Playwright John Cariani, Students Respond to Maiden High School's Cancellation of ALMOST, MAINE

As previously reported, Maiden High School in Maiden, North Carolina recently canceled its upcoming production of ALMOST, MAINE due to controversial content, specifically, a single scene, 'titled The Fell,' in which two male characters realize their feelings for one another.

The Maiden High School principal made the decision to cancel the romantic comedy soon after rehearsals began, after receiving complaints from both parents and churches in the area, despite permission slips being signed.

Blogger and industry professional Howard Sherman has reached out to Maiden students and parents alike to get their take on the situation in a new post, with confirmation that teachers and students may mount the production off-campus.

Carmen Eckard, a former teacher in the area, recently emailed school administrators. Per the post, she wrote:

"These kids have spent years fostering their love of theatre. In fact, I taught many of them at Startown Elementary, and they loved theatre class! That has blossomed into a real appreciation and dedication, and the decision to cancel a play after rehearsals had begun is extraordinarily disrespectful, and counterintuitive to education.

"Their passion is now spurred, and they will show you how dedicated they are. I'm sure you'll quickly realize that a mistake has been made.

"My advice would be to reinstate the play, before Huffington Post picks up this story. It's just the kind of thing they love, and I'm sure we'll all appreciate not being highlighted in national news as a 'backwards' town, again."

Playwright John Cariani has also chimed in on the situation, posting to the ALMOST, MAIN official Facebook page:

"If Maiden High School administrators take issue with 'They Fell' because it's about two young men who are simply stating their feelings for one another, they are calling into question the validity of same-sex love by making it seem wrong and different and other. They are allowing a dangerous cycle of fear and self-hatred among LGBTQ youth to continue, and, consequently, they are tacitly promoting homophobia. This is simply not necessary. Nor is it helpful. We don't need any more Tyler Clementis or Jamey Rodemeyers and Jamey Hubleys. We need kids to know that it'll "get better." Falling in love is tough enough when you're young. Let's remove the stigma of falling in love with someone of the same sex...

"By canceling the play, it seems to me that school officials are pleasing parents and pillars of the community rather than serving the students. I think there's a better solution than to stop the production.""

Eckard and Maiden High School junior Conner Baker will continue to work to stage the production with student cast intact.

At the time of the cancellation, the school's principal, Rob Bliss, told WSOC: "Our faculty and staff are still in review of potential performances to be conducted by our students this fall. At this time, no final decision has been made regarding whether and what drama performances are to be presented this fall. In regards to the request for students to perform the play "Almost Maine," careful review and consideration was given to the contents of this play. The play contained sexually-explicit overtones and multiple sexual innuendos that are not aligned with our mission and educational objectives. As principal of Maiden High School, I have an obligation to ensure that all material, including drama performances is appropriate and educationally sound for students of all ages."

Almost, Maine is a play by John Cariani, comprising nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine. It premiered at the Portland Stage Company in Portland, Maine in 2004 where it broke box office records and garnered critical acclaim. There are nine short scenes: Her Heart, Sad & Glad, Seeing the Thing, Story of Hope, Where It Went, This Hurts, They Fell, Epilogue, and Prologue.