'Laramie Project' play postponement draws censorship concerns from Phoenix students
PHOENIX - A Phoenix high school theatre cast is accusing its school district of censorship after their performance of the Laramie Project was called off.
Phoenix Union High School District says the play was postponed due to the themes and language.
Students say changing the language in the story of a hate crime that led to a gay college student's Wyoming murder in the 90s changes the whole meaning and intention behind the performance. Matthew Shepard's death was ruled a hate crime.
"If you change all the language that was said, is it really even a hate crime anymore? You're censoring it. These real things were said about this person that died because of a hate crime," said Ella Podolak, Cesar Chavez High School Drama Club President.
It was an intentional decision for Podolak and her cast to select "The Laramie Project" as their performance.
"A lot of the members of our cast are exactly who Matthew Shepard was. It's a chance to get our voices heard and be like, 'We're this way. This is who we are,'" said Anaya Connors, a senior at Cesar Chavez High School.
'You're changing history'
"Not even 24 hours before we go on, we're told at lunchtime that it's over, and we're done," Podolak said.
A rehearsal before opening night led administrators to postpone the performance. The reasoning, the district said, was "the themes and language in the play need additional acknowledgments and disclaimers for families and students in attendance."
The idea of changing the language and narrative is not something the cast supports.
"You're changing history," Podolak said. "That's not OK."
The cast had worked on the project since August, had administrative permission for months and each cast member had permission slips signed by their parents.
"There are places that really banned books because of the word ‘homosexuals.’ This is not fair. It's not like a curse or nothing. It's just who people are," Connors said.
The district has rescheduled the performance and some students fear it’s with strings attached.
"I’m definitely on my toes," Podolak said. "Are they going to shut us down again? Are they going to tell us we have to change our language the day of the show? Are they going to tell us it's only a family show?"
The drama club was told they would be able to perform on Friday, Nov. 22, but they still fear the language and narrative could be changed.
Full statement from Phoenix Union:
"The scheduled performance of the Laramie Project by the Cesar Chavez High School Theatre Program has been postponed. The decision to postpone the performance was made after the sneak peek rehearsal was viewed by students and campus leaders. The themes and language in the play need additional acknowledgments and disclaimers for families and students in attendance. Many of our students have younger siblings, and we must properly inform families about the content they are going to see so they can make informed decisions about whether younger family members attend. In addition, we want to ensure proper mental health support is in place for those in the audience who may have strong feelings about the play’s contents.
We remain committed to working alongside our students and staff to perform the play in a setting that provides a safe space for our students to express themselves and those in attendance to view this important production. PXU and Cesar Chavez High School recognize and support our LGBTQ+ students, staff, and community members and recognize the importance of the Laramie Project telling the accurate history of the incredible injustices this community has faced. We look forward to working together to find the proper solutions so that our students can perform, and our community can watch and learn safely. Although we do not have a date set for the performance, we will share that information with our families and community soon."