D ended up being cast as her favorite role in a student production at a prof. Theater 1 hour from home. She’s happy as a clam in her new environment, but plans on trying high school shows in the future as well. Thanks all for terrific advice.
There are some High Schools in Georgia, Texas and Indiana where the productions look like professional theatres.
If you have never seen GUYS AND DIVAS (great documentary), check it out.
Here is a great article from 2005: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/theater/newsandfeatures/08gree.html?_r=0
(It talks about a $180,000 production of Beauty and the Beast. That is just south of my entire summer’s production budget - and I pay all of my actors.)
I saw productions of Dreamgirls and The Color Purple at Tri-Cities High School in Atlanta, and both were better than the National Tours.
Hope our HS in Indiana is on your list!
Our high school pays EC sponsors. Drama is a two person position, and actually one of the highest paid - at $3500 each.
But we receive no $$ from the school system either (besides the sponsors being paid) - everything is entirely self funded. Costumes, sets, rights, outside directors (if we choose), programs, tickets, posters, props - we even bought 2 additional body mics last year.
ETA: I just glanced over the NY Times article (I’ll read in depth later) but I have to add … my daughter’s voice teacher is a grad of one of the high schools mentioned. (It’s a top tier high school … but even more tippy top years ago.) Anyway, when she was in high school, the kids received their "borrowed’ costumes. Inside each piece (shoes included) were the name of the Broadway performer who last wore them. To live that life!) 