Nazi imagery removed from 6th grade production of The Sound of Music
by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder
The Fullerton School District in California made news this week when the Superintendent of Schools, Robert Pletka, announced that imagery of the infamous Nazi Swastika and all Nazi salutes would be removed from their 6th Grade production of “The Sound of Music”.
“Two weeks ago, I learned that Rolling Hills intended to incorporate swastikas as props, and have 11 and 12-year-old students perform the “Heil Hitler” salute in their upcoming play…These social media posts of our children could leave them vulnerable to the co-opting of these photographs by nefarious individuals or groups meant to mock or exploit our children for their own purpose” Pletka said in a statement
Aaruni Thakur, president of the school board, said of the decision: “Having a sixth grader dressed up in Nazi regalia, surrounded by swastikas, and saying Heil Hitler – the Superintendent felt that this was inappropriate for maybe a kindergarten or first grader to see without any real context”.
Thakur added that this decision was made without a vote from the school board, but he agreed with the decision, saying the superintendent had a tough decision, but a cautious approach was the correct route.
You can watch the local news report of the story below, thanks to KTLA-5
This decision has sparked a community debate, with supporters emphasizing the lack of age appropriateness of elementary school students being exposed to swastikas and “Heil Hitler” salutes in the story, especially for Jewish and/or LBGTQ students. Opponents are worried about the precedent this would set in sweeping ugly parts of our history under the rug and avoiding necessary conversations with students about what the Nazis represent.
Where do we stand? This is a tricky issue, mainly because of the year we are in and how Nazi imagery and salutes are being popularized again, thanks to the rise of white nationalists and their increasing presence in today’s politics.
First, let’s note a few important things:
1) The Sound of Music does not glorify Nazis; the Nazis are clearly the bad guys in the movie and stage production.
2) This is a 6th-grade production, and we do, and should, treat productions by 6th graders differently than, say a high school, college, or Broadway production.
3) The Sound of Music is based on a true story but takes many liberties with what happened to portray events in an entertaining way intended for general audiences.
First, the question has to be asked, as we should ask all legacy musicals, is there a benefit of performing this place with 6th graders in front of an elementary school audience other than giving parents a healthy dose of nostalgia?
The answer is, in my view, yes. The Sound of Music is a play about love, how music can liberate the body and soul, and the importance of family, among other positive values. We want to reinforce these good things to an elementary school audience. Plus, the music is excellent and still catchy in 2023.
Of course, no one I have seen wants this play canceled (yet); the conversation is centering around whether having swastikas and “Heil Hitler” salutes is appropriate for an elementary school cast and audience.
The superintendent’s main concern seems to be social media and having photos published of 6th graders in Nazi attire with swastikas and/or doing ‘Heil Hitler’ salutes. I’m unsure about this specific concern since you could easily institute a policy banning photography during the production and rehearsals. Yes, it is easy to sneak a picture with smartphones but remember, 6th graders aren’t exactly subtle in deception (I reserve the right to change my opinion when my 3rd-grade son enters 6th grade). But I would imagine all parents would respect the school’s wishes in not photographing the play or taking pictures of the kids with swastikas in them.
My biggest concern is what is done during lunch or recess. Elementary school kids, by and large, may be aware of the Holocaust, but probably don’t know the specifics horrific details. They could easily do the “Heil Hitler” salute on the playground, thinking it is cool or funny, having seen it performed in the musical. While The Sound of Music portrays the Nazis as bad guys, they aren’t depicted as evil in the same way as in, say, “Schindler’s List,” and villains are just as prone to being aped as heroes are.
It would NOT be a good situation for kids to be doing the ‘Heil Hitler’ salute to other kids; imagine how safe Jewish or LGBTQ kids would feel if they were exposed to the historical (and sadly, current) meaning of these gestures by their parents, siblings, or YouTube. Frankly, no kid of any creed or gender should feel safe around the casual usage of the Nazi salute in 2023.
The key for me, though, is, for a 6th-grade production, you’re not losing anything by dropping the swastikas and “Heil Hitler”. You still have the Nazi party in the play, and they are still the bad guys. The core morals of the story (the beauty of music and family) are still central to the account without the Nazi imagery, and that’s what we want these kids to take away from the production.
Could the school police the student body to ensure nobody wears swastikas or does the “Heil Hitler” salute? Maybe. Would these things happen at every elementary school that performed the musical? Certainly not, in my estimation.
But is it worth the risk? What are we losing from having it removed for a 6th-grade audience? They will eventually be exposed to it (in a hopefully) educational manner, if they haven’t already. Ok, so the show won’t be as historically accurate; a Broadway audience has the right to complain about that, but are elementary school kids and parents going to care? Kids want to sing and dance, and parents want them to look cute and have a good time.
Ultimately, that’s what we should want for them, without worrying about the other stuff that we adults have to worry about regularly. Ultimately, it’s up to each school to decide, but I don’t fault Fullerton for choosing the less risky option because it doesn’t take away from the play's meaning whatsoever.
A couple of other related thoughts to this story:
1) We’ve said it before; we’ll say it again. When it comes to potentially problematic school productions, it should never get to the point of having to make changes or cancellations right before or especially during the performance. The choice of musicals, and the potential issues it may bring up, must be brought up to the Superintendent and the school board well ahead of even rehearsals, never mind the performances. Get this in front of the school administration early, bringing them along for the entire process.
2) A pre-show announcement making it clear what the audience might see that may upset some members is never a bad idea and could make some concerns about performing go away.
3) No doubt we’ve had school productions of ‘The Sound of Music’ go off without incident over history. My high school 25 years ago performed this musical in front of a primarily Jewish student body, and I still remember the large swastika banner hanging in the background during some scenes. There were no issues I can remember, but, unfortunately, in the last 25 years, white nationalism has been on the rise, while a recent former President of the United States has granted it legitimacy. These decisions must be evaluated in the time we’re in and the audience being performed to.
4) By the way, Rolfe was never a good guy in The Sound of Music.