Houston Ballet

[102IAHexpress]

Does our ballet have a rating system? R, PG-13 etc? I watched Houston Ballet's production of Manon on Saturday. I had never heard of Manon so I did not know what to expect. In the third act there is an oral sex scene. I was a little shocked. There were a lot of children in the theatre, it was just very awkward. If there was a warning, I guess I missed it.

[mkultra25]

Manon has a well-known rape scene in it. Complaints about people bringing their kids to see it are not exactly a recent development:

 

http://visualanalytics.typepad.com/blog/2010/09/manon-creepy-totally-creepy-jun-24-2006-i-am-so-glad-that-i-decided-to-see-manon-at-the-american-ballet-theater-on.html

[102IAHexpress]

I had no idea.

 

So how would I get warned that this production has a rape scene? What warning system does Houston Ballet have in place to warn patrons that this ballet or other ballets are intended for mature audiences only? Don't they have a duty to warn?

[LarryDierker]

I had no idea.

 

So how would I get warned that this production has a rape scene? What warning system does Houston Ballet have in place to warn patrons that this ballet or other ballets are intended for mature audiences only? Don't they have a duty to warn?

 

google?

[102IAHexpress]

google?

 

Yup. I tried that.

 

The night of the performance i googled manon ballet. NOTHING popped up about a rape scene. Trust me i would have noticed something like that.

 

Now that I know there is a rape scene, that is different. If you google Manon ballet rape, then yes, there will be articles about the rape scene.

 

But who goolges "rape" in their plot snyopsis searches of ballets? I call BS on anyone who says they do.

 

Note that the rape scene is not in all the productions. In fact that's why there are articles about it, there are competing views on the story. So how would i know if the houston ballet was producing the rape scene version or not? Point is you have to be super ballet nerd to know all this. The averge patron does not have this information, which is why there were so many children in the theatre.

 

I'm not trying to censor the Houston ballet. They can produce what ever they want, but they have to give warnings if there is explicit sexual content. Heck, a rape scene in a motion picture could push its rating beyond an R rating into NC-17 territority.

[LarryDierker]

This is from their website:

 

PERFORMANCES FOR CHILDREN AT LEAST 13 YEARS OF AGE

Houston Ballet suggests that Children should be 13 years or older to attend the following productions:

• Manon
• Ghost Dances – Fall Mixed Repertory
• Jubilee of Dance
• West Side Story Suite – Winter Mixed Repertory
• Serenade – Spring Mixed Repertory

13 years+ – Program may contain content that is not suitable for children younger than 13 years old.  Parents should proceed with caution when attending with younger audiences due to higher level ballet concepts, mature subject matter, and sexual or political content.

 

PERFORMANCES FOR CHILDREN AT LEAST 17 YEARS OF AGE

17 years+ – Program may be best suited for mature audiences due to subject matter. Parents may proceed with caution when attending with younger audiences. May include some abstract movements subject to personal interpretation. May include Avant-guard costumes or scenic design, and or intense sexual or political dialogue.

 

[102IAHexpress]

They must have updated that page. I looked at the visitor information page before i emailed the ballet a couple of days ago.

 

Instead, this webpage, which advertises Manon and where you click to purchase tickets still says nothing about what the age recomendation for Manon is...

 

Houston Ballet Age Recommendations:

 No infants or babes in arms are admitted to Houston Ballet performances.
 3 years+, General Audiences – Generally suited for most audiences. Parents may attend with younger children at the parent’s discretion based on the child’s ability to enjoy quietly throughout the duration of the performance. Program may not be specifically designed for children.
 7 years+, Older Children – Program may be better suited for children old enough to decipher between make-believe and reality. It may be necessary for parents to help guide their children to understand the subjective interpretations of some higher ballet concepts. May contain minimal violence and or sexual dialogue.
 13 years+ – Program may contain content that is not suitable for children younger than 13 years old.  Parents should proceed with caution if allowing younger audiences to attend due to higher level ballet concepts, mature subject matter, and sexual or political content.
 17 years+ – Program may be best suited for mature audiences due to subject matter. Parents may proceed with caution when attending with younger audiences. May include some abstract movements subject to personal interpretation. May include Avant-guard costumes or scenic design, and or intense sexual or political dialogue.

http://www.houstonballet.org/Ticketing-Schedule/Season-Calendar/Manon/

 

edit: i'm still a little worried even after looking at the updated page. In the judgment of the houston ballet, a rape and oral sex scene is only a 13 years + age recomendation?

 

So when do they use the 17 years+ age recomendation?