Texas school cancels its production of Little Shop of Horrors over fears casting girl as male lead would break state’s new drag queen law
South Grand Prairie High School in Texas cancelled its production of *Little Shop of Horrors* after the district said a girl playing the male lead could raise concerns under the state’s law on performances for minors. The decision has prompted criticism from the student’s family and members of the public, and highlights uncertainty over how the law applies to school theatre.
Seventeen-year-old Ana Mota was cast as Seymour Krelborn, but the district told the director to replace her with a male actor. When Mota declined another role, the district cancelled the show, citing both the law and the musical’s depiction of an abusive relationship. The law, Senate Bill 12, was passed in 2023; a federal judge declared it unconstitutional and blocked its enforcement on 25 August 2026, according to the article.
- Texas school cancelled its musical after a girl was cast as Seymour.
- The district cited state law and the show’s relationship themes.
- A federal judge had blocked enforcement of the law.
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Little Shop of Horrors is a musical comedy about Seymour, a young worker at a flower shop who cares for a strange, hungry plant. In school productions, casting can include actors playing characters of a different gender. Ana Mota, a 17-year-old student, was cast as Seymour, who is written as a male character.
Texas Senate Bill 12, passed in 2023, concerns performances for minors and has been described as the state’s drag performance law. A federal judge blocked its enforcement in August 2026, ruling it unconstitutional, though the story describes uncertainty about how schools interpret the law. The dispute matters because it raises questions about student casting, school theatre and how state laws apply to performances.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A school district could reasonably take a cautious approach while the law’s scope and status are contested, particularly where it believes a performance may raise legal or safeguarding concerns. It may also consider whether the musical’s depiction of an abusive relationship is suitable for its students and community, and retain discretion over which productions it stages.
The case against
Casting a girl in a male role is a conventional theatrical choice and does not by itself make a school production a drag performance; cancelling the show may therefore apply the law more broadly than its purpose warrants. Students and families can reasonably argue that the decision restricts artistic expression and equal participation, especially when a federal judge had blocked the law’s enforcement.