About DD not getting a part - again

We have this at our stage school. Same people get the main parts including the owners daughter. Come to think of it, this happens at school as well. Prime example recently "only people who come to rehearsal every week gets a solo" then the 2 solos are given to kids who were not there first the first meet due to being taken out of school for a family holiday.

I agree you should say something but from experience they will do what they want every time.

Sorry but this defeats the object of attending stage school…. The whole point is boost confidence etc… if she’s not getting parts this will kick her confidence!

I would be approaching the organiser and asking why DC 1 didn’t get a part and considering moving her to a more inclusive drama group!
my DD attended dance school when younger and everyone got a part… everyone!
I would in the first instance ask politely why they haven’t been chosen for the last 5 plays!

Absolutely raise it

Being a stage school Mum is all about pushing your kid forward 😆

Email the person who runs the club and say that you enrolled your DDs to improve their confidence and public speaking skills, but if they're not on stage as even a small part of the performance this isn't going to happen, even in rehearsals, so the club isn't suiting their needs.

Can they recommend another club in the area which is more inclusive and what's the refund policy for a performing arts class where the kids don't actually get to perform?

I bet they'll get back to you quick smart with a role for DD rather than lose two paying customers.

You've hired this person to teach your DC certain skills, they're not doing that so you'll need to find someone who can.

You say her voice isn’t strong enough for large parts - how does her voice compare to the other kids’ voices? Because if there are lots of kids with strong voices, I can see the logic of her not getting a part.

I did high school theater, but I was in set crew more than I wanted to be because I can’t sing. I got one pretty good dramatic supporting role, but there was only one non-musical a year and I kept losing parts to older students. Eventually I just burned out on the whole thing because there was no way for me to advance or grow within theater, so I can understand your daughter’s frustration.

Just reading "She knows herself that her voice isn’t strong enough for the lead roles so she auditions for the smaller parts." And wondering if the teacher is actually aware that she's desperate for a part?

You've said the above plus she has no intention of taking it further and that she loves to go and be with her friends.

There's a possibility the teacher thinks your dc actually isn't that fussed about parts?

In my dc group the ones who go for the lead roles and don't get them tend to get a smaller consolation part.

Maybe mention how she feels to the teacher now then encourage her to push herself a bit, go for a larger role and get noticed?

My two go to a stage school - Every child has a speaking part in every show (Some are a lot smaller than others, but they all get a chance to speak). They all also do all of the singing/dancing, although some of the ones with good voices will get singing solos.

Don't get me wrong, they definitely have their favourites - people who always get good parts, but generally they are quite fair. They are also really good at making sure that children with SENs are well represented.

I agree with what other people have said about asking what your dd can do to improve her chances of getting a part in the first instance, but I also understand your frustration - If you're paying the same as everyone else, then your dd should be given a chance

@HeadElephant You’ve nailed it. I run a touring production. Whilst being a sub-standard musician wouldn’t get you the part, being ‘good enough’ but a great person to work with (& spend 8 hours with on a car journey) would swing it for me every time.

My DD attends a dance school where they have an annual show. Everyone gets to dance, and they rotate around the stage.

DD's still shoved in the back row for the start & more difficult parts of the dance, as she only does one type & it's just fun for her & she's not very good compared to the dancers who do 7 types of dance & compete. They get the prime spots. The school posts SM with pictures of them at the concerts, and going off to elite dance schools after graduation or getting parts in community productions.

In the end it's a business and all about marketing. The ones who make the school look good will always be front & centre.

I'd be asking how we could work with the school to make a plan support DC technique, because they haven't been in the last X number of shows & you're aware they should be in more.

That was our first theatre school and a reason to swap.

The second one was very clear about providing private lesson and had several children in West End shows/Performing Arts Secondary schools but their "normal" lessons were still very inclusive and while DD never had a solo in Musical Theatre, she had plenty of good lines and floor space in their shows.

If I pay a small fortune for the annual show and ensure she attends rehersal all the time, then I also think the school should ensure there is a place for everyone.

DD now decided to concentrate on drama only in an amateur theatre because that's where her main interest and talent lies. While the youth group is open to everyone, the older teens have the opportunity to participate in the theatre's general plays and that's then by audition/invitation only.

I would ask.

My dd belonged to a drama club, but every child would have a part in the annual show - ie a few lines.

She may feel that people will be watching ''her'' shows, so she wants them to be as slick as possible, rather than be fun like a school play.

Ha! In my experience (3 x dc), schools are the very worst for not giving everyone a ‘turn’. In each of my dc’s cohorts, there were always a dozen or so children who were the pool for the main parts every time. They went to a large primary, so 85/90 children per year group.

Just speak to the teacher OP. You don't need a host of anonymous MNers to tell you this isn't on.

And just to add…

I think your daughter is very sensible not wanting to make this her career. There are very few of us who earn enough to make ends meet! 😐

I guess it depends if you were initially lead to believe that everyone gets a part. If not, then surely it’s about the best audition? Is your daughter distressed that she’s not being given a part? Definitely go back to the musical director and ask how she can improve. If however your daughter is more concerned about the social aspect of it then I wouldn’t worry.

I might be showing my age here, but no production (kids, adult, professional or amateur) I’ve performed in, or cast has ever been about everyone getting a part.

Ok I'm going to get blasted.

I was in YMT and various am dram as a child. I wasn't very good. My DM thought I was, so I started to believe I was. I know now I was not.

My DM told me for years that I was being robbed/should have had lead singing and speaking roles. I actually wasn't very good.

It took me until my late teens to realise this because my DM was telling me and everyone else otherwise. I now wish she hadn't.

Could it be that your DD just isn't up to the roles?

I have done drama as a hobby - I think sometimes people casting get very stuck on certain ideas and start to overlook or ignore some people. I would very much ask questions about what the situation is, and what can be done. Giving 2 parts to one person and none to another is really poor, IMO

If you think you will struggle to be polite about it, maybe send an email instead? Don’t fly it off: write it, leave it then come back to it.

Dear Mrs Drama Lady,

Please would you mind having a chat with Arabella and giving some pointers about how she could improve her audition technique for the next show? She’s feeling a bit disheartened not to have had a speaking part in quite a while. Thank you for everything you do for the stage school. Lily especially is really loving it at the moment.

Best wishes
Janet

God, I don't mean this to sound contentious, but could there be a reason why they don't get picked?

So, for example, one of my DC got picked quite a lot by the drama teacher and the other always got included some way or another. One time I went up to the Drama teacher and I thanked her for always including my DC. The response I got was quite a surprise. She said to me, "Thanks, but they are the ones doing me a favour. Your DC are really reliable. I know they are going to turn up and I know they are going to learn their lines and make loads of effort, so I can get on with sorting out the rest of them".

Thinking about it the teacher needs to put on a good show, that the parents are going to enjoy, and where the kids are going to turn up ready. I can now see why they pick certain DC all the time. A friend of mine was always writing letters of complaint to the school as her drama enthusiasts never got picked for games fixtures so she thought they should at least get the drama main parts. The truth was they were always late, and always off sick, so despite being good at acting, they didn't get picked as they were unreliable.

The point I am trying to make is that there is actually much more to it than picking good actors, and giving DC a fair turn.

Could you afford a few private lessons?
In my experience it's quite often the kids who have private lessons that get the big parts because the teacher knows them better and knows what they're capable of. It isn't really fair but it's the way it works.
I'd definitely talk to the teacher, explain how she's feeling and ask if some private lessons might help.
Is your dd quiet/middle of the road child?
Sadly they do quite often end up being a bit "forgotten" which may have happened here.

I'm willing to bet that once you point out how long it's been a part is magically available for the next show.

This exactly. What you want to email them is a really respectful and polite way of phrasing it that won’t get the stage schools back up. It’s a gentle hint to them to consider your daughter for future parts and keeps her on their brain and then they can justify what she needs to do to get the next part.

^This!^

There is usually politics and nepotism involved in kids am-dram

My DC have been to a few stage school type clubs and I've noticed at some of them there is a core set of parents who schmooze with the principal and their DC get most parts.