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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Rubbish role

81 replies

catty1234 · 24/05/2013 22:21

My DD is a good singer and actor (she really is, im not being the flattering mother) and today she audition for a main part in her school play. Saw her audition while practising and was honestly really good!
She came home today crying saying that she was something like a bush, told she was untalented and all the favourites that have had every main role and every solo in every school play have got the main parts.
She said she would not be a bush and go through hour's of rehearsals for 1 line.
So IABU to send a letter in requesting she help backstage, because she wanted to do this if she didn't get the role she wanted.
P.s this play has been her fav since she was 3 and the character has been her fav as well. She is now year 6

OP posts:
gordyslovesheep · 24/05/2013 22:23

well I'd get the facts first

Original poster
catty1234 · 24/05/2013 22:24

She told me, I check it out with her class mates and Parents and they all say the same thing. She also has a phobia of snakes! The teachers know about this.

OP posts:
Annunziata · 24/05/2013 22:24

YABU, that's life.

Annunziata · 24/05/2013 22:24

What have snakes got to do with it?

Original poster
catty1234 · 24/05/2013 22:25

She told me, I check it out with her class mates and Parents and they all say the same thing. She also has a phobia of snakes! The teachers know about this.

OP posts:
BoundandRebound · 24/05/2013 22:25

What has fear of makes got to do with it?

WorraLiberty · 24/05/2013 22:26

Yes get the facts first

"The teacher's favourites got given all the good parts" is a very old chestnut I'm afraid.

I'm not saying she's lying, just that it's normally the first thing kids say when they get upset at no getting the role they want.

Personally I'd be teaching her that if this is the sort of thing she wants to do, she has to learn to take the disappointment on the chin and act graciously

It's not very gracious to refuse to take the role she's been offered.

Original poster
catty1234 · 24/05/2013 22:26

She Has to play a snake soz forgot to put that

OP posts:
Shakey1500 · 24/05/2013 22:26

Who would have told her she was? Perhaps that's a little white lie on the back of being upset or an exaggeration. You would be being unreasonable to write any sort of letter. Better to use it as a lesson that rejection exists, bushes are important and it's about the whole piece, not individual roles. Believe me, a letter would not go down well and would have "sour grapes" plastered all over it.

Shakey1500 · 24/05/2013 22:27

*untalented

DameFanny · 24/05/2013 22:27

How is she with flies and wine-stains?

LemonBreeland · 24/05/2013 22:27

It's tough but it's life. She will have to get used to it.

And snakes? Confused

WorraLiberty · 24/05/2013 22:28

She's a bush or a snake?

And what does pretending to be a snake have to do with being scared of them?

The teacher actually stood there and said to her face, "You're untalented"?

gordyslovesheep · 24/05/2013 22:28

you don't know that the 'favorites' aren't better than her though - they may well be - if she's a good actor she will adapt to her role

annh · 24/05/2013 22:29

So is she a snake or a bush? There seems to be confusion there! Although she may be very good, is it possible that others who auditioned were even better? And I honestly can't believe that whoever was running the auditions told her she was untalented! How do you know what actually happened at the audition? Were the other parents there?

Original poster
catty1234 · 24/05/2013 22:29

Just a bit mad as she has been practising for 2 months and unlike others needed no scrip. Its always the favs at this school. sigh

OP posts:
AgentZigzag · 24/05/2013 22:31

Who did she say called her untalented?

It's a bit crap for whoever puts the plays on not to rotate who does the main roles.

And what role does the bush play? (a bush?? Confused is that like having lobsters written into the nativity?)

They would be unreasonable to make her sit round for hours just for one line, I would say ask them about the backstage help, there must be other things they can make use of her for.

Original poster
catty1234 · 24/05/2013 22:32

The p.t.a. freind on the P.T.A told me.

OP posts:
marriedinwhiteagain · 24/05/2013 22:32

It isn't the winning it's the taking part.

AgentZigzag · 24/05/2013 22:32

Oh, it's got a bit more complicated as I was writing that Grin

Wuldric · 24/05/2013 22:34

People used to say this about DS. That somehow he was a favoured child because he always got a main role. DD (who was older) was always a branch or a root or a star or something. I used to get mildly indignant on behalf of DD, but then when I saw DS I sort of got the point. Sometimes people see things that we as parents do not.

gordyslovesheep · 24/05/2013 22:34

well she got a role - she needs to be prepared to take knocks if she wants to make a go of acting - she doesn't really need a stage mum wading in every time she gets a knock back though

WorraLiberty · 24/05/2013 22:35

Who told her she was untalented?

nightingalefloor · 24/05/2013 22:37

Oh gosh, I'm dreading the whole school play thing next year already [insert worried emotion here] Was she actually told that she had no talent, or was that just how DD took it? Sadly I doubt the teachers can take into consideration favourite plays and favourite characters when allocating the parts. I think it is worth bearing in mind as well that as parents, we can think our DCs are better than they actually are, we can think we're objective but really you can't escape from the fact that they're your child, not completely, not unless they're truly terrible.

Are there other children helping out backstage, or is everyone expected to be in the play? I hate to say it, but her wanting to help backstage and not be in it at all if she didn't get one particular part does make her sound a tad spolit Hmm

AgentZigzag · 24/05/2013 22:38

'well she got a role'

You've managed to make the bush/snake combo sound almost award worthy there gordy Grin