High School play requires 6 day/week commitment?

[pryncess527]

The fee just to try out and the missing class part sounds a bit strange to me, but the very heavy practice schedule was quite normal at my school. When play time came around, many other activities made special accommodations for students who were in the play so that they could meet the rehearsal schedule without having to give up their sport or other school activity. The play rehearsals were intense, but usually only lasted a month, so other groups were willing to work around it for that short time period. Other groups were not able to work something out, and kids had to choose. That's just part of life, you can't do everything.

There is no way a student at my HS could have been in both band and played football. Concert band would have been their only option, because it was in the Spring. I recall quite a few activities being mutually exclusive.

 

[Hoodie]

Just 6 days a week? Maybe at the beginning.

I graduated 20 some years ago. We did 3 productions. Afterschool rehearsals and Saturdays were tech days (all day). Actors and tech crew were expected on tech days, light/sound/crew manager expected at all rehearsals.

Hell week (week or two before production) meant Saturdays, Sundays, staying at the school until 11 every day and missing the occassional class. I literally would wake up, go to school, come home at 11, go to bed and start over again. Homework had to be worked on in between scenes. It was madness.

 

[barkley]

The fee just to try out and the missing class part sounds a bit strange to me, but the very heavy practice schedule was quite normal at my school. When play time came around, many other activities made special accommodations for students who were in the play so that they could meet the rehearsal schedule without having to give up their sport or other school activity. The play rehearsals were intense, but usually only lasted a month, so other groups were willing to work around it for that short time period. Other groups were not able to work something out, and kids had to choose. That's just part of life, you can't do everything.

There is no way a student at my HS could have been in both band and played football. Concert band would have been their only option, because it was in the Spring. I recall quite a few activities being mutually exclusive.

couldn't have done it at my high school either-marching band (fall semester offering) was a 2 period class (1 for fine arts credit/1 for p.e. credit), and football was a 2 period class (both p.e. credits but 1 counted towards the electives requirements). both met 1st and 2nd period b/c that way they could do zero period required practices and get about 3 hours in each day if needed (and both started a good month before the school year started).

in the spring the marching band kids were integrated into existing p.e. classes during the same time, and the football players could choose another elective (some did orchestra).

 

[barkley]

Just 6 days a week? Maybe at the beginning.

I graduated 20 some years ago. We did 3 productions. Afterschool rehearsals and Saturdays were tech days (all day). Actors and tech crew were expected on tech days, light/sound/crew manager expected at all rehearsals.

Hell week (week or two before production) meant Saturdays, Sundays, staying at the school until 11 every day and missing the occassional class. I literally would wake up, go to school, come home at 11, go to bed and start over again. Homework had to be worked on in between scenes. It was madness.

I would kill for the energy we had back then to do this kind of stuff-I remember a 3 year period of time where I was either in rehearsals for or performing in productions back to back (and in some cases w/repertory groups we were doing both so that we never had more than a 2 week break in time before a new production was opening)-crazy, but I loved it

 

[BlovesC]

Wow, is this really the norm now? The schedule doesn't shock me, but the $50 application fee sure does! I graduated HS in 2000 and I've never heard of paying to be in a school play, let alone paying just to audition. We also didn't have to pay any fees for sports, even our uniforms were free. Have school budgets been slashed that dramatically in the last fourteen years?

 

[suzanna1066@comcast.]

This may be a really stupid question but I am going to go ahead and ask: Are there any options for students who cannot afford these fees? Are they just SOL and not able to participate?

 

[aprilgail2]

This may be a really stupid question but I am going to go ahead and ask: Are there any options for students who cannot afford these fees? Are they just SOL and not able to participate?

You could opt to sell 150.00 worth of ads to businesses for the playbill but that is hard because just two weeks prior you have football players and cheerleaders selling boosters to all the businesses so they always beat out the drama kids.

 

[Hrhpd]

Wow, is this really the norm now? The schedule doesn't shock me, but the $50 application fee sure does! I graduated HS in 2000 and I've never heard of paying to be in a school play, let alone paying just to audition. We also didn't have to pay any fees for sports, even our uniforms were free. Have school budgets been slashed that dramatically in the last fourteen years?

It has been pay to play for as long as I can remember in our district, even in middle school. It is $180 per sport with a $600 per family max.

This may be a really stupid question but I am going to go ahead and ask: Are there any options for students who cannot afford these fees? Are they just SOL and not able to participate?

In our district, if you qualify for free or reduced lunch, you do not have to pay. If you do not qualify, the booster club has some scholarships you can apply for. Nobody gets turned away if they cannot pay. But they do have to prove financial hardship.

 

[czycropper]

Wow! Pay to be in theatre - I can't show this to my DD16 high school theatre director or he'll talk the principal into doing it My DD16 who is a junior is very involved with the theatre program (& on the student theatre governing board) at her high school as well as community theatre. The only thing they have to do is try and sell $200 of ads for the playbill but that's real easy here since the program is so well known and attended (usually the last weekend of the shows are completely sold-out)

Our high school (2,300) has one of the top theatre programs in the state. The rehearsals are pretty rough but not until 3 weeks before opening night-tech weeks. Never, NEVER are they pulled out of class for a rehearsal. All rehearsals are after school usually starting either 3-7 pm or 6-10 pm and some Saturdays. The high school does one play, 2 musicals & one "shorts" production which are 5 student directed 15-minute plays.

Most of the kids involved are also involved in other school activities - my DD is also on the Debate Team and Mock Trial Team as well as takes dance classes and helps teach dance at a local school - and before the kids audition they just put down any conflicts with other activities and the director will work around their schedule if cast. My DD was Yente in last year's musical and she was still able to compete in two out-of-town debate competitions one of which was in Boston and through the whole Mock Trial competition season (practices Tues & Thurs. 3-5pm).

Our high school program has also gone to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and will again be going next August and even the rehearsals for that production are set for Sunday afternoons so that there aren't any conflicts with school activities.

 

[bigbabyblues]

This may be a really stupid question but I am going to go ahead and ask: Are there any options for students who cannot afford these fees? Are they just SOL and not able to participate?

My kids go to a small private school in a small rural town, and we do not pay to play sports. Fwiw, we have a couple of girls who are cheerleaders (basketball only, we don't have football) and play for the girls' basketball team. Practices are Mon, Tues, Thurs and Fri for both, but not at the same times. If the girls and boys both play on the same night, it is always in the same location with the girls teams playing first. The public schools here charge $90 per sport per child, and I don't know if they have an option for students who cannot pay. That would be at least 1/4-1/3 of their student body, as this is a very low-income area.

 

[Arkansan]

The pay to audition and getting pulled out of class to rehearse are not the norm here, but we do have to pay once cast. Every kid involved has to pay--cast, crew, and pit orchestra (for the musical). My kids' school has an individual $ max per year, but not a family max. First activity is $120, 2nd is $80, and third is $60 per school year. Kids eligible for free lunch can apply for a waiver. (Maybe also for an extenuating circumstance, but it doesn't apply to our family so I not exactly sure how it works, but I have seen the part of the form the parent would need to fill out to get it all or partially waived. )

My DD has been in the cast of the school musical for the last two years and Sat. Rehearsals are held. Other rehearsals are in the evening. I wish they were after school. Depending on the part, however, you wouldn't necessarily be called to rehearse every day until Tech Week. The kids do perform at a school assembly (held twice for half the students each time) so miss a few hours of class on the one school day only, but that is also just prior to Opening Night. Prior to the final dress rehearsal is a family pot luck meal for all involved. The kids meet and rehearse directly after school, have the meal with their families, and then perform their final dress rehearsal for their families. It is the only time parents are allowed to take photos or video. That is a long day, but a really nice event.

Next week is the kick-off meeting when the shows are announced. It is always an exciting night!

 

[Pig Pen]

I was in the band in high school. We had practice 2 hours every day, played at games either Friday night or Sat afternoons thru football season. Then we began practicing for the Christmas parades and concerts. We also competed so we practiced for that.

We also traveled (played at WDW, Orange Bowl, professional NFL games) so had to raise money - car washes, etc., on weekends. We were expected to make up the difference ourselves.

We bought our own instruments and had to dryclean our uniforms often (we were a Scottish band so wore heavy wool kilts and this was in Florida).

I won't even get started on my own kids' schedules. Let's just say if they wanted to try out for a sport, you end up buying the special shoes and equipment anyway...which is usually much more than a $50 fee.

 

[mnrose]

My DD is also a theater geek. She has been in several productions at the high school, and will be trying out for the fall play in one week. Yes, it is ALL consuming. She is now a freshman, and will have way more homework than in prior years. Between the 2-3 hours of practice EVERY day after school, and the occasional Saturdays, and homework, there is no way she can do her other outside activities. In the past, she has done a musical theater program outside of school (12+ hours per week), but if she gets into the play, she will NOT be able to do that. Simply impossible and a recipe for disaster somewhere in her life. She *might* be able to take a class or two (1 hour each) at that studio but certainly will not be ale to do the entire conservatory program (jazz, tap, ballet, acting, voice, choreography).

I am always impressed by the caliber of the plays they produce. It is demanding, unfortunately, and does limit your ability to do other things.

 

[Happy Snowman]

My DD is also a theater geek. She has been in several productions at the high school, and will be trying out for the fall play in one week. Yes, it is ALL consuming. She is now a freshman, and will have way more homework than in prior years. Between the 2-3 hours of practice EVERY day after school, and the occasional Saturdays, and homework, there is no way she can do her other outside activities. In the past, she has done a musical theater program outside of school (12+ hours per week), but if she gets into the play, she will NOT be able to do that. Simply impossible and a recipe for disaster somewhere in her life. She *might* be able to take a class or two (1 hour each) at that studio but certainly will not be ale to do the entire conservatory program (jazz, tap, ballet, acting, voice, choreography).

I am always impressed by the caliber of the plays they produce. It is demanding, unfortunately, and does limit your ability to do other things.

Even if it limits your other activities, colleges know this, they know the level of commitment involved, especially if someone has a lead or one of the larger supporting roles. It is not a negative on college applications at all, and is actually a very, very strong positive if they are involved in something like this all 4 years in high school vs having 20 activities that they spend 1 hour hear and there doing...

It is all about choices---you just can't do everything you want. The football players can't play soccer too or the volleyball players can't also be on the tennis team. Some schools do make accommodations but no program is going to allow too many conflicts...even in schools where you can do more than one activity, they almost always make you declare a primary activity so if there is a conflict they know where you will be.

 

[mnrose]

Even if it limits your other activities, colleges know this, they know the level of commitment involved, especially if someone has a lead or one of the larger supporting roles. It is not a negative on college applications at all, and is actually a very, very strong positive if they are involved in something like this all 4 years in high school vs having 20 activities that they spend 1 hour hear and there doing...

It is all about choices---you just can't do everything you want. The football players can't play soccer too or the volleyball players can't also be on the tennis team. Some schools do make accommodations but no program is going to allow too many conflicts...even in schools where you can do more than one activity, they almost always make you declare a primary activity so if there is a conflict they know where you will be.

Totally agree. Every college admissions person I've spoken with has said they look for "passion" in a student. My D has been doing theater/dancing/singing consistently since she was 3 years old. If that doesn't show "passion," well then, I'm confused about the meaning of the word. LOL! It can take a while for a kid to find their "passion," but it sure looks better than "I was in 20 things while in high school, but stuck to nothing long term." Right now, her problem is that she wants to keep doing her musical theater group AND do the play. That is never going to work, unless she gives up sleeping.

 

[tvguy]

Not sure why you quoted me and what this has to do with the OP's question.

Anyway, well aware of this. We do have a child on a travel team. It is very expensive.

However, since the OP said in her title this was a high school play, my response was only for high school sports.

Because you brought up the limitations.