<p>My school has a very interesting situation when in comes to casting. Yes the seniors will get the big roles becuase they have worked for it, but we also have a girl that is a professional (why she is going to my school I don't know) and will get leads just because she is professional, over more capible better people. Do you think this policy is fair? Last year we did Grease and she got Sandy simply becuase she had the resume. My school is not an arts school by any strech of hte imagination. we are on the Board of Educations money for theater and they yanked it this year for Bye Bye Birdie and so now we are doing a revue. The three teachers that run the program are increadibly unorganized. Everytime they said they would put up the cast list, they decided to have one more audition and would cancel auditions without notifying anyone. The director can't even be at our rehersals becuase he is also the College Counsler and an English teacher.</p>
<p>DefyingGravity04, it sounds as if you are not happy with the way you perceive casting is done at your HS, and, from what you told us in your post, it certainly doesn't sound as if productions are a priority. That's too bad. I think we would all acknowledge that the arts are just as important (and, to some kids, more important) than are athletics, yet at many schools, there is such an emphasis on sports and the arts (drama, visual art, music, etc.) is treated as an afterthought. That's too bad. Unfortunately for you, this is a situation where you have to "bloom where you're planted," so you must try your best to make the best of it.
I won't comment on your assertion that a classmate gets leads only because she is a professional, because I don't know the situation or the girl involved. Is this young woman really making money (being paid) to perform in musical theater productions, or did you mean that she is a "professional" because, for instance, she models or does commercials?
L</p>
<p>No she has appeared in Law and Order, walk ons in movies. She was on the national tour of Annie when she was 8, as I think Kate and understudy for Annie and she has an extensive resume at the community theaters in the area and state. She also worked at the American Girl PLace in the city as Molly in their theatrical production.</p>
<p>Thought I would chime in as well. My d's school operates a bit differently. It is a performing arts high school with individual areas of specialization. Through the drama dept, which my d is in they put on a number of different plays/musicals per year. All operate differently to incorporate a bit of many of the ideas discussed here. In her drama department only shows, they tend to be cast by seniority over talent in many cases. There does seem to be many techniques or things they may be looking for the have not been taught yet to freshman - juniors. The roles are spread out in order to give different people opportunities and place people in roles that they may not have typically thought of auditioning for. My daughter has had opportunities to help backstage, run the light board, help with costumes and sets. She has also been ensemble in most of those shows. I think it is very much of a learning process. I have always told my d to enjoy and learn from every role whether front and center as a lead, or in the last row on stage in the ensemble. </p>
<p>But on the otherhand, there is a schoolwide musical done every year. There does not seem to be any consideration to age in this casting at all. Last year as a sophomore, my d was cast as one of the five nun leads in Nunsense. Actually 4 of the 5 girls were sophomores and only 1 junior! This year the show is Into the Woods. The leads are very spread out as are the departments to which they are cast from. There are vocal students cast, dance students cast and drama students cast from various grades. It is more of a fun school-wide musical! There is definitely no grade consideration in this (I guess unless it is a tie).</p>
<p>My D's school, like Kaysmom is a performing arts school - grades 4-12 and my biggest problem with the casting is that they seem to inconsistently apply both theories of casting, sometime senority and sometimes talent, and sometimes I can't figure out what. And that is what i find frustrating. Now my D has been the beneficiary of the none seniority casting, since as an 8th grader she was cast as in a small but featured part and all other feature and leads went to 11th and 12th graders. But I find at her school much of the casting seems capricious and I think that is what is most difficult to deal with.
The school says all parts are open to all students, but in fact the 4-8th grade students audition at different times and with different vocal and dance pieces. I have tried to just not let it mean too much and D seems to take it with even less concern. She has consistently been cast in the major musical and enjoys it. And me, I just try not to stress about who gets what part, and compare D to so and so, since it really does no good. (please not the word try above since I fequently do stress about it and pretend that it has seem deep meaning about D's future.)</p>
<p>Just as update regarding the NYSSA Drama program auditions which were held in this region today. D showed up for her scheduled time and found that she knew all three of the other students waiting there! What really surpised her was that the woman who identified herself as the "Head Adjudicator" told my D- and her classmate that was also there- that there was virtually NO chance that they would be accepted into the program this year as they were both "young" and this was their "first year auditioning for them". OK, this really perplexes me as the brochure lists these summer programs as "open to all students in grades 8 through 12".While I understand that there are a limited amount of spots available, perhaps they should change their text to read "Only Juniors and Seniors need apply"? Around here, many of the "town sponsored" summer theatre programs are already filled(and are limited to residents of those towns) and one must pay "up front" for these and no refunds are given. The NYSSA programs offer financial aid and so are atractive for those of us who are stretching the budget to manage the lessons etc, to begin with- and then, we get told this sort of thing at the last minute? I must say that this same "restriction" was not mentioned at the other NYSSA camp auditiions-only the Drama one.
She still has one more audition scheduled for after her school play and first on the waiting list for another production, so we'll see...
If anyone has any ideas for summer programs that might still have openings, please PM me! Thanks!</p>
<p>Gosh, Lulu'sMomma, it doesn't seem right to me that someone would discourage a student (no matter what age!) before even seeing what the student could do, especially in light of the fact that your D and her buddies are within the stated age range of the camp/program. Did your D go ahead and audition? Is there any way that the head adjudicator could have just been trying to soften the blow in case the young students ended up being rejected? (In other words, if, in her experience, the younger students do not usually make it, she might have been -- foolishly, imo -- trying to give them an "out" so they wouldn't feel so bad afterward <em>is</em> they didn't get in.) Please don't think that because I ask this, I approve it of. I think the professional thing to do would have been to let all students who show up for the audition audition, and then make their decisions according to who is most talented, etc.
Let us know what happens. I wish I could tell you about other summer programs in your area, but I can't. I grew up in Camillus (outside Syracuse) but was a horseback rider myself. No drama! That's why I so appreciate this board: it helps me be a better MT mom to my budding Broadway star. :)
LDE</p>
<p>i think it's quite possible that what the adjudicator was saying was really EXACTLY what it sounded like she was saying:</p>
<p>it sounds to me like she was trying to tell your D that, though they do accept apps from students in grades 8-12, older students USUALLY get the spots and that it usually takes a few years of being "in their heads" (ie a few years of auditioning) to actually get one of those spots. drama is possibly the most competitive of all the areas offered, and so the spots are more likely to go to students with the most experience (who are usually the older students).</p>
<p>i understand that it's frustrating to live in such a small area with seemingly limited opportunities -- but it sounds like your daughter is actually in a good place. if she has one more audition coming up and a likelihood of getting off that waiting list, then she's really in good shape. i know it's tempting to try and completely fill your summer with theatre-related endeavors, but sometimes it's just not possible (either financially or time-wise). in the time she doesn't get to have a "scheduled" theatre experience, explore other avenues: see if she can get a (possibly volunteer) job stuffing programs or ushering at a local theatre, aide a dance teacher in summer classes, or volunteer to help with tech/props/costumes on local shows -- even just READING plays is important. </p>
<p>if the opportunities aren't there, she has to learn to MAKE them for herself (with your help). this skill will follow her through college and into the performing field and will prove very useful. trust me -- if i hadn't learned that pretty early, i would never have been able to get into the few music/theatre classes that i have this year. it's all about persistence and doing literally WHATEVER you can.</p>
<p>good luck,
maggie</p>
<p>Well said, Maggie. And so right. One of the things performers need to be able to do is to see opportunities where others don't, and make use of them. And reading plays IS very important. My D studies drama at an arts high school (public) and they have to read at least a play a month and answers questions/write an essay about it. The school also takes the kids to see a lot of plays and musicals produced in theatres here. It seems to me that that is all part of an actor's education.</p>
<p>I think we all also have to remember that when our children choose to go into MT (or acting, etc.), they are putting themselves into the position to constantly be judged, and that they (and we!) are not always going to agree with the judgment that those, um, judges :) make! Maggie, you point out that the woman at NYSSA was probably just being truthful and warning the younger auditioners that they likely would not get in, due to the fact that the limited spaces go to the qualified, older kids. That makes sense. (Frankly, had I been the adjudicator, I wouldn't have said anything and just would have let them audition and made my decision. But that is not what this woman did.)</p>
<p>In any case, I agree with it sounds as if Lulu'sMomma's D does have some opps to do theater-related stuff this summer, and that's the important thing. I hope that Lulu'sMomma's daughter appreciates how hard her mom is working to help her find venues to practice and build her skills.</p>
<p>L</p>
<p>Yep, we're trying, and have received a LOT of assistance from people on these boards that are sending us info on various programs. Thank you all! As for the woman at the NYSSA audition, yes, we understand that there are few openings, but it would have been nicer if she hadn't said anything at all- or at least, waited until the reading was over. To sit a youngster down before she auditions and tell her that there is "really no chance at all of getting in" was not the best sense of timing that I have ever encountered!! D has 4 more auds.lined up, so we'll see what happens next.</p>