School Christmas Play

[Milly22]

Just wondering if schools have the habit of picking the same handful of children to play main roles in every play that comes up in the academic year. Just seen the list for our Christmas play and it's the usual lot yet again and the other 22 are never given the same opportunity.

[exoticfruits]

Many don't want a main part-I liked to be back row of the chorus as a DC -so not surprisingly my DCs were similar.
A teacher friend said that she had a parent come storming in saying that 'yet again' her DD hadn't got a main part-to which my friend replied,in a surprised tone, 'but she was offered one and she didn't want one'. The parent did at least have the decency to come back the following day and apologise-her DD explained it was exactly as the teacher said. (the teacher friend's own DS wouldn't even be in the play at his school! My next door neighbours DS helped with the lights every year)
I think that some mothers would be better joining amateur dramatics themselves if they have such a yearning for the stage!

[exoticfruits]

Generally they do one play a year and so it is a showcase-they choose the reliable DC who won't mess it up and will deliver the lines in a clear voice.

[exoticfruits]

They generally audition for the parts.

[Hulababy]

My own dd was Mary at her school. Nothing to do with me. Was because she was able to and happy to sing solo.

[Milly22]

My ds is more of a sportsman rather than getting involved in the entertainment side of things, but two years ago the school picked the usual favourites and took them on a day out for a production of a children's programme. They all turned up in their own clothes and the rest of the class turned up for school as normal. The children going were allowed to gloat and boast to the ones not going. The parents wanted to know when the rest of the year would go and were told that they could only afford the ones that had already gone. Surely this is so wrong, they either all go or none go at all.

[exoticfruits]

I am convinced that most parents would be happy to have a long line of DCs, dressed up and they all say a few lines each (of exactly the same length)! They are not interested in the play as a whole-only their own DC. There is no thinking 'wasn't little Joe fantastic in the part?' ' what a wonderful singing voice Lucy has'-it is all 'why have Joe and Lucy got main parts and not my DC?' I see a lot without having a DC of my own in them and love them-and fully understand why you want to hear them, not have them shy on the night and not have one thinking it funny to do the wrong thing for laughs.

[Milly22]

exotic fruits - totally agree

[Cat98]

My ds is in reception class of 24 and they combine with the nursery class (25) for an early years nativity. They all have a line at least! Even the Nursery children! It's lovely.
They did pick a child for the main part who speaks well and is extrovert, but he got stage fright on the first performance and refused to say his lines! Another child is now doing it for the second performance.

[Houseworkprocrastinator]

my daughters year has over 70 children so impossible for them all to have a main part she is a star for the second year and happy with that. the main parts are all different to last year they gave them some choice of what they wanted to be and not all children are comfortable being centre of attention.

[orangeberries]

I think if my child went through the whole of primary without saying a single word in a play I would be concerned and go for a word about it.

I am not sure about the school doing this on purpose, I would like to think that most schools are like ours, ie try and get everyone to have a part with a view to develop their confidence.

Generally this is a successful approach as I have noticed children tend to grow so much in confidence year after year.

To those who say parents go only to see their own children, I suppose I might be unique in that I don't feel that way. It's great to see all the other children, I love the way their personalities really shine through.

Maybe I am a bit soft that way - it would be really boring if there were 2 or 3 children doing everyting in one play (even if they were my own) and all the others just standing there watching.

[lljkk]

There was a girl in DC school with a wonderful singing voice. I can remember first meeting her when she was otherwise a nondescript bossy 3yo. Her singing was (is) such a pleasure to listen to, I'd have no trouble hearing lots of her & less of even my own DC.

Don't they all get to sing & smile, sometimes dance about a bit? that's 90% of it, anyway.

[Pythonesque]

My son's school does both a nativity and a summer term pantomime with reception/yr1/yr2. Every boy has at least one line to say in both. Numbers have gone up but they have maintained that principle. Reception boys are generally split between sheep - with a yr 2 shepherd looking after them; stars, ditto, and I forget what else. Pantos I've seen included Snow White and the 14 dwarves, and Sleeping Beauty with a similar number of wizards giving their gifts at the christening.

My son's in year 3 now. I think I'm going to have to poke my nose in on the nativity play tomorrow afternoon anyway ... I think we get a year 3/4 production later in the year though.

[Pythonesque]

Oops, meant to add, they have increased their narrators from 6 to 8 as well. Allows them to keep the plays moving without too many lines to learn and provides many more places to put the most able boys constructively.

[simpson]

Well DD (reception) has been "promoted" she now has to read the closing prayer out. Luckily she does not have to learn it off my heart (I did almost faint when I saw it as I was hoping she didn't need to learn it as we only have 6 days, but apparently not ).

My worry is now being a blubbing mess next week

[Bunnyjo]

Well, DD was in reception last year and was cast Mary in the Nativity; I am not a pushy parent, avid member of the PTA or a Governor. I do help with the PTA and am a parent reader in the school, but DD was given the role of Mary as she was confident with speaking. The school does different plays for each class (there are 3 classes in the school) and DD's class was made of of YrR and Yr1 kids. It just so happened that DD was chosen to play Mary.

This year she has been streamed into the Yr2/3 class (class 2) and they did a playe based on the traditional Russian fable - Snegurochka. Understandably, as there were far more confident Yr2/3 speakers - she played the role of 'Villager 4' in this play and only had a couple of lines to say... Oh and a Russian dance, which was both sublime and ridiculous!

DD did fantastically; she didn't care whether she was Mary (Crystal in the Russian play) or 'Villager 4' and neither did I!

[lljkk]

Oh bum bum -- DS has vomitting bug so we won't get to see his funny line in the Nativity play after all.

[Twocakesarebetterthanone]

Sympathies to you lljkk, dd has chicken pox so is devastated she misses her play too, its rubbish isn't it

[lljkk]

Luckily I don't think DS really realises. He had a performance yesterday, just not the one we got tickets for. OH WELL.

I'll just be grateful if the vomitting is over with quickly.

[lljkk]

...and doesn't spread would be greedy to ask for more(?!)

[thegreylady]

Going to see dgs [6] as a shepherd in his school Nativity play this afternoon :)
He had to learn 3 lines-I am very [ish] excited :)

[Chrysanthemum5]

I think teachers pick children for the speaking parts based on whether the child will want to do it. They have more knowledge of how your child is in the school situation so are making that decision with more information than you have.

Also, every child has something they are brilliant at - some are academic, some great at sports, for some their chance to shine is the school play.

your child will only be upset by not getting a speaking part if people make a big deal out of it (and I say that as the parent of DCs who have never had a solo speaking part!)

[cakebar]

We often get the same kids cast each year, parents act embarrassed but you can tell they are secretly delighted. I think the teachers don't realise the same kid got a good part last year as it is a new year's teacher or I think they do know but want to pick the people that they think will be best at the part.

I do actually have a problem with that because I think there would always be a different child in a class of 30 who could do a great job if they were given a chance to shine, and I think some of the usual choices become obnoxious when they are picked yet again.

[Biscuitsneeded]

Only KS1 do a Christmas play at ours. Reception and Y1 classes have non-speaking parts but usually do a song and dance as a class, and the speaking parts are all Y2. The children put themselves forward and then the other kids vote after a mini 'audition'. Seems fair enough to me,although it can be a bit of a popularity contest, but my DS 1 in Y2 last year seemed very unbothered by the politics of it all. When I was at school I always wanted to be Mary or an angel and always got cast as the narrator because I could read well and remember lines. At least my kids get to say what they would like. This year DS2 is an alien. I didn't need a school play to tell me that!