Texas Student Says She Lost ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Role Over Concerns About Drag Law
by Chris Peterson
A Texan high school student says she was removed from the role of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors after district officials raised concerns about Texas legislation targeting sexually oriented performances.
In a written statement, Ana Mota says she earned the role after auditioning alongside other students at South Grand Prairie High School in Grand Prairie, TX. Five days later, she says, she was informed that the district and its legal team would no longer allow her to play the character because of concerns involving Senate Bill 12.
Mota, who identifies herself as female, says the district subsequently proposed replacing the musical altogether.
“I do not want a new musical,” she wrote. “I want the part I auditioned for, in the musical I expected to do my senior year.”
According to Mota’s statement posted on Instagram, she spoke with district officials on October 8 and was told they had not received instructions from state education officials to disregard the legislation. She says administrators characterized changing the production as a compromise, an explanation she rejects because it would also cost other students their original roles.
The 2023 law referenced in Mota’s statement has faced significant constitutional challenges. On August 25, U.S. District Judge David Hittner issued a judgment declaring SB 12 an unconstitutional restriction on speech and barring the Texas attorney general from enforcing it.
Mota also argues that removing her because she is female constitutes sex discrimination under Title IX. That is her allegation; the materials available for this report do not establish a legal finding concerning the district’s actions.
The district’s explanation has not been independently verified. Questions remain about which specific legal provisions officials relied upon and whether the original production and casting could be reinstated. Mota is asking for both.
If the decision happened as Mota describes, I find it ridiculous. A student auditioned for a character and earned the part. Treating a girl playing Seymour as a concern under legislation targeting sexually oriented performances deserves a serious explanation.
And taking everyone’s roles away hardly sounds like a reasonable compromise. These students signed up to put on a musical. The adults responsible for their education should be able to explain why they are standing in the way.