Help from drama/performing arts teachers please!

[Labro]

Ds is Yr 6 in independent school. drama teacher has decided to do a Yr5/6 'musical' of a shakespeare play.
They've given out the main parts and then told ds he is to be part of a 'gang' No auditions etc, just the teacher picking the usual children for speaking parts etc.
Ds REALLY doesn't want to do this, he loves singimg/speaking parts but hates the part hes been given as it involves standing around 'looking cool' (he's a bit geeky)
How on earth do I sort this out without sounding ridiculous? He really wanted to get involved with the backstage part, sound, lighting etc but shes told him that everybody has to 'take part'

Do they have no children at all helping out backstage? If it really is "everyone" who has to take part then I'm afraid he'll have to just put up with it. If he loves speaking/singing parts then his best course of action is to be the best cool gang member he can be and he may be given more to do.

It's going to look like sour grapes/primadonna/sulking behaviour if he wants to work backstage just because he hasn't got a principal role. I'm sure this isn't the case, but it's how it will look. The time to say you want to work backstage is before the casting starts.

I've been involved in lots of plays/musicals with large numbers of young people and it is completely impossible to please everyone. There will always, unfortunately, be some very disappointed people.

Sorry, posted before saying I don't think there is really anything you can do other than sympathise with him that he didn't get the part he wanted. It is tough but he may find he enjoys the social aspect of rehearsals nonetheless.

Did he get a part last time they put on a show? I have so many kids taking part that I have to rotate who gets the main roles from term to term. And in the course of rehearsals we often put in extra lines or allocate singing solos to those who don't have many lines. I agree it's a bit rough though, I always rewrite stuff, put in extra characters to make sure all the kids feel like they've got a part, even if it's just a totally made up one with one line! Maybe he could mention that if they put on a show next term, he'd really like a part? Other than that, I would advise him to silently act everyone else off the stage when he's on.....

If he hasn't got much of a part, perhaps he could get involved in the backstage as well.

Obviously not lighting, sound etc, but he could make and look after props, help with some scene changes, and that sort of thing. I'm sure the teacher would be happy to have him volunteer to do more than just his part.

In our school they do two versions of the performance with different actors for principal parts (it is usually a musical). So a year group of 60 children for say something like Sister Act has loads of opportunities for individuals to have a starring role. It was amazing how different the two performances were of same play with different leads Both brilliant, but different. Could you suggest that to teacher for next time as a strategy. I know that in our school the parents really grumbled about the same old faves always getting the good parts (we do production every year from year 3)so that was what they came up with to solve the "problem". And they always did auditions, to give everyone a chance to apply for a role if they wanted a particular one. From year 5.

Thanks. He asked about the backstage/props etc before any casting was done and was told everybody has to take part on stage, so she knows that he preferred a different type of role and its not him feeling sour grapes because of the way its cast. This is the first time hes done a play at this school as he only started in Yr 5 and its a bi annual thing. Think I'll just do the quietly sympathetic and she'll have to get round the 'I don't want to' in lessons.