U.S. high school musical nixed, altered over sexual, racial fears: Washington Post

NEW YORK, May 2 (Xinhua) -- Following a record-setting surge in efforts to change curriculums and ban books at schools nationwide, the U.S. education culture war has now reached the stage, reported The Washington Post on Tuesday.

In a number of recent instances, school administrators have intervened to "nix or alter school theatrical productions deemed objectionable -- often because they feature LGBTQ characters or deal with issues of race and racism," the report said.

In Florida's Duval County Public Schools this January, administrators stopped a production of the play "Indecent," which details a love affair between two women, due to its "mature content." In February, Indiana's Northwest Allen County Schools pulled the plug on a production of the play "Marian" after adults raised the alarm over its depiction of a same-sex couple and a nonbinary character.

And in March, Iowa's South Tama County Community School District halted a performance of the play "August: Osage County" over fears that its treatment of suicide, addiction and racism was inappropriate for school-aged children, according to the report.

Censorship of K-12 student productions has been happening for years, Howard Sherman, managing director of the performing arts center at New York's Baruch College who has tracked and fought efforts to end or edit school theater since 2011, was quoted as saying.

Still, this most recent wave of opposition seems more intense and organized than in past years, Sherman said, and more tightly focused on plays and musicals with LGBTQ content.