Show Guidelines
As a beloved arts institution, Alabama Shakespeare Festival broadens the cultural identity of the South by producing the classics, Shakespeare, contemporary plays, musicals, and exciting new works.
Per our agreements with theatrical licensing agencies, we are unable to alter scripts and agree to perform them as written.
We make every effort to inform our audience of any adult content or language contained in our productions; however, we recommend reviewing the following guidelines before selecting theatrical experiences for your family.
We value each and every one of our patrons and want to ensure each experience is a great one!
The following guidelines list any language, violence, drug/alcohol use, and mature content of each show in detail.
While age recommendations are provided, we respect the discretion of parents and educators in determining if material is appropriate for audiences younger than the recommended age. ASF is happy to review show guidelines with patrons as they make any determinations.
DEAR JACK, DEAR LOUISE
Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise
Recommended for ages 10+
LANGUAGE
Play includes mild profanity that some audience members might find offensive.
- “The human race is no damn good.”
- “Nobody knows a God-damn thing right now!”
- “God damnit to hell”
- “This God-damn war”
- “Holy Hell”
- “Where the hell are you?”
- “What the hell’s the matter with you?”
- “So get the hell back here.”
- “Hell’s bells!” – an expression used to convey anger or surprise.
- Louise references the “s-word” and “a-word.”
- Indirect reference to the word ass. “For the word ‘nose’ in the phrase ‘hard-nosed,’ you have to substitute another word which stands for a different part of the body, the part you sit down on. It starts with the letter ‘a.'”
SEXUAL INNUENDO
Mild suggestive references to sex and kisses.
- “…every guy here wants to jump her bones.”
- “They all want to sleep with her.”
- “He says that…that Ginnie used to…spend the night sometimes in your tent, or at least till quite late…”
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
- Mild references to drinking alcohol, toasting, and “buying drinks.”
VIOLENCE
- Themes and descriptions of war and conflict.
- Simulated sounds (recorded bombs, gun fire, loud noises, crowds).
MATURE CONTENT
- A stage kiss.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol
Recommended for ages 5+
LANGUAGE
- “I’ll see you in hell first.”
SEXUAL INNUENDO
- None.
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
- None.
VIOLENCE
- Hand grabs Scrooge by the collar.
MATURE CONTENT
- Direct references to death and funerals, specifically the death of a young child (Tiny Tim) and the death of a mother.
- Shrouded dead body in a coffin.
- Themes of death and poverty.
- Appearance of ghosts/spirits.
- Ghost of Christmas Future is a phantom. “It is shrouded in a deep black garment, which conceals its head, its face, its form, and leaves nothing of it visible, save one outstretched hand. But for this, it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.”
THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM – 1963
The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963
Recommended for ages 8+
-
LANGUAGE
Mild swearing; generally appropriate for most audiences.
- “WHAT IN THE SAM HELL…!”
- “…you’ve driven us straight into Hell.”
- “We’re in Hell.”
- “Is this the place where the rednecks live?”
- “…hooded red neck monster.”
SEXUAL INNUENDO
- None.
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
- None.
VIOLENCE
- Mild bullying, fighting, and sibling rivalry antics
- References to marches, protests, and civil unrest
- Simulated sounds (sonic explosion, loud noises)
MATURE CONTENT
- A fictional character “Wool Pooh,” that Byron makes up to scare his younger siblings. Smaller children might find the description/interpretation of this character frightening.
- Themes of segregation and injustice against Black Americans in the south during the 1960s.
- References to death and the horrific 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.
- Black Americans referred to as “negroes.”
- Suggestions of the danger and presence of the Klu Klux Klan.
SHERWOOD: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
Ken Ludwig’s Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood
Recommended for ages 8+
LANGUAGE
Mild swearing; generally appropriate for most audiences.
- “Oh damn, Oh Lord, Oh hell!”
- “For the love of Christ!”
- “Ya damned weasel!”
- “Bloody hell.”
SEXUAL INNUENDO
Lighthearted bawdy humor
- Humorous depiction of giving birth
- Mild references to kissing. — “He kissed her in the valley, and he kissed her on the shore.”
- “You may kiss another part of my anatomy if you like.”
- “I’ll stop your mouth with a kiss.”
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
Mild references to drinking and carousing.
- “Let us to justice drink.”
VIOLENCE
- Some mildly graphic descriptions of violence and themes of death
- Stage combat, use of swords, fighting
MATURE CONTENT
- Detailed discussions and depictions of death and murder that younger audience members might find frightening.
- This production is generally appropriate for a family audience; expect thrills and surprises.
HAMLET
Hamlet
Recommended for ages 13+
LANGUAGE
- Mild instances of Elizabethan swearing and insults; generally appropriate for most audiences.
SEXUAL INNUENDO
Sexually Suggestive references and double entendre.
- “Lady, shall I lie in your lap?”
- “That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs.”
- “It would cost you a groaning to take off my edge.”
- “She married. O, most wicked speed, to post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets!”
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
- Mild references to heavy drinking and revelry.
VIOLENCE
- Graphic depictions of violence, duels, and mass death.
MATURE CONTENT
- Dark themes of death, madness, and suicide; this production may be frightening for young audiences.
- References to apparitions, specifically the ghost of Hamlet’s father who instructs him to avenge his “foul and most unnatural murder.”
KUDZU CALLING
Kudzu Calling
Recommended for ages 17+
LANGUAGE
Play includes profanity and inappropriate language that some audience members might find offensive.
- Multiple references to the N-word
- “Yeah, don’t go smellin’ ya own piss.”
- “…women fighting like hell!”
- Multiple instances of profanity “Shit, Bitch, Ass, Mother fucker, hell, bullshit.”
SEXUAL INNUENDO
References and depictions of kissing and sexual double entendre
- “I’m trying to feel your rhythm in me…”
- “I want a deep-sea diving woman that got a stroke that can’t go wrong!”
- “Yeah, touch that bottom, gal. Hold it all night long.”
- “Tutti Frutti. Good booty.”
- “Do he work it from behind and get his fix.”
- “Save the fucking for people with time on they hands.”
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
- Mild references to “drinking and smoking…” and getting “tipsy.”
VIOLENCE
- None.
MATURE CONTENT
This piece includes lyric poetry and prose that explores LGBT+ themes and tropes, southern culture, and spirituality.
- Religious content and references about ideas of southern faith
- Themes of racism, oppression, and “white washing”
- References related to a miscarriage; some audience members might find this triggering.
- Recommended only for mature audiences.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
The Wizard of Oz
Recommended for ages 5+
LANGUAGE
- Mild name-calling; generally humorous and lighthearted
SEXUAL INNUENDO
- None,
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
- None.
VIOLENCE
- Dorothy’s dog bites the malicious Miss Gulch, who threatens to have him put down.
- A house collapses on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her.
- The Wicked Witch of the West threatens to kill Dorothy, though her attempts are thwarted.
- The Wicked Witch is splashed with water and ultimately dissolves into a puddle.
MATURE CONTENT
- Themes of separation, being lost, and traveling alone
- Some special FX (i.e., the storm, loud noises, falling debris) and depictions of the Wicked Witch and the Wizard might be frightening for small children.
- This production is generally appropriate for a family audience; expect thrills and surprises.