A high school in Texas has canceled its production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors after a girl was cast in a male role, which allegedly violated Texas's new law that banned drag performances in front of minors.
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that → cancel → minors
Ana Mota, a 17-year-old senior at South Grand Prairie High School, was cast to play the lead role of Seymour Krelborn, an awkward young boy who works at a flower shop.
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who → cast → shop
'I was upset,' Mota told The Dallas Morning News (DMN) on Monday after she was informed her part was taken away a week into rehearsals.
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part → upset → rehearsals
'This isn’t drag at all,' she said.
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she → say → ?
Grand Prairie Independent School District informed the theatre director that Mota must be replaced with a male actor, DMN reported.
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DMN → inform → actor
When the girl declined to accept a different role, the district cancelled the production entirely, the outlet reported.
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outlet → decline → production
'I was frustrated because I had worked hard for the role and I wasn't allowed to play it,' Mota said in a live interview with FOX4.
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Mota → frustrate → FOX4
The law referenced by the school district is Senate Bill 12 authored by Senator Bryan Hughes and originally passed in 2023.
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law → reference → 2023
It was intended to 'ban drag shows in public, but it is not limited to drag and targets all performances that are “sexually oriented,"' according to the ACLU of Texas.
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that → intend → Texas
Ana Mota, 17, was not allowed to play Seymour in her high school's production of Little Shop of Horrors due to Texas' Senate Bill 12 which limits 'drag performances' in front of minors
Mota was originally cast as Seymour, a nerdy male lead in a Little Shop of Horrors production put on by her high school in Grand Prairie, Texas
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Mota → allow → Prairie
The bill stated that 'a single moment of eroticism could condemn an entire performance to criminal or civil penalties,' according to United States District Court documents provided by ACLUTX.
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moment → state → ACLUTX
The Little Shop of Horrors deals with complex themes such as abusive relationships and murder, but handles them in a way that is campy and fantastical enough to be appropriate for a high school audience.
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that → deal → audience
The musical does not contain a single instance of nudity, sexual conduct, or drag performances.
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musical → contain → nudity
The parental guide provided by IMDB rates Little Shop of Horrors the movie, which the play was adapted from, as PG-13.
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play → provide → PG-13
US District Judge David Hittner declared the bill unconstitutional on August 25, 2026, and the court blocked the Texas Attorney General from enforcing it.
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court → declare → it
'[Ana] earned this role fair and square because of her abilities,' Mota's mother wrote in a Facebook post, 'it truly is unfair what has happened.'
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what → earn → post
The school district cited concerns related to a dysfunctional relationship between Seymour and a female character.
'
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district → cite → Seymour
I was frustrated because I had worked hard for the role and I wasn't allowed to play it,' Ana Mota said in a live interview with FOX4 when asked about the cancellation of the production
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Mota → frustrate → production
Bryan Hughes was the original author of Senate Bill 12, which was passed in 2023
'When District leadership learned of this issue and in consideration of themes in the musical involving an abusive relationship, a decision was made to pull that production and find something more appropriate,' the District told DMN.
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District → pass → DMN
The school district's Facebook page has been flooded with comments demanding the production continue with Mota in the role of Seymour, as planned.
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production → flood → Seymour
One user wrote: 'In addition to the Shakespeare and Peter Pan comments, women have been cast in male roles ("breeches roles") in theater and opera since the 1660s, and male actors typically play female characters ("panto-dames") in Christmas pantomimes which are specifically geared towards children.
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which → write → children
'Let Ana and the others have their musical!'
Another said: 'A high school production of Little Shop of Horrors is a school musical, not adult entertainment.'
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production → let → Horrors
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