I was sexualized as a teen in a musical and I want to prevent others from experiencing the same. Currently, there is a plan to put on a High School Edition production of the show "Ride the Cyclone," which delves into themes such as death of children, sex, pornography, alcohol, drug use among teenagers, and even sex work. While this may be a fun and insightful show for adults, it's painfully clear that these themes are far too mature for a teen audience.

Producing such a show in a high school age setting would effectively be normalizing these severe issues and potentially causing harm by sexualizing these children. This seems particularly dangerous and irresponsible, given the history of some educational institutions, such as Theatrikos, where negative incidents involving inappropriate behavior towards minors have occurred in the past, yes it got resolved but it still had happened. It is imperative that we protect our children from being exposed to or influenced by inappropriate content.

Even if the play were to undergo adjustments to fit a younger audience, it still leaves the risk of these teens seeking out and being influenced by the inappropriate portions of the show. In the wrong context, this production could bring about the very issues it portrays, leading to detrimental effects on the impressionable minds of minors.

It's crucial that we make conscientious choices about the type of media we choose to introduce to our young people. Instead of exposing them to negative and mature content, we should find and produce plays that inspire and educate without harming or influencing them negatively. Please feel free to do research regarding the show high school edition and regular to see where I am coming from. No matter how edited the show is, it will still sexualize these children.

Let's take a stand to ensure that the arts remain a positive influence in educational settings, and that shows like "Ride the Cyclone" are not adapted or performed in high schools. Please sign this petition to stop the production of the Ride the Cyclone High School Edition to another more appropriate and less sexualized show and protect our children from unsuitable content in theatre productions.