‘Not cool.’ Theater community reacts to Turlock High’s canceled ‘Be More Chill’ musical
After Turlock High School stopped performances of its spring musical, “Be More Chill,” Friday, local community members and theater advocates across the country took to social media to condemn theater censorship and share support for the student performers.
Turlock Unified School District spokeswoman Marie Russell said in an email Friday night that TUSD received “feedback from both parents and community members that raised concerns about drug use, sex, and other topics depicted in the musical that were perceived as inappropriate for a general audience, including minors without parental consent.” The director and school administration then decided to cancel the musical’s run after the first performance.
The show’s writer, Joe Iconis, tweeted and spoke via Instagram stories about his confusion with the school’s call. “That’s not cool,” Iconis said on his Instagram story Sunday. “It makes me very upset.”
He said he’s communicated with some of the Turlock High performers and saw pictures and video clips of the production. “I just wish I could see the whole production because they worked for months on the thing and it deserves to have a run,” he said on his story.
“They deserve to just do their show and not get it shut down for preposterous reasons,” he added.
Stewart Clarke, who is in the London cast of the show, said on his Instagram story that he doesn’t understand why the show was canceled, and “this sucks.”
“All I could do now is just offer support and say don’t be disheartened, keep creating, keep making art, keep performing,” he said.
Actor Jason SweetTooth Williams, who was in the Broadway cast of “Be More Chill,” posted a video in support of the students on his Instagram story, too.
“We’re thinking about you,” he said. “All of us fellow ‘Be More Chill’ alums have you in our thoughts.”
Theater writer Howard Sherman shared The Bee’s article Sunday morning, saying, “School theatre censorship cannot be allowed to go unremarked upon.”
Sherman offered to help teachers, students, parents and community members facing school theater censorship.
In a comment to Sherman’s post, Iconis wrote, “So, this was absolutely an official, licensed production of BMC.” He asked for an explanation as to how this happened.
Theater news website BroadwayWorld wrote about Iconis’ comments, elevating them even more in performing arts circles. Many others quote-tweeted Sherman’s post. They condemned censorship, empathized with the student performers and wondered what specifically in the show was deemed inappropriate.
The Bee earlier reported that the show is set in high school and the teen characters mention sex, masturbation, drinking and smoking marijuana. They also curse.
Meanwhile, a high school in Iowa this weekend applauded the cast and crew of their own “Be More Chill” production.
This story was originally published April 11, 2022 at 10:46 AM.
