Shakespeare play's marquee banner no habla Español

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...r.35bc984.html

Shakespeare play's marquee banner no habla Español

Web Posted: 05/04/2007 10:58 PM CDT

Mic e Koidin Jaffee
Express-News

Spanish words on a marquee outside Wagner High School advertising a Spanish-language version of the Shakespeare comedy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" — "Un Sueno en Una Noche de Verano" — were changed to English after the school received calls of complaint.

The production, which opened Thursday and ends with a matinee today, is using a script translated into Spanish by Wagner drama teacher Laurence Wensel.

The cast members, several of them native Spanish-speakers who are now bilingual, showed enthusiasm for producing the famous play in Spanish.

Wensel said he was surprised to learn Thursday that the sign would be changed.

"It was upsetting to me because it was being taken down just for the sake of somebody complaining as opposed to finding common ground," Wensel said. "We're supposed to be supporting diversity." Wensel said he thought the marquee should be in Spanish because that is the le of the play.

Principal Joe Gonzalez said he received three or four calls from parents or community members who were more confused than upset, saying they didn't understand the words and what was being advertised. The Judson ISD superintendent's office also received two calls.

"I think they had a right to be concerned," Gonzalez said, adding he doesn't want to alienate anyone. "We're trying to educate our community too."

Gonzalez, whose school is 47 percent Hispanic, decided to change the sign. He noted it had been posted in Spanish for four days, enough time to get the message across.

All along, Gonzalez supported producing the alternative version of the play, though he said Friday" "You're kind of going out there on a limb when you're producing a play that's totally in Spanish."

Reached by phone Friday, Judson ISD board members Richard Lafoille and Diane Gonzales-Bagley said they had received no complaints about the production or the sign.

Neither took issue with posting the le in Spanish.

"If the production is in a different language, the le needs to be reflective of however the production is going to be performed," Gonzales-Bagley said.

"I would've preferred if they left it in Spanish," she said. "Obviously the production is going to attract Spanish-speaking participants. If they can't read English, how will they know the play is going to be done in Spanish?"

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Take the stick out of your ass, people.

But to answer the last question in the story, you put "En español" on the marquee - it doesn't quite solve your problem totally, but it's a start.

[E20]

I hate Parents who stick there face in there kids' HS life. They are there for every sporting event, even if their kids isn't in it, every fundraiser, every dance, every meeting, every everything. Why don't they just attend class or teach there? Thank GOD my Mother wasn't like that, she didn't give a .

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Wouldn't posting an additional sign with the le in english solve the problem more effectively? and who the are these parents that complain over not being able to understand a freaking sign? You'd think the first course of action would be... GET A SPANISH/ENGLISH dictionary and LEARN! but I guess picking up the phone is faster.

[ShoogarBear]

Maybe those hicks thought that Wagner High School was announcing the start of La Revolución.