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Weeks Before Debut, GISD Parents Protest "Rent"

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Dec 4, 2008 10:28 pm US/Central

Weeks Before Debut, GISD Parents Protest "Rent"

Compiled From Staff Reports
ROWLETT (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ― After 12 years and more than 5,000 performances, "Rent" will go down as one of the most popular Broadway plays. The high school edition is being licensed to schools across America. "Rent" is a rock musical about a group of young artists struggling in New York.

But some parents and church officials in Rowlett are angry, saying they don't want their kids performing the musical on a school stage.

Rowlett High School is a part of the Garland Independent School District. Even though the topic isn't on the board's agenda, about 100 people attended Thursday night's school board meeting. Those who spoke about performing the musical Rent included parents pastors and performers.

Some in the community find the subject matter offensive and don't think high school students should be performing it. Some of the people at the meeting argued its overall theme promotes friendship and tolerance. Others say it's immoral and anti-family.

The version of the play – set to premiere in January – is the high school edition; a toned down version of the film. However, it still deals with edgy and controversial subject matter, such as drug use, AIDS and prostitution. The play also has same-sex kissing scenes.

"The content of the material, from beginning to end, not just nitpicking a few lines and lyrics, but the entire content is completely anti-family," said Pastor Kason Huddleston

Michael Gallops decided to pull his children out of the performance. "There are issues in it that are anti-family, anti-social, anti-responsibility… a number of issues. Issues bigger than that… same-sex kissing issues."

Planning for the program has been underway for months. Parents and students were required to attend meetings on the play.

"There was a meeting with the parents and the students outlining the musical. Everyone has the opportunity to review the script. To participate, students and parents signed off that they understood what the musical was about and how it was supposed to be performed," said Garland ISD spokesperson Reavis Wortham.

GISD administrators say they've heard no complaints other than a few comments during public sessions of board meetings. Gallops said he did attend those meetings, but says the controversy was downplayed.

"They had some parent meeting where they told us a little about it. They told us they were going to use the play as an opportunity to teach diversity, acceptance and tolerance," said Gallops. "But at the meeting I went to, they didn't go into specifics."

Even though the Garland School Board heard nearly two dozen opinions, there was no vote on whether to cancel it. The school board president says he expects a vote at their next meeting in two weeks.

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