Furious. Can you see the steam coming out of my ears?!

DramaGeek

My middle school theatre program is fairly unique in that we have an advanced theatre class.  The advanced theatre class is the production class.  Most of our population has a hard time committing to long term after school functions, so we created this class so rehearsals could take place during class.  it's only the last two weeks before the show that I ask them to be here for rehearsals every day after school.

Unbeknownst to me, several of my kids signed up for track.  It's at the same time as our rehearsals.  Their meets are on Thursdays.  I just found out about this Monday.  My rehearsal schedule went out over a month ago.  We had rehearsal Mon-Thurs this week.  You see where this is going, right?

Mon a kid skipped rehearsal to attend track practice, even though I told him he couldn't.  Tuesday I told him I knew he'd gone to track and that if it happened again I'd find someone else to play his part.  He told me it wouldn't happen again and came to rehearsal Tues and Wed.

Today was the track meet.  He skipped rehearsal to go to the track meet.  I said in class that everyone had to be there or I'd replace them.  I told them the only reason they miss rehearsal from here on out is if there's a funeral and it's their own.    We have a week left.  One week!  All of this information was on the audition form they and their parents signed when auditioning in Feb.

Two other cast members went, at separate times, to talk to him at the track meet and tell him I was serious about replacing him if he didn't come to rehearsal.  He told them both he didn't care.  So I did.

What the poor kid doesn't know is I've involved our principal.  First thing in the morning he'll be pulled into the principal's office to be reprimanded for his defiance.  He'll also learn that he's been kicked out of Advanced Theatre.  No more play, no more fun times in 8th period.  Buh bye.

I am, obviously, furious.  he knew the consequences and he blatantly didn't follow the expectations.  I can only pray that this experience teaches him a lesson so that he doesn't have to learn it again when the stakes are higher.

LeahVB2011

Oh my word! When I was in drama class in high school this happened a lot. I can't imagine what you are going through. I pray that your show goes well and that the kid does learn his lesson because high school definitely won't do him any favors.

DramaGeek

The best part is that the kid I replaced him with said, "I have a soccer game Saturday so I'll be late to rehearsal.  Do you want me to call my coach and tell him I can't make it to the game?"

I told him no, it was a prior commitment and he needs to honor that, to just come to rehearsal as soon as his game is over.  What a difference in attitude!

AshNoel8

Sorry about all that! I remember when I was in high school people always missed musical and play practice to go to other practices. It was hard for me and a few of my friends because we were in the plays/musicals and on dance team. But we worked it all out with our coaches/directors ahead of time and everything was fine. That's not right for him to deliberately ignore what you said. You did the right thing. 

diehld

I understand... one time I skipped a whole day of school just to not miss dress reursal for a community show... then a snow storm hit and the concert was cancelled however the DR was not... its only like what two track meets out of 12-14 know what you want to do and stick to it.

DramaGeek

We actually only have 3 track meets, and 2 of the 3 conflict with rehearsal and performance.  Unfortunately none of the kids told me they'd signed up for track; I only found out on Friday last week, two full months after our auditions, when they committed to me.  I told the kids Monday that they had to be at rehearsals, that the track coaches would tell them they had a choice to make but that I was telling them they'd made their choice when they auditioned and it said on the audition forms, "you must keep April 11-April 23 free for evening and weekend rehearsals."

Honestly, I don't even think I'd be so mad if he hadn't skipped it Monday after I told him not to, then promised me it would never happen again, and then just take off today without talking to me about missing rehearsal.  If he had come to me first I'd have been irritated, but I probably would have worked it out with him.  It's the lying and defiance that is an issue for me.

mrandmrsbrist

Saw your post on FB about it.

My mom always gave me a huge spiel at the beginning of every high school year about priorities. For me, FFA was the priority because of the huge scholarship opportunities it had if I was successful. For my sister, it was sports. I didn't have too many other commitments besides school, work and FFA and I always kept my priorities in check. My sister on the other hand would go all crazy and sign up for things like theatre, Spanish club, Link Crew, whatever when she had already made commitments to sports and my mom had paid for them. There are only so many different ways to tell a kid, "You picked your commitments and now you need to stick with them" before you have to start laying down the law and giving punishments for not sticking to the commitments.

I hope replacing him wasn't too big of a deal and it didn't send your stress levels through the roof.

kellya01

Sadly... I've also taught students like your defiant child - the problem isn't necessarily just the child, either.  In meetings with the principal about issues like this one, the parent literally says that track practice or whatever the conflict was more important never mind the commitment they made when they signed the audition form.  That is SOOOOO frustrating to hear from the mouth of a parent who isn't holding their child up to the commitment that both the child AND The parent signed up for WAY back! 

DramaGeek

Kelly, I hear ya.  SItuations like this are the reason why I do have both parent and child sign the audition form.  No one can say, "I didn't know the commitment I was making."

S, it was actually really easy to replace him.  One of my kids who didn't audition for some reason was supposed to be teching and when I told the cast that one of their cast mates had made a decision to go against what i'd specifically told all of them and that we'd need to replace him, this kid said, "I'll do it!"  He did an awesome job today, what with it being his first day and all.  Like I said, he even offered to miss his soccer game for rehearsal.

Oh, and can you tell that the majority of people commenting on my FB status are my theatre buddies from college?  lol.

mrandmrsbrist

Good, good. I was thinking about that yesterday and I'm glad it wasn't stressful.

I could kind of tell. They were talking about their students, etc. Yay for college buddies.