Adults complained about a teen theater production and the show's creators stepped in

[Jilly_in_VA]

Is high school theater the next battleground in the culture war?

In Florida, Indiana, Kansas and Pennsylvania plays and musicals have been challenged or canceled recently. Parents or school officials have complained that the content isn't family friendly.

One such case is a production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Cardinal High School in Middlefield, Ohio. But there, the story took a different turn.

Spelling Bee is a musical that debuted on Broadway in 2005, ran for nearly three years and won two Tony Awards. High schools love the show and perform it often. Teens get to play characters who are close to their own ages and experiences.

"A lot of the kids [in the show] are dealing with problems at home or self-image issues," says Cardinal High School senior Riley Matchinga. She was cast as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, a competitor in the spelling bee who has two gay dads.

"Carl Dad is kind of drill sergeant with spelling," explains Matchinga, "He wants his daughter to be super successful and win, win, win. Where Dan is more like 'Ok, it's time for a break. We can let her chill out for a little bit.'"

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1160731547/spelling-bee-high-school-theater

Whyizzit that one or two supposed "adults" can screw up everything for the kids? HMMMMMMM?

[Atticus]

1. Just abso-effin-lutely sickening! I wish I could puke on these "righteous" parents! nt

[Initech]

2. I'm so sick of the right wing's culture war bullshit I could puke.

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. Me too

And I wanna know, seriously, why it only takes one or two to put the kibosh on stuff?

[lindysalsagal]

3. These repressed neaderthals won't be happy until we return to Dick and jane.

Dumb-down school so much, it's an endless drip of predictability. No wonder kids hate school. Nothing interesting is allowed to happen there.

[jimfields33]

5. Kids have hated school since the beginning of time.

[maxrandb]

6. In the early 70's, my High School put on Oklahoma

There was a scene were Ado Annie was in a hayloft with a guy, and when she came out on stage, she has straw all over her back.

No parent complained, and those of us lucky enough to have a girlfriend dreamed of making out in a hayloft.

BTW - it was a Catholic High School.

What the hell has happened to us?

In the meantime, Lauren Boebert is about to become a grandmother at age 36, because her 17 yearly old son got a 16 year old pregnant.

Fine, that's cool for her, and I know a lot of "young" grandmothers. May not be my cup of tea, but it's none of my business.

But, since my daughter happens to like girls, and waited until 30 and established to get married, she doesn't deserve to be treated with dignity?

My daughter must be ostracized because she "doesn't reflect family values"?

[Jim__]

7. I saw that play when it was on Broadway. I thought it was great!

My recollection is that it was about the stress young students were under when competing in things like national spelling bees. I would think that is a tremendous chance for students to learn about and to reflect on events that are actually part of their lives as students.

What a shame to deny students these opportunities.

[sinkingfeeling]

8. This whole censoring of everything a child (high schoolers included) can see, read, or do, is

driving me out of this country!