School play....why do auditions???

[Schoolmum2468]

It's school play season AGAIN...and again the same old story happening again. (3x DC...always the same story)

I told DH weeks ago when we found out the play who would be given which parts. And low and behold....I was correct.

And my DC has come home in tears because they weren't given any of the parts they auditioned for. Even the extra part the teacher asked them to audition for

The child who told mine not to bother going for part A because it was their part...yup got the part

The pushy parents child got the main part (AGAIN!!!)

"Shy" children who have now come out of their shells now they're the eldest in the school.... literally background scenery.

My DC's friend is also upset because they wanted a speaking part and got 1 short line "no way" type of thing

My DC wanted an acting part and got narrator (again). They've been told in the past that it's because they're a good reader....but now in yr6 after years of being narrator (both in end of year plays and Xmas nativities) they thought for the last play in primary they would try really hard to get an acting part.

So what is the point of asking children which part they want and going through auditions if teachers are going to ignore all that and just chose who they want.

And why not give other children a little bit of a chance in the spotlight if they want it. Chances are the shyer ones are going to be even more lost in secondary and this may be their last chance. It's a school play....why not add lines for children who want them. It's primary school not a theatre production!!!

If any teachers can explain why they do this year upon year....please enlighten me.

Yep, it's shit. Kids get pigeonholed early and schools can't seem to get their heads around the idea that kids can grow and change drastically. My eldest was one of those who was terribly shy when he started school. Now he acts, sings, performs solos on his instruments in public outside of school and does incredibly well, gets given big parts and does them well. But the school is committed to their narrative that he's shy and not interested, despite volunteering and auditioning and being turned down again and again.

I suspect I've let him down by not being pushy enough. I'm not planning a repeat with DS2. There are no benefits to your kids in being the parent who is easygoing and doesn't make a fuss, and for kids in not making a fuss themselves.

What has saved DS1's confidence is his outside of school activities where he is valued and recognised for his skills. If we'd left it to school-based activities only, I think all the rejection and being put back 'in his box' would have crushed him.

I'm sorry :( I'd probably send some sort of feedback. Maybe not a complaint so you don't look like that parent, but just something to mention that your child was really hoping to try his hand at acting this time.
If you're feeling braver, I'd probably say something similar to what you wrote here 🙈

why dont you set up an after school drama club and put on a production of your own?

Teachers can’t win on this one. I’ve had parents demanding a part for their child who has then not bothered to learn their lines and been absolutely crap. I’ve had parents wanting a part for their child yet when in school the child will tell us they don’t want the part at all. I tried so many different things to try to make things fair and yet always ended up upsetting someone.

My kids have also been on the receiving end of never getting chosen and the parts always going to the same children every year 🙄.

It’s an absolute bloody minefield.

It's difficult for anyone here to comment as we don't know any of the children or the teachers!!
Maybe the child who got the part is really good at acting and singing?

I think its a difficult one with plays and think the parts should be given on merit. The reason why I say this is that in sport the teams are choses for ability - the children who excel in drama and public speaking then need to be given their chance to shine. That said the allocation of parts needs to be current not based on last year or first year talent.

@Nimbostratus100 @GettingThereCharleyBear I don't get the vibe OP wants their child in a certain part at all costs. It's the fact it's the same kids over and over so yes, teachers could easily do something about that. Being at the rejected end doesn't feel nice but it's even worse when it's the same kids getting it every time.

But in all other areas of school life, 'parts' are given on merit - the football team, the maths competition, etc etc why shouldn't it happen in drama?

I asked teacher DFriend this; she said they give the parts to the ones they are sure will do the best/are the most confident speakers/ones who can be trusted to learn lines and who also won’t curl up and shut down with stage fright. And that ‘giving someone a shot’ more often than not, doesn’t work out. Harsh but true, I suppose.

Fundamentally it’s merit, no different to any other subject, as PP have said

I think play parts should be given on merits to children who can be trusted to learn the lines (and lots of kids underestimated how much time and effort that takes!) and be confident on stage. You wouldn’t give a child who has never played football a place in the football team just because they want to. They need to be willing to put work in before.
In our school major speaking parts go to kids who either are in the school drama club (available to all, just requires effort to go), or do external drama clubs.
It ensures decent quality performances - I need to take half a day of work for them so I rather not cringe while watching!

One of the reasons my school no longer does ks2 plays, because of complaints like this.

Yes of course. And they should teach their own children too while they're at it, if standards aren't up to scratch.

@Dodgeitornot tbf I didn’t say it was, and I did say I have been on both sides. Teachers can’t win was my point 🤷‍♀️. And as others have said, it’s not uncommon for kids (and parents!) to massively overestimate their talents and the results can be dire (and embarrassing for the child involved!).

We have one of the sports teachers do the auditions, his absolute most favourite pupil is the star of the football team, he always awards the boy the best part, and 2nd and 3rd parts go to his other pet sporting faves (best basketball player, faster runner etc). The other non-sporty kids just don't bother when they know Mr Sporty is doing the auditions.

@GettingThereCharleyBear huh? The point is the same kid is getting the part, not that this kid didn't.

If the kids who always get the roles are actually good, I don’t see an issue with it. A good football player can also be a good actor. If they are rubbish, it is an issue.

the Op is disgruntled because there are not enough roles for everybody if the school only does one production, so the obvious answer is for the OP to set up a second production of their own

@justme202 It's a school, not a drama studio. All kids should get equal access to parts and favouritism shouldn't be a part of it.

DS was recently in his class play and was given a good part by the teacher and did really well (biased of course but still!) She said to us she assumed he'd had lots of lead roles throughout school but actually this was the first time he'd had a speaking part as he'd always been overlooked previously. It was lovely to hear that she had noticed his potential.

The best way round this lies in the choice of play. Our school has just done one, and it had a range of parts to suit different levels of confidence etc. That way everyone gets to participate. I think some plays aren't good choices because they have three or four big roles and not much else. That said, though, the lead roles went to kids who:
Wanted to do it
Could be trusted to learn large volumes of lines
Don't generally miss school so would be likely to turn up to rehearsals
Have good singing voices at a volume sufficient to carry their solos
Are good leaders in general to carry the younger kids through the play

So it isn't solely on acting ability.

The difference is for eg football, only the players have to attend and only their parents watch. The school play usually requires everyone which means it's shite when you spend two hours waiting for your little darling to say 'over there!' after watching the TA's kid turn their way through a main part, again.
It happens in drama classes / stage schools - anything you pay them tbh. The moment they are paying you (films, tv, modelling) it's on merit.

From another view point, one of my DC’s auditioned for the main role in a year 6 production and got it.

I had no idea at all that he could sing or act. He managed rehearsals himself and needed very little support.

He has gone on to join AM DRAM companies, perform at uni and complete a performing arts masters degree. Just got his first professional agent.

Without the opportunity given at school, we would never have known. Surely, that is what education is about...opportunity.

@Dodgeitornot i disagree. its a performance that should be treated seriously. Nobody benefits from the lead role freezing on stage (seen that - poor child), kids not having learnt lines because they were desperate for the role but not willing to put work in etc.
For practice in class - yes, everyone can have a chance. For the performance, i rather not have kids freeze on stage, cry and feel terrible. It won’t benefit anybody
otherwise you have to apply this free for all to all areas - next football match? Put the kids who have never played football in. Next maths competition? Make sure its a random selection of kids, not the ones good at maths.
If you want to see decent productions, select kids who have a track record of being serious about it. A cringy production won’t make anybody happy.

As a good reader, I was always the narrator (usually wearing school uniform) or playing an instrument. One year, by surprise the teacher cast me in the lead role, a fairy godmother and she sorted a tutu covered in sequins. I was quite an astute kid and I knew even then she’d done that because I never had my turn in the spotlight, replete with sparkles and glitter. I’ve never forgotten that

when I was at primary school I got picked to be Mary for the nativity play every year from p4 onwards. I never gave it much thought until now. There were no auditions, I just got told I looked most like Mary. The kid they decided looked most like Joseph was probably the most annoying kid ever to me, and always kissed me on stage at the end of the play just to annoy me (even though the teachers kept telling him not to)😝 For that reason I secretly wanted another kid to be Joseph but it never happened 😂