In the meantime, what has changed slightly isthe script. The company decided to reworkoffensive material in the show.
"I realize there are parts of the show that arelewd," says Bryan W. Leach '00, a cast member whoplays the detective bulldog "Newt Erd" in"Campaign." "The script has been changed a ton oftimes to make people feel comfortable."
The Art of the Pudding
This year's show features a song aboutmenage-a-trois, a character with a speechimpediment and jokes about castration.
Still, Pudding supporters see aesthetic valuein their genre of theater.
Lee, who is also Theatricals historian, callsthe performance a "piece of art that is truly oneof a kind."
And Michael D. McLung '83, executive directorof the Hasty Pudding Institute of 1770, sees theall-male cast and cross dressing as a traditionwith social merit.
"There are aesthetic and political values tocross-dressing," says McLung, who was a Puddingmember in 1981 and 1982, and in 1983 was the 135thshow's author. "And that goes for both men andwomen...it questions some of our assumptions aboutgender."
He adds that he sees a lack in theatricalopportunities at Harvard, which stems from theCollege not having a theater department.
Seeing no reason why the Pudding should beforced to be the one to compensate for gaps withinthe University, McLung says he feels that theorganization is being unfairly challenged bynay-sayers.
"I don't see why it is our responsibilityto...fill the void at Harvard," he says.
Although the University refuses to recognizefinal clubs because they do not admit women, theCollege maintains loose ties to the Hasty PuddingClub. The organization as a whole is co-ed.
"Since women have other than acting roles withthe theatricals, and the performances are of aspecial and unique theatrical genre, we don'tregard the exclusion of women from the stage asdiscriminatory," wrote Dean of the College HarryR. Lewis '68 in an e-mail message.
Not Happening
Even if students wanted to change the face ofthe Pudding, McClung says the Board of Trustees ofthe Institute of 1770--the governing board of theTheatricals--would not approve a decision to allowwomen in the cast.