Ana Mota was elated after landing the lead role in her high school’s upcoming production of Little Shop of Horrors.

Mota has stepped into nearly two dozen theatrical roles, both as women and men, from the time she was in the 7th grade.

“Last year we did Into the Woods, and in Into the Woods I played Jack, who is a male role,” Mota said. “In high school theater there’s sometimes a lack of males; you know, you only have so many people joining theater, and most of those people happen to be female.”

The senior at South Grand Prairie High School wanted the part of Seymour, the male floral shop worker who discovers a strange, bloodthirsty plant. Ana thought little of auditioning for a male role. Casting was gender-blind, she said.

Then, a few days later, the district stepped in to cancel the show. District officials said a female student could not play the musical’s male part.

Grand Prairie ISD released a statement that reads:
The Grand Prairie ISD is conscious of the guidance provided by our leadership in Austin. Our goal is always to comply with not only our own local policies, but also state and federal law.
Recently, a casting decision was made to place a female student in the role of a male character in the school musical. In the musical, a romantic relationship develops between the two main characters. 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. This decision was made in light of the District’s ongoing effort to ensure its programs remain consistent with Senate Bill 12 and all applicable law.
This course of action does not diminish the accomplishments and the talents of these students. Rather, we want to ensure that we do everything in our power to put them in a position to be successful while adhering to state and federal law.

Senate Bill 12 is a 2025 law banning schools from providing instruction, guidance or programming on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Ana was confused.

“In Shakespearean theater, there was so much cross-gender casting, you know, males playing females,” Mota said. “In history, just the idea of a female playing a man or a man playing a female has never been something that was like outlandish and crazy to anyone. So, for the district to take that and just sort of warp it… I don’t know, it just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Mota’s mother, Nancy Jimenez, is asking district leadership to reconsider.

“The law in itself doesn’t even apply to this situation,” Jimenez said. “In this climate that we’re experiencing now, there are a lot of things, a lot laws that they’re attempting to really intimidate us and push us towards a corner. And I don’t think that is right.”

“Theater is truth and people who fear truth they often want to trample over it. And that goes for all art forms, you know? And I think just all this censorship and just trying to trample over that is just, it’s wrong and there needs to be a stop to all of it,” Mota said.

The district has yet to announce which show will replace the now-canceled production.