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Original poster

youth drama group being bullied by theatre management! I am shocked!!

37 replies

tigermoth · 01/04/2006 08:56

Oh where do I begin!

My nearly 12 year old son belongs to a youth drama group (age 11 - 16) attached to a local theatre. The theatre puts on amateur dramatic productions.This is why it exists. It is not a professional theatre. It had charitable status.

There are politics surrounding the youth theatre group and main management.They don't get on. The group has been going for years but do not know how long the politics have been an issue. I do not know all the ins and outs as I am a newish parent.

Anyway - get this!

Someone from the management came to inspect the play at the dress rehearsal on Wednesday. He then came backstage and told the helpers in front of the teenagers that the play was a complete shambles and under rehearsed (not exact words but close). He was gong to cancel the first performance of the play (thursday). They had one more chace to pull things together otherwise the performances on Friday and Saturday would be cancelled too as they were not worthy of an audience. Some of the lead actors were in tears by the time he finished.

My son only has a small chorus part in this paly so was not particuarly affected, but I feel so bad for the cast. I think the manager was outrageous - theatre work is meant to build confidence, not knock it. Fair enough if the play was not up to scratch - why didn't the manager talk alone to the adult helpers and tell the kids that the first performance was being pulled due to poor ticket sales or at least be a bit more diplomatic in how they critcised the performance?

Also over all sorts of admin and publicity details, the management are being very obstructive and uncommunicative. I was helping backstage yesterday( first night) and found out all sorts of depressing facts. According to one person I spoke to, the management don't want the youth theatre to exist, as it brings in no revenue.

The performance last night was fab, btw, the actors were really together and worked so hard. I have so much admiration for the adult helpers - many of them ex youth group members. They are such a nice bunch and all deserve so much better.

As I walked out of the theatre at 10.00 pm and turned into the high street, my son and I witnessed a gang of teenagers throwing traffic bollards around and fighting. It was quite scary, but sadly a not uncommon occurance around this area. I contrasted this to the scene I had just left.

I am just so cross! I don't know what to do. I am tempted to write a letter of complaint to the management but don't want to make the things worse for the theatre group.

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WideWebWitch · 01/04/2006 08:59

How awful tigermoth. Is there a committee or something that you could take this to? I don't know what else to suggest. I do think you ought to complain - are there any other parents you could rope in so it's not just you?

beetroot · 01/04/2006 09:00

f'ing amateurs. They are to big for their own boots. They wouldn'tlast five mins in the professionsl theatre. And obviously no experience of working with youngsters either..hmmm....i would write a letter.

EnidVonTeese · 01/04/2006 09:02

this doesnt surprise me I am afraid

they (the local theatre) may receive funding which often means they are required to have some provision for 'youth', but that doesn't mean the old buggers have to like it (I suffer this A LOT in my job at an arts centre).

If you can find out who funds them, you could cause them a lot of grief by contacting the funders and letting them know about this.

If you dont, then contact them and threaten them with the local paper

Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:08

The theatre is named after a famous deceased hollywood actor who used to live locally. I think that's where the funding comes from, not the local authority, so does it make a difference if it is private?

I am itching to write a letter. I am sure one or two other parents at least would be keen to do something - we were talking about it last night.

I really don't want to rock the boat though, if it means the theatre will then find a way of banning the group.

Enid - I thought of you and your arts centre politics - and beetroot glad I've caught you - I saw you posting just now so hurredly started this thread on purpose!

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Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:10

www, I believe there is a committee, so will find out more, but I need to be very sure of my approach as I think any outspokenness will open a can of worms.

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EnidVonTeese · 01/04/2006 09:11

if you have any publicity from the theatre the funders should be on there

would be very surprised if it exists entirely without funding although it might

If they hate the group tigermoth they would have banned it by now. I don't see how contacting them will make anything worse. You could contact them with details of training courses in working with Youth Theatre - there is one running at the moment at Bournemouth Uni, only 6 weeks and you can get a subsidy to go on it Grin

they'd love that

SorenLorensen · 01/04/2006 09:12

Kind of confirms everything I've ever suspected about (adult) amateur dramatics...

EnidVonTeese · 01/04/2006 09:13

the arts centre I work at has an annexe used by our local am dram society and they are a bunch of horrific moaning minnies, pretty much all old and up themselves. they have ONE young male actor who plays the lead in everything they do, makes us larf.

Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:13

BTW, I will be back there this evening in the audience as it is the last night.

Mean old b*ggers won't let the group have a half hours after show party (strictly fizzy pop and no alcohol) in the very basic 'green room' even though the show ends at 10.00 pm and the theatre has been booked by the group till 11.00 pm.

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beetroot · 01/04/2006 09:13

did anyone every sdee that docu about an amateur drmaa group choosing adirector? cassis

EnidVonTeese · 01/04/2006 09:14

was that the series on bbc4 (a very english village)? the one about the hunt wsa genius

EnidVonTeese · 01/04/2006 09:15

really tigermoth?

what a bunch of twats. I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Can you find another theatre to host the group?

SorenLorensen · 01/04/2006 09:18

One of my friends is in a musical am dram group - she's been going for years, so I've been to a few performances (oh what fun). It's all politics - so parts are not allocated by talent, but by pecking order and longevity in the group. Thus you get a 50+ year playing Maria in The Sound of Music, and a middle aged bloke with a beer gut playing Friedrich. My friend was there about 5 years before she got a part that wasn't in the chorus - and she's young (ish Grin) and has a fab voice...but she hadn't served her time or hosted dinner parties for the hard-core members. Sad.

beetroot · 01/04/2006 09:19

[shudders] at teh am dram performances I have had tos it thorugh.......

beetroot · 01/04/2006 09:21

when you speak to them, drop in how your collegue SIR RICHARD EYRE has ben to see the kids poerfomance and was ravng about it.

Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:26

lol at the idea of suggesting a course in working with youth groups.

I will definitely be looking into who funds them. I know our local council is very keen to provide more outreach community services in this part of the borough, so if they are funders, might be very interested to know about this obstructive attitude.

I do feel like wading in, Enid, but I want to know my enemy first so I can target my attack.

I did think twice about getting my son involved with am dram but have heard very good things about this group from people who have gone to it in the past.

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Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:31

I too have known of am dram groups who operate a closed shop policy over major parts. From what I have seen so far, this youth group are pretty ok about handing out parts fairly - the children write the plays with adults - so have a say early on over the script. For this play, my son like all the other children were invited to audition for any parts they wanted. The children playing major parts seems to vary for each play, which is healthy. Mind you, as there is quick turn over of members, as children reach the upper age limit and have to leave, this keeps things more fluid.

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SorenLorensen · 01/04/2006 09:35

Sorry, tigermoth - I have no experience of youth am dram so just waded in with my limited experience of adult am dram Grin I think it's great for kids - and the manager's behaviour at your son's group was appalling. I hope you can get the correct ammo in place then go in all guns blazing (well, maybe not...but ykwim).

monkeytrousers · 01/04/2006 09:38

Thai is just insane, everyone in amdram knows the last dress rehersals are terrible - it's hwen they're goo you need to start worrying!

harpsichordcarrier · 01/04/2006 09:39

god how horrible
yes I would say something. I would probably arrange a meeting with the manager and I would get someone from the group to come with you (the director)
unacceptable, unprofessional behaviour

Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:41

No need to apologise SL - there might be an element of favouritism even in this group but as I am new, I have not yet discovered it. As my son didn't want to audition for any major parts I have not yet experienced how they choose who gets what.

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Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 09:42

lol@moneky trousers!

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MadamePlatypus · 01/04/2006 11:59

How many performances are there? My brother and I were involved in many youth theatre and school theatre productions when we were teenagers. The youth theatre productions were (I thought!) high quality and I could name drop about many of the amateur actors who went on to be pros. However, unless they went on tour,the performance generally ran for only a few days and the audience was friends and family of people involved in the show. I don't think there was ever any danger of anybody walking out or demanding their money back.

This guy just sounds as though he is a prima donna who likes throwing his weight around. At least the people in the youth theatre might actually become professionals one day...

Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 13:47

You have a good point there. The teenagers may have a professional future ahead unlike the manager. Jude Law used to belong to this youth theatre as well as a certain mumsnet regular..

I will be in the audience tonight(the show is on for two nights, would have been three if the manager had not pulled the plug on the first performance) I am sure most of the audience will be made up of friends and family. Mind you, I bet a fair number of the adult am dram performances are just friends and family too - how many people actually chose to see an am dram performance without personally knowing the cast?

Any good ideas about what I should do when I go tonight? Pass them on!

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Original poster
tigermoth · 01/04/2006 17:55

shameless bump - I have to go to the theatre in under an hour!

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