Casting High School Dramatic Productions: Talent + ?

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This letter was in my morning newspaper:

Quote:

Regarding the_______________ High School musicals, disgrunteld parents take not!

Are you as disgruntled as I am about the methods by which the students are chosen for roles at Pleasant Vallle? I feel that my daughter was discriminated against. Students are not chosen by their talent.

The teacher told the students that if their parents could not commit to building a set, painting, helping backstage, etc., then they would not be considered fora major role. The director told my daughter, "This is how it is in the real world." He also gave my handicapped daughter on a walker a dancing role two years ago.

Fair? Unfair?

What do you think.

Please contact me at _______________________ if your child has been treated unfairly as I am planning to go to the school board.

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"This is how it is in the real world."

Ha! Only if he propositioned her for sex.

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Yep, it sounds like this parent would rather spend his/her time complaining rather than helping out with the show.

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What? Did this parent think they could just go sit in the stands and yell obscenties at the director (coach) for not playing their child enough?

The director may have hit on something here. If the parent isn't willing to be committed why should they expect the child would be?

I remember when they shot "Grumpy Old Men" in town. Walter Matthau's 97 year old mother did makeup. Jack Lemmon's 92 year old dad worked in craft services handing out breakfast burritos. But the best was Burgess Meredith brought his mother's coffin to use as a bench for the crew to rest on between takes. See, it does work that way in the real world.

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I know that the stage crew and the business staff spend between three and four hours for every hour of cast rehearsal time.

What I find wonderful is that the writer of this letter obviously expects the parents of less-talented children to sweat to produce a production worthy of her child's talent.

Oh, Brave New World.

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mac11 wrote:

Yep, it sounds like this parent would rather spend his/her time complaining rather than helping out with the show.

True, but not all parents have the ability to commit time towards volunteer work. Expecting the parents to help backstage is a bit much, anyhow -- especially since building, painting, and working is valuable experience for many students who want to be involved in stage business but don't or can't act. Hell, most of the work (climbing around on scaffolds, organizing heavy lighting equipment while hanging on the catwalks) is more difficult for aging parents to do than their agile, young children.

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I would say the parent definitely factors in in some cases. I was the star of my high school musical and their was a stipulation in our contract that we and our parents would devote 25 hours of work to the show. Still have the costume that my mom sewed... haha

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Casting High School Dramatic Productions: Talent + ?

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