An Indiana high school abruptly canceled its production of a musical based on a Jodi Picoult novel, sparking accusations of censorship from the author and disappointment among students and parents. Students at Mississinewa High School in Gas City, Indiana, were set to perform an adaptation of Between the Lines, a story about a teen who finds solace in her favorite book, until administrators pulled the plug two weeks before showtime, per NBC News. Superintendent Jeremy Fewell told parents the decision was due to "language and content that are not appropriate for a public school–sponsored performance and do not align with the expectations of our community," referencing sexual innuendos and mentions of alcohol even in the licensed, edited version.
Picoult, one of the most frequently banned writers in the US, called the move censorship. She said the school had licensed a version of the show specifically adjusted for more conservative audiences. Per Picoult, the original complaint stemmed from just one parent objecting to a nonbinary character in the source material, although the altered script reportedly made no reference to gender identity. School officials didn't comment further on the matter. "When one parent makes a decision that affects every other parent's child, that is censorship," Picoult told NBC News, adding that restricting which stories are told undermines artistic freedom and expression.
Parents and students invested significant time and resources in the musical. Kim Spicer Sandoval, whose son Luke was set to perform, said families weren't consulted about possible compromises and questioned why concerns arose only after months of rehearsals. She noted the script was no more risqué than past productions like Grease. "If parents can sign permission slips for sexual education, they should be able to decide for their own families about the play," Sandoval said, warning of a slippery slope if isolated objections lead to broader restrictions.
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For students, the cancellation was more than a lost performance—it was the loss of months of work and a message that their voices may not matter. "I know for a fact that I made a lot of sacrifices to do this, and everybody else around me made a bunch of sacrifices to do this," Luke said. "It just didn't seem fair to me." He described the play as a learning experience and said its message about embracing flaws and personal growth was one that students needed to hear. As for Picoult, she notes, per the AP: "I'm pretty sure I'm the first author who has now had censorship occur in two different types of media."
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