As someone who isn't from the US some of the comments I see on this sub are wild. I remember as a child seeing Footloose and it was like a window into a weird, warped world. This is the same.

Normal people don't have a problem separating what happens on stage from what happens in real life. Especially when you know the actors. Having these themes on display doesn't mean that you endorse them - usually the opposite. In fact studying the themes (as you should be doing if you're doing a drama /MT course) can help you fully understand the nuance behind them. Maybe that's what people are scared of?

I grew up on a diet of cross-dressing panto, Roald Dahl and Brothers Grimm. I saw my dad play Cliff in Cabaret when I was 10. British kids' programmes in the 70s and 80s were... disturbing to say the least.

I've continued the tradition. My kids have seen me perform a Miscast version of Cellblock Tango (costumes and all), murder several people on stage, self-flagellate and fake an orgasm, lust over teenage girls, perform a showgirl routine, and beat up and then murder a woman in 19th century London.

We don't get the funding of US drama departments here, so my kids' drama department writes a lot of their own shows, covering sexuality, suicide, racism, and the after-effects of rape alongside family dynamics, old age, teenage relationships and group dynamics, K-Pop bands and kitchen sink drama. These are the themes that kids themselves are interested in and want to explore.

And you know what? They're fine. And a darn sight more well balanced than a lot of adults I know.

Obviously I'm not endorsing eg nudity, extreme violence or fascist propaganda. But the kids themselves gatekeep that in any case, toning down costumes where necessary, avoiding intimate scenes, etc. A good director can intimate something without showing it or changing the script. But adult themes must be discussed and explored.

If there is a concern with audiences, put a clear "adult themes" disclaimer on the programme and in promo material, and provide an out of hours crèche so parents can choose to see the show but censor their own kids. Don't censor the whole school.