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The principal of Trumbull High School in Trumbull, Conn., has become the latest administrator to cancel a drama club production of the musical “Rent,” which deals frankly with sexuality, drug use, HIV and love in the lives of straight and gay characters.

The school’s Thespian Society had been planning a springtime production of the school edition of “Rent,” a profanity-trimmed version of the Tony Award-winning show. The group’s president, Larissa Mark, said on Wednesday that the principal, Marc Guarino, told her and others in late November that he was barring the production because of concerns about “sensitive” material in the show. She said administrators had never weighed in on shows before, but added that Mr. Guarino had only started at Trumbull this summer. To rally support, Ms. Mark created a “Trumbull for Rent” page on Facebook, and she and others circulated a petition in support of the production. Roughly 1,500 fellow students signed, she said, or about two-thirds of the high school’s student body.

Mr. Guarino did not reply to phone and email messages on Wednesday.

On Tuesday night, at a Trumbull Board of Education meeting, Ms. Mark and others argued that “Rent” reflected society today and that gay issues had become mainstream, noting the legalization of same-sex marriage in Connecticut in 2008. A letter from Mr. Guarino was read — he did not attend — in which he affirmed his decision and said that proper planning was needed for a production of “Rent” to lead to educational and thoughtful conversations about issues raised in the show. The board itself took no action, which Ms. Mark and others interpreted as a sign of support for the principal.

“Mr. Guarino has told me that he’d like to do ‘Rent’ at some point, but needs more of a plan,” said Ms. Mark, a senior who has been a stage manager and director on past productions. “Personally I think it’s a good idea to have experts and others come in to talk about these issues, because, while I may not consider them sensitive, some in the community might. But I don’t believe we need over a year to plan this. I do understand where Mr. Guarino is coming from, though.”

“Rent” was chosen by two teachers at the school who are involved with the drama club, and Ms. Mark said that students had been excited to perform it. Recent spring musicals there have been more traditional fare like “Crazy for You,” “The Wiz,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “The Music Man.” The Trumbull schools superintendent and the Board of Education chairwoman did not return phone and email messages seeking comment on Wednesday.

“Rent,” as well as plays like “The Laramie Project” that deal with gay themes, have occasionally been canceled by school administrators because of concerns about content, while many other high schools have produced the school version of “Rent.” In 2011, the Board of Education in Waterbury, Conn., approved a school production of the August Wilson play “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” after the superintendent had pushed for cancellation because of its use of the word “nigger” at several points.