Byline: Talia Richman, The Dallas Morning News, (TNS)
The cast of Oklahoma! clustered on stage, sitting criss-crossed, all eyes on their theater director as opening night neared.
Everyone in the Sherman High School auditorium seemed to understand that this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill production for them. This show had caught the attention of the world.
“How many of you feel the pressure?” Kyle Nichols asked his students. “Use it!”
About two months ago, this musical was almost derailed — before becoming a symbol of the fight for LGBTQ student rights and representation.
Sitting on stage among his castmates was Max Hightower, the transgender teenager who’d lost his major role in the show because of his gender identity. His parents, classmates, and community rallied behind him and, eventually, school administrators reversed course.
At a recent rehearsal, Max got dressed in his gray suit jacket and emerged ready to perform as Ali Hakim, the Persian peddler.
“I don’t think much of my nerves have come from, ‘Oh, this is a scary show,’” Max said afterwards. “But I know that people are going to be specifically watching me, some of them.”
He’s excited, too. He loves delivering his character’s funny lines and gets to be on stage every few scenes. His parents plan to be in the audience for each of the four performances.
The show opens on January 19 and runs through January 21. Given the widespread interest in the production, people can buy tickets to stream the show online.
The other cast members, who alongside Max advocated for the show to go on, say this production matters deeply to them.
“We fought so hard for it. It’s gone all over the place,” said Kiersten Harston, who plays Aunt Eller. “It really does push you to want to be better.”
Casting Controversy
Sherman High’s production of Oklahoma! was thrust into the national spotlight after Max’s father, Phillip Hightower, got a call from the school principal on November 3.
Principal Scott Johnston told him the school had enacted a new policy, under which only male actors could play male roles, and only female actors could play female roles. That meant Max was no longer allowed to play Ali Hakim.
Several girls in the production also lost their roles because they’d been cast in male parts.
The community fought back. Parents, alumni, and students packed into a school board meeting, demanding accountability from trustees. They slammed district officials for discriminating against a transgender student and ignoring theatrical traditions.
After long — and private — deliberations, the trustees directed the superintendent to reinstate the students in the roles they held before the decision to revoke their parts based on gender. Shortly after, the board members voted to open a third-party investigation into the situation and remove Superintendent Tyson Bennett from supervising the fine arts program until further notice.
The district declined to discuss the outside investigation. It’s unclear which firm was hired or who has been interviewed at this point.
“To maintain the integrity of the investigation, there is no further information to share at this time,” spokeswoman Meghan Cone wrote in an email statement. “Once the investigation is complete, counsel will confer with and advise the SISD Board.”
Amid the controversy and uncertainty, the cast missed weeks of rehearsals and the production was pushed back until January. The high schoolers scrambled to get back on track, even attending rehearsals over their winter break.
“I wasn’t gonna let my team down,” said Tucker White, who plays Curly. He added, “We got it going in our brains again and woke up a little bit after Christmas break.”
The teachers running the show say they’re proud of their students and how they’ve responded to the pressure.
“They’re all dedicated,” music director Heidi Scheibmeir said. “You do what you can do, and you make the best of your time. And that’s what we’ve done.”
During the recent rehearsal, pieces were falling into place. Orchestra members were set up at the base of the stage. Costumes were ready to be twirled in. Mics were taped onto teenage faces.
Nichols, the director, warned his cast that late nights may be ahead as they count down toward opening night. He told them they should all know their blocking, their songs, and their dances. He asked them to go full-blast — and to stash their cellphones so they could focus during rehearsal.
Ultimately, he told them, “I just want y’all to have fun.”
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
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