Critics say the play is blasphemous.
School police Chief Justin Williams says university officers will be assisted with security by police in Stephenville, a city of 17,000 located 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth.
Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio has said the play will be allowed because the school is committed to protecting and preserving freedom of thought, speech and expression.
The Terrence McNally play premiered in New York in 1998.