Artistic Freedom and Censorship in Theatre

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.

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 one’s words incite another to commit a crime, you may be in violation of the First Amendment.

• Separation of Church and State.• Government can’t 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.

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.

Bett

man

n/Co

rbis

You Can’t 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.

Dona

ld C

oope

r/Ph

otos

tage

Ltd.

You Can’t 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.

Phot

ofes

t

Curtain Call

“[I]f 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