1776: A patriotic play

Around the Wasatch Front, whenever "1776" is staged, there are occasional complaints about the language. That is, the profanity.

When Hale Centre Theatre's production of the patriotic musical opens on Saturday, audiences will be treated to what might be called the "ClearPlay" version of the 1969 Broadway hit.

Tamara Adams, who is directing the show, said that the men who framed the Declaration of Independence "were very God-fearing people and, for the most part, they did not take the Lord's name in vain."

Adams emphasized that the Hale production "has not been 'Mormonized,' but we've cut out the glaring epithets."

And, lest there be an outcry of "censorship," the producers received written permission to soften the language from Music Theatre International, which publishes the "1776" scripts and doles out the rights.

"1776" takes place in Philadelphia, where delegates to the Second Congressional Congress are wrangling about the cause of independence for the American colonies. It's hot and humid, and things get even steamier inside the hall as the bickering and lack of consent goes on. There is quite a bit of cussing and swearing.

Producers Mark and Sally Dietlein backed up their request to trim back the profanity with research conducted previously by Vivian Adams (daughter of the late LDS leader Bruce R. McConkie).

In excerpts from several pages of her commentary, Vivian Adams noted that "Perhaps John Adams would have said things as 'God forbid,' 'God willing' (or) 'God-forsaken.' He did refer to Providence. There are quotes from time to time in which some of these men used strong language, but it was not by any means the general language of their civil or social dealings."

She specifically noted that the language running all through the script and music for "1776" would be ". . . incompliant with common law in polite society of the time — certainly not what educated, wealthy men of standing would have stooped to use at the time."

Her research papers contain a quote from an order issued in July of 1776 by George Washington to his troops in New York: "The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little hope of the blessing of Heaven on our arms, if we insult it by our impiety and folly."