Update on "Rent"

Hooray for the parents of Rowlett for taking a moral stand and making a difference! They applied enough pressure that the school's drama director decided to cancel its production of "Rent."

A mother of one of the students who had a starring role said she was concerned for students because some opponents had "gotten out of control . . ." I don't think it was the opponents who got out of control. I think it is a society that thinks it's OK to show on a high school stage a bunch of people in bed who've been having sex that's out of control. I think it's a society that thinks homosexuality is OK that's out of control. I think it's a society that thinks if a person's circumstances are bad enough, it's OK to steal that's out of control. I think it's a society that denigrates people who hold high moral standards that's out of control.

A letter to the editor earlier in the week decried the "narrow-minded hypocrites" opposing the production. Terry Murphy of Addison said he would provide an auditorium or theater for them to do the musical and that his offer was serious. More power to you, sir. Now you can put your money where you mouth is.

"Curtain falls on 'Rent' Showing." The Dallas Morning News; December 11, 2008. P. 1B.
". . .but I'll give them a stage." The Dallas Morning News; December 10, 2008. P. 18A.