Am I wrong to feel upset?

sopranomom92
Mon, 07 Jun 2010 17:23:02 +0000

Very interesting thread. Having been on the casting side multiple times, and also being a mom of a performer, I can really see both sides. Snoggie, I’m wondering: are you concerned about your D having dropped out of ensemble in one production in order to do a lead in another? It’s quite possible that the directors of the first show won’t forget that. I wouldn’t. In the future, if the choice is between your D and someone else, I would question whether your D will truly make the commitment. I hope that hasn’t been her habit. I can think back a few years when we had one truly talented boy who did a similar thing (multiple times), and one of our (very prominent) directors told me “I wouldn’t cast that kid if he were the only one to show up at the audition!” So, I do hope bridges have not been burned. (Of course, that kid later ended up touring w/ a bus and truck Broadway show, and much more, so I suppose no harm was done…)

That said, I also had the experience of a young lady doing something similar–dropping her commitment to a dress rehearsal so that she could go to “an important professional audition.” I had a very long talk with her regarding follow-through and loyalty/commitment and I urged her to think carefully about her actions in the future lest she get a reputation of being unreliable, and begin to be overlooked in casting. She took my words very carefully to heart, and she did end up being very clear about her commitments, and became exceedingly reliable in future years.

I do completely understand the need for participation in a show or whatever to be “worth the students’ time” and I agree that students and parents need to make choices to make sure that each experience is a positive learning experience for the kid. We’ve tried to avoid those situations where the only thing a kid is learning is what NOT to do when he or she becomes the director! Students need the best possible directors, whether it is community theater, performing arts HS, the church musical or wherever.