Suburban school district reconsiders postponing Hampshire’s spring musical about gay teens after student and parent outcry
High school senior Henry Hanson recently watched in anticipation as various possible musicals were ticked off a board each day, a tradition that helps get students excited to officially announce Hampshire High School’s spring production.
The theater student was eager for the reveal of this year’s selection of “The Prom,” a comedic musical about a school that tries to cancel a dance to prevent a gay student from attending. The 18-year-old said this year’s production meant more than usual because it was a chance for theater kids, some part of the LGBTQ+ community, to feel represented in their craft.
But then district administrators stepped in. They shut down the announcement, telling students in a meeting last Friday that they wouldn’t allow the music department to put on the show this year due to safety concerns, he said.
“It was disheartening that they had said we can’t do it ‘because of your own safety.’ We’ve never had something like this happen before,” Hanson said. “Overall, it’s a generally accepting community so it kind of felt like a shock.”
“And it’s very ironic, because it was a very tragic form of life imitating art,” Hanson added.
After more than 4,000 people signed an online petition and dozens of students, parents and alumni spoke at a Tuesday school board meeting, condemning the move as “embarrassing” and “frustrating,” the district in the northwest Chicago suburbs is walking back its decision.
Susan Harkin, the superintendent of District 300, said Tuesday that due to the “strong support we received from students,” the district is “reconsidering the decision to postpone the musical contingent upon developing and implementing a comprehensive safety plan.”
The school had originally postponed the musical to an unspecified time and told students it wouldn’t take place this year.
Harkin said she would meet with students on Thursday to provide an update.
“I would like to clarify that our initial decision to postpone the musical was not related to Hampshire High School students or their desire to demonstrate their school’s progress toward supporting the LGBTQ+ community,” she said. “Instead, the postponement reflected a concern for the larger District 300 community’s preparedness to fully support this performance without risking potential harassment, bullying and violence targeting our LGBTQ+ students, performers, staff and community members.”
Those safety concerns included potential harassment of LGBTQ+ students and faculty.
In her job, Harkin said she’s seen attempts to out students involved in the Gay Straight Alliance, “threats and inappropriate comments” related to a community meeting held last month for an LGBTQ+ learning space and “hate-filled” emails after the district’s Day of Silence. Day of Silence is a national demonstration that acknowledges the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination against LGBTQ+ students.
“So while I and our school district firmly believe that offering inclusive opportunities that represent and support all District 300 students, I am concerned about the safety of those involved,” she said.
“The Prom” follows four struggling, narcissistic Broadway stars who want to improve their image through positive media coverage. After reading that parents in a small town in Indiana canceled the school’s prom to prevent a lesbian teen from bringing her girlfriend to the dance, the stars decide to help. At one point, the parents decide to host a prom at a different venue, separating the lesbian teen from her classmates to supposedly keep her safe.
The musical, which opened on Broadway in 2018 and was adapted into a Netflix film, is loosely based on a 2010 incident where a high school in Mississippi refused to let two girls attend the prom as a couple. When one of the students fought back, involving the American Civil Liberties Union, the school board canceled the dance.
Chad Beguelin, who wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book for “The Prom,” shared on social media that he emailed the school board and Harkin about the musical’s “history of bringing people together and message of inclusion,” calling the district’s decision “maddening.”
“The show is about accepting everybody and that’s what we do here. Music and theater in high school is so important to the growth of our kids and not just as musicians and actors, but to make them better people,” said Chris Cherry, the musical director at Hampshire High School. “They learn empathy, they learn how to walk in someone else’s shoes. By denying us an opportunity to tell this story, we’re missing out on a whole experience that these kids deserve.”
Cherry, who’s been a teacher for nearly 20 years, said he and his staff chose “The Prom” at the end of August, acquiring the licensing rights. He said the principal at Hampshire, Brett Bending, also approved the show. Cherry said the principal gave the district a heads-up, in case they received any complaints or questions about the musical’s LGBTQ+ themes.
Then, a couple of days later, Cherry said he was told not to announce the show, and has been in meetings with administrators ever since.
“Their assessment of our building and their assessment of our community, I just adamantly disagree with,” Cherry said. “Their line has been Hampshire is not ready for this type of show. Hampshire High School is not ready to handle all these threats and backlash that’s going to come for doing this kind of show, and I disagree with both of those points.”
Last Wednesday, Cherry said Harkin told him that maybe they could perform “The Prom” next year “if they do enough work,” although Cherry said he isn’t sure what that work would entail. He said administrators suggested hosting community meetings and feedback sessions, something he hasn’t had to do for previous musicals, such as “The Little Mermaid” and “The Addams Family.”
“I usually throw up a couple posters,” Cherry said. “It’s a high school musical.”
Two days later, Harkin alongside Adrian Harries, the district’s director of diversity, equity and inclusion, said she met with more than 100 students who “spoke passionately and respectfully about their desire” to perform “The Prom.” Harkin first announced the district was reconsidering its postponement of the musical in a Monday statement posted to the district’s website.
“It was frustrating for a lot of us,” Hanson said of the meeting. “We went there to express our opinion and hopefully get them to overturn it, and it felt like they were kind of dodging some of our more important points.”
While Cherry said it would be possible to change the choice of show, it would be “a ton of work” to catch up. He said he’s hopeful the show will go on.
One senior student, who identified himself as a member of the theater program and the LGBTQ+ community, said he wants to live in a world where he’s allowed to express himself through art. (The Tribune is not naming him because he is not an adult.)
“If we cancel things because we’re worried people will get upset, that could evolve very quickly into something dangerous — think book burnings or silencing people or Florida,” he said at the meeting.
School board member Nancy Zettler said even though Harkin made the decision to postpone the musical “out of love,” she said the district “failed” the LGBTQ+ community.
“Now we know that the community is ready. It is my hope, and I believe this wholeheartedly, we are going to be able to put together the safety plan that’s going to be necessary to make sure that this play can go on in April,” she said.
Frank Marino, 49, said he has two children at Hampshire High School involved in the musical. Marino said he watched “The Prom” on Netflix and recognized that many students see themselves represented in the film, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community like his son.
“My son is very proud of who he is. I am very proud of who he is,” Marino said. “And anybody that has a problem with that, I believe it’s just that — it’s their problem.”
“Did it ever occur to this board or the administration, when you told the students that the community was not ready for a production like ‘The Prom’ that maybe some of those students heard the community was not ready for them,” he added. “The idea of taking away this production from those kids due to potential actions of a small few is incomprehensible.”
