Stevie Ray Dallimore, a renowned actor and teacher, has faced an unprecedented school year at a private boys’ school in Chattanooga. His students were denied the opportunity to participate in a production of “She Kills Monsters” due to its gay content, and a production of “Shakespeare in Love” featuring his boys was rejected because of cross-dressing. To add to the drama, the school’s production of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” was rejected because it explores adultery and includes boys playing female roles.
School plays, a crucial part of arts education and personal development for creative teenagers, have become the battleground for America’s political and cultural divisions. These divisions have resulted in increased book bans, conflicts over how race and sexuality are taught, and attempts to restrict drag performances and transgender healthcare for young individuals.
Student productions have long faced scrutiny over their appropriateness for the students’ age group. Recently, however, objections have come from both left-leaning and right-leaning parents and officials. The school year ended on a sour note for Dallimore when he learned that his position at McCallie School, along with the theater program at the neighboring Girls Preparatory School, was being eliminated. Both teachers were given the opportunity to apply for a newly created position overseeing theater at both schools, but ultimately, they lost their jobs.
Dallimore believes that the elimination of their positions is part of a larger movement aiming to ban books, erase history, and demonize those different from oneself. A spokeswoman for McCallie School denied that content concerns played a role in the decision, emphasizing the school’s commitment to its Judeo-Christian heritage. However, drama teachers across the country are experiencing increased scrutiny regarding their choice of shows. A recent survey conducted by the Educational Theater Association found that 67% of teachers feel that censorship concerns are influencing their show selections for the next school year.
Many theater teachers and parents have voiced complaints about specific productions. Right-leaning objections have been raised against homosexuality in shows such as “The Prom” and “Almost, Maine.” On the other hand, left-leaning concerns focus on the depiction of race in classics like “South Pacific” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” as well as gender issues in shows like “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and “Grease.” Some unexpected complaints have also been made at individual schools, ranging from bullying in “Mean Girls” to the absence of white characters in “Fences” and the use of certain words in shows like “Oklahoma” and “Newsies.” Teachers now face the challenge of finding titles that are relevant to today’s teenagers but remain controversy-free.
The polarized political climate and the power of social media have given objections to school productions greater impact than in the past. Teachers increasingly find themselves self-censoring for fear of backlash. The search for appropriate titles is becoming more challenging, with some teachers even losing their jobs for selecting the wrong musical. This trend affects schools in both red and blue states, making it harder to find plays and musicals that won’t attract criticism or put theater programs in jeopardy.
Jonathan Friedman, from PEN America, believes that theater cancellations this school year have gone hand-in-hand with efforts to ban books, impacting both current and future productions. However, there have also been instances where objections were overcome through public pressure, allowing productions like “The Prom” and “Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood” to proceed.
Autumn Gonzales, a teacher in Oregon, faced objections to a production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” due to its inclusion of characters with same-sex parents. She decided to proceed with the show, considering the impact on her LGBTQ+ students. However, she plans to be more cautious next year and avoid productions like “Heathers” that involve suicide themes.
Advocates argue that these constraints limit the education of future artists and audience members. They believe that students should have access to a wide variety of material, rather than just the most family-friendly options. The challenges faced by theater teachers across the country spark a discussion about artistic freedom, education, and the polarized state of American society.
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