PHOENIX — Students and parents at Cesar Chavez High School said they were left stunned when their production of "The Laramie Project" was postponed by Phoenix Union High School District hours before opening night.
"We've worked on this for three months," Jinez Santos, a student in the play said. "We've worked so hard."
"We thought that [PUHSD] was a school district that let students have a safe space to [speak] about hard topics that The Laramie Project presents," said another student. "We have been proven wrong."
The Laramie Project is an adaptation of the life and death of Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old who was brutally beaten and left tied to a fence in 1998 because of his sexual orientation.
"Our play was about awareness, it's about history, it's real, it's facts, it's what happened," Santos said.
Phoenix Union District High School shared with parents and students that the play was postponed for "additional time to better prepare [their] audience and the public for the seriousness of the play’s content."
"We will work closely with our theatre department to make necessary adjustments and ensure transparency with all families about the explored themes," a statement from the district said. "Additionally, we will provide parents and guardians with a detailed description of the sensitive content and topics covered in the play so that parents and guardians can decide whether they would like their student(s) to attend."
Raquel Chavez, Santo's mother, expressed immediate frustration over the district's decision.
"I thought it was unfair," Chavez said. "I thought that they should be given the opportunity to spread the word."
Celeste O'Reilly, another parent, questioned the district's timing.
"They had the play ahead of time, they had all the material, they knew what it was about," O'Reilly said. "Why is this now an issue when these kids have been working on this for three months?"
The school district said they would keep parents and students updated on performance dates and additional information related to the content.
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