LANSING – Male college students nude on stage and a few choice obscenities prompted a state representative to question the use of state money for a Saginaw Valley State University play.

The presentation, Angels in America Part One, is a Pulitzer-Prize-winner written by Tony Kushner and is subtitled a “gay fantasia.”

It deals with homosexuality and with AIDS when it first became a prominent issue.

Rep. Fran Amos, R-Waterford, wants the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education to ask, “Why is the state considering raising taxes and cutting education when we are paying for a highly controversial play that is unsettling to so many taxpayers?

“The residents in my district are not sending their tax dollars to Lansing so students can parade naked in front of a crowd,” she added. “I know and understand that art forms, even nudity, can be art. The vulgarity, however, concerns me.”

However, Richard Roberts, the director of the play and assistant professor of theater at Saginaw Valley, said he doesn’t think the nudity and adult language are the real reasons why some people are upset, but rather the play’s homosexual themes.

“I believe that’s the real reason,” he said. “I’ve received hundreds of e-mails, most of them supportive. The president of the university gets the nasty ones about ‘despicable and immoral acts’.

“We did a show called ‘Fat Pig” last fall and it had worse language than this one,” Roberts said. “And I didn’t hear a thing about it.”

The nudity in the play comes in one scene where a man being examined by his doctor disrobes, and lays on a table. The scene shows the effects of AIDS on the body and last about 45 seconds, he said.

“I’m quite shocked they are talking about this play,” he said. “It’s been done by Michigan State, Saginaw Valley State University and Western Michigan University, and Kalamazoo College is doing it in 2008. I’m surprised it’s even an issue.”

Many other universities around the country, including religious-based Catholic University in Washington, D.C. and University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., have performed the play, Roberts said.

Warnings about nudity and adult language were placed on all materials promoting the play, including posters, the Web site and tickets.

An advocate for arts and culture she believes the community should value the play.

“Higher education theater programs are expected to challenge the students and elicit different thoughts,” said Neeta Delaney, president of ArtServe Michigan. “It would be a sad day if students were unable to experience a Pulitzer Prize-winning play.”

ArtServe Michigan is a cultural organization that promotes art as a valuable community resource.

Amos said she hasn’t seen the play and has no intention of seeing it.

“It’s not something I see a need to put on my to-do list,” she added.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said any attempt to restrict funding or otherwise punish Saginaw Valley would violate students’ freedom of speech.

“We’re not really sure the purpose of any hearings,” said Rana Elmir, ACLU communication director. “It’s ridiculous to punish the university for what a student theater group does and would be an infringement of the First Amendment.”

But Amos said her goal isn’t to punish the university but to allow constituents to discuss the play and discuss the usefulness of spending money on such a production.

“Money is tight now, so people are more touchy now and asking, ‘If we have the money for this, maybe there are more useful ways to use it.’”

Roberts said he understands people have different viewpoints, and he respects their opinions.

“People can say what they want, and I support that,” he said. “Theater mirrors society, and we can’t pick and choose what parts of society to show. We need to show the entire society.”