Allentown High School won't renege on 'Rent'
PG-13 play delves into drug addiction, homosexuality and love
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

The show will go on, controversial or not. Auditions for the Allentown High School (AHS) spring production of "Rent" will proceed as scheduled on Nov. 23.

Kathy Toth, a Millstone parent who went before both the Upper Freehold Regional School District Board of Education and the Millstone Board of Education to voice concerns about the production, said she is very disappointed that the Upper Freehold Regional School District was moving forward with the show.

At the Nov. 19 meeting, she asked Superintendent of Schools Richard Fitzpatrick how the musical would build "people of character," quoting words he used earlier. Fitzpatrick said character is a measure of what is done, rather than what is said.

The show is about tolerance, and offers adults and students a chance to see life from a different perspective, according to Fitzpatrick. "Rent" contains themes that kids talk about, and the kind of music students listen to reflects much of what is in the play, he said.

Toth said the district has a drug-testing policy and a mission statement of "quality education within a safe, supportive community environment," which the content of "Rent" goes against.

"The theme of the show is drug use and addiction," Toth said. "It's an adult-content show."

She asked if anyone had perused the script before it was ordered. According to Toth, the licensing agent, Musical Theater International, strongly urges that schools contemplating producing the play to examine the content.

"I feel we have been done a disservice by [AHS director] Mark Megill by making the choice to do such a controversial show," she said.

Board President Joseph Stampe said the board does not have a policy of reviewing or approving the school play. He noted that a committee, including AHS Principal Christopher Nagy and members of the board, did peruse the script after the license for the play had been purchased.

AHS senior Tara Keener said, "As an 18-year-old in the real world, you have to deal with these things," she said.

Keener said that Megill is backed by many students, and that she does not know of any students who are against the production.

"The majority of the school is excited and want to take it on," she said.

She continued, "It's more than about homosexuality or drug addiction — the main theme is love."