Ironies Abound

Texas school cancels theater visit over one parent's concerns over actors in 'drag' https://t.co/wPWRwGXAY1

— Raw Story (@RawStory) April 27, 2023

This happened in the very school district I was writing about this morning. Though I have to say, off the top, this school district has more schools in it than the one I attended from elementary through high school; and it still does. I'm a little clueless as to how "Spring Branch ISD" was going on this field trip. That would be a mass migration of about 33,000 students, so I'm guessing that's not what was being contemplated. Anyway...

Main Street Theaters' performance of "James and the Giant Peach" is marketed for those in first grade and up. Based on the children's book of the same name, it's a story about a boy who goes to live with less-than-loving relatives.

"It's 'James and the Giant Peach.' It's full of wonder and curiosity," the theater's marketing director, Shannon Emerick, said.

Spring Branch ISD was supposed to go on a field trip to see the performance, but this week, parents were told the field trip was canceled and weren't told why.

Well, not at first was this explained:

"Initially, I was not. The general email that went out to parents was, 'We are not going to be able to participate in this. We are going to do something else,'" Spring Branch parent Cheri Thomas said.

Thomas told ABC13 this may have started during the public comment portion of a recent school board meeting. She said a parent shared her concern about the actors playing multiple roles that were both male and female, saying it's drag.

Thomas said it's not drag, and if it were, she wouldn't find it a big deal.

"Drag is not a big deal. It's theater. It's art. It's been part of our culture for years," Thomas said. 

I quote Ms. Thomas because I agree with her; and for another reason, which is the reason I mention all this at all.  Be patient....

Thomas said this should not be the school or community's focus in the first place.

"I don't think it's a big deal. I think it's overblown, a manufactured crisis," Thomas said.

She feels parents should be the ones to decide if their kids get to go, not the school district.

Yup.

Turns out no "drag" was involved, unless you consider original performances of Shakespeare and and proper performance of "Twelfth Night" and almost anything by Monty Python to be "drag,"  The district's official explanation was:

"Spring Branch ISD's pending field trips to the Main Street Theater performance of James and the Giant Peach are being canceled due to concerns raised about the age-appropriateness of the performance."  

But I suspect Ms. Thomas was right, and this came trickling down from the school board.  It's the crazies at the tail wagging the dog, and I'm sick of it. But that's still not why I posted this story.  The last sentence of the news article is:

We did reach out to Spring Branch ISD parents, who were happy the field trip was no longer going to happen, but none of them chose to comment. 

Chef's kiss.  What a bunch of cowards.