Drama for Drama

Heart-breaking news came out yesterday regarding a high school performance because a small group of people in school’s community found the material “too offensive.” Youth Performance Art School in Jefferson County, Kentucky must cancel their production of Ragtime and have less than a week to find a replacement. Ragtime is a musical adaptation to E. L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel set in New York during the early 1900s about three different racial families. Mother and Fatherwith their son Edgar, reside in New Rochelle and live an upper-class lifestyle. Meanwhile, Coalhouse Walker Jr and his wife, Sarah, live in Harlem, struggling the racism, poverty, and tragedy. Last, a Jewish father arrives in America with his daughter and seeks a new opportunity in his new home. Eventually, all three families live intertwine, just as the Ragtime era comes to a close, leaving the stage with important themes such as unity, diversity, and resilience. While these groups of students dedicated weeks to this performance, they must now find a replacement in less than a week, unless the school board changes course and allows them to proceed.

YPAS is not the first school attacked by a school board over a performance. Back in May 2026, Wisconsin’s Watertown High School’s school board canceled a spring band concert titled “A Mother of a Revolution” because of its connection to the LGBTQ community and dedication to Marsha P Johnson. Johnson, an activist for transgender rights, is notably known for her resistance during the Stonewall Uprising in Greenwich Village, New York. Despite the band director’s efforts to secure approval to perform the piece at the school level and the band’s eagerness to play, the school board voted 7-1 to remove the instrumental work in less than 6 days before the performance. This story, fortunately, ends on a high note. The band scheduled a special performance at a local church not affiliated with the school district.

The Youth Performing Arts School students refuse to relinquish their right to perform Ragtime, and given the current political climate, they should not have to. Our country remains divided now more than ever and this division highlights how volatile our country’s political climate affects schools and the children’s learning. When we think about our schools, we must question what is the purpose of our academic institutions? Should the opinion of a few disgruntled parents affect the overall learning experience of all students? Should a school with a diverse population restrict their teaching to the ideology of one racial group? No, schools should embrace the role they are design for and teach to all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Parents who stand against a diverse population should reconsider which schools to trust their child’s academic path instead of demanding changes because they feel is offensive. Ragtime highlight strength through unity, a lesson many adults need to learn as well.

As a theater geek, this news breaks my heart. I understand the power of performance and these students embraced that power now and deserve to share what they worked for. So, what can we do? Reach out to Jefferson County school district in Kentucky. Tell them to overturn the school board’s decision. Explain how following will only divide the country further and how it’s the wrong message to send to a group of students. The decision forces a group of students to be caught in the middle of a political battle instead of making forever memories. Voice your support for the students and demand they allow the performing arts students to proceed with their production because the message behind Ragtime is greater than the ego of the school board, or the hurt feelings of a small group of parents. You can find the contact information below.