Am I wrong to feel upset?

ajsurfs
Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:43:00 +0000

My son started attending a large, well funded performing arts public high school as a junior and was informed by other students when he came in that the majority of parts go to a small group of students. It seemed that shows were precast and chosen with this group of students in mind. As a newcomer, he was lucky enough to have some great ensemble and supporting rolls over the 2 years he attended that school and was very satisfied with the theatre education he received. Some of the 40 theatre kids in his class that had been attending since 9th grade had never been cast, even in ensemble rolls. Of those kids studying theatre in high school, only a few have gone on to pursue theatre in college. It is not surprising to me that the students that were not part of the “group” have no interest in pursuing a career in the arts. It’s a rough business. As high school educators as well as directors, do you think the theatre department has an obligation to be more supportive?