PHOENIX, AZ — Students at Cesar Chavez High School spent three months preparing for their performance The Laramie Projectbut just hours before the scheduled opening, the school administration postponed the production due to the “seriousness of the play’s content”.
The play tells the story of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old gay student whose 1998 murder in Laramie, Wyoming, became a defining moment in the fight against hate crimes.
“It’s technically quite a difficult play to produce because there are a lot of characters, so most of the students played multiple roles. And just in terms of getting that theatrical quality out of a group of high school students, it’s dazzling, and the kids themselves were amazing,” said Whitney Johnson, English teacher at Cesar Chavez High School.
Many of Johnson’s students are participating in the play, and she went to the preview of the production Thursday evening.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say they moved me to tears. I was crying by the end of the piece because it was so powerful,” Johnson said.
But on the afternoon of opening night, Johnson says the students were told they would not perform as planned on Friday evening. Johnson said at the time the cast thought the play had been completely shut down and were devastated.
“They were very upset. There were tears,” Johnson recalled.
In a letter to theater parents and ABC15, a spokesperson for the Phoenix Union High School district explained the decision, citing the emotional response to the play’s preview as the reason for the postponement.
“Tonight’s play, The Laramie Project, has been postponed due to the need for additional time to better prepare our audience and audiences for the seriousness of the play’s content. We understand that our students need the opportunity to engage address real-world issues and social justice through art forms, dialogue, community service, and other informative and supportive avenues, we have learned that some additional actions and partnerships need to take place to address our community’s emotional responses to these dramatic achievement,” the letter stated.
The note continued: “We understand that the piece is an important educational experience, and we believe it has the potential to promote meaningful conversations and deep reflection. We must also ensure that it is presented thoughtfully and that those attending are aware in advance of the sensitive topics covered in the piece.”
Johnson believes the government has acted with good intentions and notes that The Laramie Project uses strong language and tackles difficult topics such as hate crimes.
However, she says the students had a version without some of the explicit language, that they discussed the play with school administrators before starting rehearsal, and that each cast member received parental permission to be in the show.
Johnson said this may be an example where adults are more traumatized by the language and theme than the students.
“The play is about a hate crime. The piece is about hate speech. Our students all have social media. They all face hate speech virtually every day,” Johnson explains. “Bullies are a reality in their lives. Part of the reason the children found this piece so powerful is that hate speech is a reality in their lives.”
She said she and other adults regularly teach students to do the right thing, even when it’s hard, and to stand up for themselves.
Therefore, it was difficult for some students to understand why they were told not to put on a show that explored heavy themes.
“Perception is reality. The perception that the students had in this case was that they stood up and when they stood up, they were told to sit back down and be quiet, and that hurt them,” she said.
Despite the postponement, Johnson remains hopeful that students will soon have the opportunity to share their work. The district has assured the community that updates will be provided on new performance dates and any additional context for the production.
For now, the students of Cesar Chavez High School are waiting for their chance to tell a story they believe needs to be heard.
You can read the full letter from the school below.
“Dear Theater Families,
Tonight’s play, The Laramie Project, has been postponed due to the need for additional time to better prepare our audience and audiences for the seriousness of the play’s content. We understand that our students should have the opportunity to engage in real-world and social justice issues through art forms, dialogue, community service, and other informative and supportive avenues. Following last night’s sneak preview, we learned that some additional measures and partnerships need to take place to support our community’s emotional responses to this dramatic achievement.
As part of our commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students, we would like to take this opportunity to thoroughly communicate and provide clarity about supporting all different backgrounds and perspectives in our community. This postponement will also allow our staff to provide appropriate and available resources and support to participants and audience members processing the content.
We will work closely with our theater department to make any necessary adjustments and ensure transparency with all families on the themes explored. In addition, we will provide parents and guardians with a detailed description of the sensitive content and topics covered in the piece so that parents and guardians can decide whether they want their student(s) to attend.
We understand that the play is an important educational experience, and we believe it has the potential to promote meaningful conversations and deep reflection. We must also ensure that it is presented thoughtfully and that attendees are aware in advance of the sensitive topics covered in the piece.
We will keep you informed of the new performance dates and any additional information regarding the content. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. We appreciate your support as we educate our community through performance and responsibly meet their personal, social and emotional needs.
Thank you for your continued support of the Chavez Theater Arts Program.”
