Choosing the Right Play: Navigating Restrictions from Admins and Parents

Most theatre teachers enjoy a good deal of artistic freedom when it comes to choosing a play for production; however, this is not the case for every school or school district. Some schools — both public and private — are more conservative when it comes to what they will or won’t allow on stage. Issues such as language, sexuality, or challenging subject matter can be automatic red flags in the eyes of your school community. How do you navigate choosing a play for production when operating within a more restrictive school environment? Here are three important factors that will help you decide whether or not you should choose a script for performance.

Know your community standards.

Community standards vary wildly from area to area and district to district. A show that is eagerly anticipated at a public school in a big city may be out of the question in a private school in a small town. Also, consider that content that is deemed acceptable in one district may be viewed as scandalous in the next town over, so don’t assume that just because one school has successfully produced a script, that it would, or should, be accepted at EVERY school. Remember that schools are a reflection of their community, and communities are made up of people. Those people decide what is acceptable, so make sure that whatever you put on stage meets your community's standards. If you are new to an area, take the time to investigate the general moral and social values in your school community, and be prepared to err on the side of choosing less controversial materials. You will have plenty of other challenges vying for your attention in those first few years, so don’t make your life more difficult by picking fights you will not win. Once you and your program are established, you can begin to introduce topics and titles that gently push the boundaries.

Communicate with your admin.

Your administration can be your biggest ally or your most formidable obstacle. As a general rule, you should get your admin's approval no matter what show you choose, but this is doubly important if you hope to produce a show that might be considered “controversial.” Your best plan of action is to work WITH your admin when selecting a potentially controversial script, and keep them informed of any issues or potential concerns that might arise throughout the production process. If they ask you to change or remove something, do your best to accommodate their request. But keep in mind your obligations to both playwright and publisher! You cannot alter a script without permission; if a lot of cuts are requested you may need to reconsider your choice of script. With that being said, remember: Your admin is the first person the public is going to contact if an audience member was offended or upset by your show. If you have maintained good communication with your administration, it will be easier for them to defend and support both you and your show. However, if they were left out of the loop and get blindsided with complaints about your production, you are in for a difficult time.

Request student input.

When navigating the play selection process at your school, it’s a good idea to involve your students. Students typically want to push boundaries when it comes to script selection, and will sometimes get upset or frustrated when their suggestions are not taken seriously. Let them know the kinds of guidelines and limitations that prevent certain works from being considered, and then challenge them to help find appropriate scripts that fit within the prescribed guidelines. If there are specific plays or topics that are of interest to your students, but are not school appropriate for reasons such as language or sexuality, ask your students to search for scripts that tackle those issues in a more community friendly manner. This type of search process motivates them to research and read a variety of scripts that they may not have been exposed to otherwise.

Additional Reading:
Top 5 Rules for Choosing a Play for Performance
How to Put on a Play That Your Administration Doesn’t Like
Calling All Theatre Teachers: How do I choose a play to keep everyone happy?
Calling All Theatre Teachers: How do I Navigate School Rules and Climate Around Production Content?