My first experience as a HS theater parent has not been positive...

[marcyinPA]

My DS15 found out yesterday that he made the cast of the Spring musical (Singing in the Rain). He was really excited!

Well, today the principal called a cast meeting and told the kids that the director resigned for personal reasons, that they need to find a new director, that the show may change, and that they most likely will have to audition again.

I found out later that the reason the director resigned is because parents were causing a stink because he cast a freshman in the lead role (male). He couldn't take the crap and he quit.

I know the freshman guy who was cast, and he is INCREDIBLY talented and has years of experience, plus he can tap dance. The role was made for him.

Parents should be ashamed of themselves...causing a stink over something like this.

My DS15 made the company, so not a lead role. He is bummed because he's afraid if he has to audition again, he may not make it.

I feel bad for all of the kids.

 

[Becky2005]

I'm so sorry. That totally stinks for the kids!!! Now the poor Freshman probably won't try out again either because you know he won't have a chance at all to get lead -- even if he is the most talented. So, basically he gets punished for being more talented than someone older than him? Isn't that how it's supposed to go in life? The ones with the more experience, talent, etc... are rewarded.

Ahh...as I tell my DD all the time "High School is SO not real life".

 

[ashleybea]

I'm so sorry! My high school was like that. I was in drama for all four years and it was so clique-y and the directors had favorites. People would cry and quit because they didn't get the part they wanted.
Just tell your son to do whatever he did the time before! He got a part before so hopefully he'll get in again. And if not, and he still wants to be in drama then to do stage crew.
I hope they find a new director, I did Singin' in the rain one year, it was such a fun show!

 

[golfgal]

That is so sad. When will some parents grow up???

 

[themilesfamily]

Parents should be ashamed of themselves...causing a stink over something like this.

If this is in fact what happened, then yes, they should. So what if he's a freshman -- if he won the part fair and square, more power to him.

Unfortunately it seems like there are these kinds of buttinski parents in all kids activities. Dance, cheerleading, scouting, hockey, whatever...there they are. I hear about this kind of stuff a lot from friends with kids.

 

[EclecticWAHM]

Ugh. That stinks. I can't stand parents like that. Who cares if the kid is a freshman? Wow.

 

[janets]

My son is a 7th grader in middle school. He tried out for the show last year (Seussical, Jr.) and was one of only 2 or 3 6th graders who got a speaking part. He also was understudy for the lead. Well, lo and behold, the 8th grader with the lead quits, and DS is moved up. We had been told before going to middle school not to get our hopes up of getting a part and here he is with the lead.

After an awkward few days (the kids were more nervous about a 6th grader carrying the show) they all embraced him and it was terrific. Now this year, they are doing High School Musical and my 7th grader tries out and get the lead as Troy. We're super excited about it.

We have one more year in MS and then off to HS. There are 2 teaches who run the drama program and they have a lock on it. If they don't want you, you're not in. They didn't have a single 9th grader in the fall production. Didn't even let them audition. So we don't know what will happen when DS gets up there, but you can bet that I'll stay out of it. He has to sink or swim on his own talent, and he needs to learn that there are times in this life when things are not fair and people get things based on who they know, not what they know.

I'm sorry your drama teacher felt he had to quit. Frankly, if he felt he made the right choice, he should have stuck to his guns and told those parents to butt out.

 

[Beachbumpirates]

What a shame you son has to deal with another audition. I think it was great that a freshman was cast in the lead. Our silly HS is of the belief that they would rather cast an average senior than a super freshman since it is their "last year". We always laugh that they would never use that philosophy with the championship football team, would they? Tell your DS to break a leg - good luck!

 

[shortbun]

As a freshman, I got the lead in the school musical and took some heat for it. My girlfriend's very experienced and talented daughter, a freshman, got the lead in Alice and Wonderland just this week. I'm betting she'll get some flack as well. It's contraversial but the best talent should be cast in the best rolls. Sorry for your son. The principal should have taken the heat off your director and supported him. Tell him the more try-out experience he has, the better he'll become. It's the truth.

 

[natenapril]

We live in a small town so the Jr high (7 and 8th) and the sr high (9-12) are all in the same school. My DD IS IN THE 8TH grade and was able to get one of the lead role in the play. Yes, some high schoolers were irked but eventually the team embraced her and she wasn't too concerned with what others thought. It turned out great in the end.

Really there are just way too many helicopter parents out there who got mad when their little suzy doesn't make the part. It reminds of the girl off of The Diary of the Wimpy Kid (the movie)

 

[Ppufi]

Sadly, most HS productions are seniority based. I got a callback for a lead last year and I was hated and ignored for most of it. Freshmen are never welcome, new people are never welcome. Plus, our school has a double whammy, as the girls from the dance studio our choreographer owns always get preference because she only has to teach them once and they're expected to practice on their own. It's the nature of the beast, really. There's always going to be people getting in because they are in, older, or whatever.

It's truly unfair though, as it takes away from what theater is, making yet another popularity contest and chance to assert status, instead of performing an art.

 

[SydSim]

UGGHHh! Drama can be such......drama I heard about the whole "freshmen don't get leads" things before Dd got to high school. It irked me a little, but i accepted it, knowing that she had three more years to prove herself. Well, auditions were coming up and what do ya know......Dd got sick and was out of school for two weeks! She was actually going to miss the auditions completely (and it is her most favorite musical of all time!)

Despite being extremely tired from being sick, we video taped her audition and sent it to the director. Lo and behold, she got one of the smaller leads (the exact one that she wanted - gets to sing a solo too) I can only imagine the drama that that's causing right now - a freshman, who wasn't even there for the auditions, getting one of the leads! UGH!

Happy for DD, scared for drama that may come.

 

[mjkacmom]

My dd14 will audition for the play this year, even though it's pretty well known it's already been cast (she'll make the chorus). We have a very strong musical theater program, so there is no chance that our director would ever quit over something like this! You really need to have some thick skin to participate in this.

 

[Andtototoo]

Same thing happened with my coworker's dd on the volleyball team -- she was a sophomore who was put on varsity by the coach, only the girls never accepted her and started a gossip/FB war against her. The coach refused to do anything about it because she felt the girl being bullied should just toughen up. The principal was the one who suspended the ringleaders -- who btw were the team captains -- from 3 games. The very next game, the coach pulled out the victim and replaced her with the team captain.

There is drama anywhere there are humans.