by Chris Peterson
Students at Ohio’s Copley High School are working to independently stage She Kills Monsters after their school canceled its fall production following a parent complaint. By October 12, their fundraising campaign had raised more than $9,500, according to local station WAKR.
The cancellation came just days into rehearsals. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that auditions took place on September 8, rehearsals began on September 14, and students learned on September 16 that the production would not move forward. A parent of a cast member had raised objections to the play’s exploration of sexuality and LGBTQ identity.
Copley-Fairlawn Superintendent Aimee Kirsch told the newspaper that the decision was based on the production not undergoing proper administrative review, rather than its LGBTQ themes. The district subsequently adopted a committee-based review process and selected Alice in Wonderland as its replacement fall production, scheduled for November 13–14.
Written by Qui Nguyen, She Kills Monsters follows Agnes as she learns about her late sister, Tilly, through a Dungeons & Dragons adventure. Its Young Adventurers Edition places that story in a high school setting, using fantasy to explore grief and the parts of her sister’s life Agnes never understood.
For the students, losing the production meant abandoning work already underway. In the GoFundMe campaign, Copley Thespian Society president Emily Neuhauser described having to obtain rights to another show, recast roles, and restart rehearsals. She said concerns about She Kills Monsters centered on the relationship between Tilly and Lilith, while students valued its broader themes of friendship, identity, and acceptance.
An opportunity to perform through a local community theatre gave them a way to continue. The Beacon Journal reported on October 9 that the independent production would take place at an Akron Civic Theatre venue.
The fundraising appeal identified performance rights, estimated at up to $800, as an immediate expense. Additional money would support the program and production needs such as costumes, scenery and publicity.
Among those contributing was actress and Copley graduate Carrie Coon, who donated $1,000, according to WAKR. Neuhauser has also encouraged supporters to attend the October 20 school board meeting, saying students want to prevent similar cancellations in the future.
Supporters can find the students’ appeal through their GoFundMe campaign.
I’m glad these students will get another chance to perform this show. But they shouldn’t have had to find another venue and raise money because the adults hadn’t sorted out their own approval process.
If that was the problem, why couldn’t the district review the play before deciding to cancel it? That’s a fair question, especially when the complaint that prompted all of this specifically objected to LGBTQ content. Students deserve a better explanation.