you’re offering such a clear exchange (listen to this sermon, get food) is more than a little horrifying considering that at Waunakee High School, our GSA wasn’t allowed to give out Jolly Ranchers during Pride Week due to parent complaints that we would “turn their children to the gay lifestyle”.

But that’s okay when it’s Christianity? There is something seriously wrong here.

And certainly, there are people who are going to raise the question of whether or not I would support having lunches for other religions, such as Islam or Judaism. To which I would say no, because they would still be taking place in a public school and that is still not an okay thing to do in a public school.

“But Hannah,” you say, “Aren’t you overreacting just a little bit? What’s the harm?” The harm is that by having lunches specifically for Christianity and in fact rewarding the attendance of these lunches, you’re essentially putting it on a pedestal. You’re announcing, whether you mean to or not, that Christianity is a desired trait from your student body. And by only holding lunches for Christianity, you’re telling your students that participating in any other religion is an undesirable trait.

We did all read the same Bill of Rights, yes? We all know the First Amendment, which promises freedom to practice whatever religion you want? So how, for the love of all that is holy, was something like this allowed to happen? You, Middleton High School, have directly gone against the Bill of Rights. And I know you’re saying that this is you exercising your freedom of religion, but that isn’t something that’s appropriate in a public school. I actually can’t believe that I have to tell you this in 2016, that it isn’t appropriate to be trying to convert teenagers in their own school.

What happens when this goes too far? What happens when students who don’t attend the Jesus Lunches start feeling unsafe because of their refusal to declare their religious alliance? When will it finally be enough?

Mr. Burns: A Post-Confusion Review

Pop culture is an increasingly important part of today’s society, and one that brings meaning to many people. In Anne Washburn’s Mr. Burns (A Post-Electric Play), presented by Madison's Forward Theater, a nuclear apocalypse causes people to turn to The Simpsons, of all thing.

The show, which is three acts long, focuses on the survivors of the apocalypse and the measures they take to remain sane in an increasingly insane world. The first act takes place not long after the nuclear event, and focuses on seven survivors sitting around a campfire, trying to remember the plot of Cape Feare, an episode of The Simpsons. In the second act, seven years later, the world has begun to recover, and groups are performing episodes of the Simpsons for entertainment. The third act shows a world 75 years later, where the Simpsons has taken on a mythic, folkloric quality completely different from the original show.

Elyse Edelman and Jake Penner

The set, designed by Keith Pitts, is made almost entirely from found materials, and adds an eerie, post apocalyptic mood to the show. Huge curtains made of trash bags drape the stage, and the floor is covered with woven mats.

The script, however, has some flaws. The first two acts were relatively easy to follow, but once the third act began, it was very difficult to follow. The time skip wasn’t easy to process, and all of a sudden this was a musical. The same actors played different characters in the third act, which led to no end of confusion, and it wasn’t until twenty minutes after the play had ended that I finally understood the allegory.

Marcus Truschinski, playing both Matt, an apocalypse survivor, and Mr. Burns, the villain of the third act, shows great range in his performance. As Matt, he’s cocky and funny, then completely transforms into the dark and intensely physical Mr. Burns. When he’s onstage, the attention of the room is on him until he leaves.

Elyse Edelman, Marcus Truschinski, and Marti Gobel

Another notable performance comes from Forward Theater newcomer Elyse Edelman. Last summer, she turned in several hilarious performances at American Players Theater, but she does extremely well with serious material as well. Her performance as Maria is interesting, funny, and most importantly, believable.

Mr. Burns isn’t a play for mindless entertainment. One should expect to leave the theater thinking. But this isn’t a bad thing. Washburn’s writing elevates something as mindless as the Simpsons to entertainment worthy of thought. And that is no mean feat.

You can buy tickets for Mr. Burns as well as other Forward Theater Plays here. Pictures courtesy of Jennifer Uphoff Gray. Photos taken by Zane Williams.