Students act immaturely at play

To the editor:

Over the last few days, there has been much debate concerning whether or not local high schools should take students to see "Romeo and Juliet."

At first I was dismayed by the school-imposed censorship that claimed the play was too PG-13 for students. However, I must now retract my initial opinion but for a different reason.

My mother and I attended the Wednesday matinee. We were among only a handful of non-students. Throughout the performance, which I considered to be an excellent and amusing interpretation of Shakespeare, the students seated near me talked, made racist comments, snapped bubblegum, made distracting noises and refused to be quiet when asked. There was an incessant murmur of whispers and stifled laughter. There were very few moments when the entire theater was silent with only the actors speaking. Every time the stage went dark as the set was changed, the majority of the audience took this as a signal to continue conversation and make noise.

I am appalled by this student behavior. I am in my mid-20s, and never would I have imagined the conduct of current high schoolers. These students are too immature to handle such content and are deficient in regard to proper theater decorum. They proved to have an utter lack respect for those who have an interest in seeing a theatrical production and those who work so hard to make the play a success.

LEANNE LEE, Cape Girardeau