[Gwen]

Do you ever think people get too many roles?
Example: (this is from my high school. None of these are roles that I've had, but are all the roles that someone else has had that I know of:)

Freshman Year
Macbeth- First Witch --main director
Anything Goes--soloist/one of the Angels --main director

Sophmore Year
Once on This Island-Andrea --alumni director
Rymers of Eldritch-Eva--main director
Small World (original musical) --different alumni director.

Junior Year
12th Night--Viola --main director
Hello Dolly--waiter --main director
On the Verge--Mary--same alumni who did Once on This Island

Senior Year
A Midsummer Nights Dream--Helena--main director
Cabaret--Sally--main director

I'll admit that I've been jealous, but I know that it's no reason for me to not like her. She's really nice, and she's a good actress. But have you ever gotten the feeling that there are people who get too many roles? And no one else ever gets anything? (Like me? ) --but in all seriousness, it feels like no one else is ever given a chance.

Sorry if I sound like I'm whining, and apologies if you see it as that. I'm just really down right now because I look back at the few things I've done in high school and really wish I could've had a few more roles. One of my worst audition experiences was where the director made me think I had a shot at Helena by complimenting me on my reading before giving it to her. (I'm ashamed to say I ran off to a secluded area and broke down.)

[Kiwi]

Yeah, that's just how it goes sometimes. I know people like that, and I definitely feel a little jealous, but someone has to be on top.

[LaurelDP]

Do you think this girl deserved these roles? Did she play them well?

That's what matters. In my world, there is no "fair" in theatre, at all. And no one deserves a damn thing.

[Gwen]

I'm not trying to target her specifically, this list is just an example. (Though now I realize that my entire post looks like I'm going after her. Not my intention! ) She did do well in the roles, and I'm not holding it against her. I'm just wondering if anyone feels like there've been people with what might be called too many roles. (or where someone has either had a lead or big supporting role in almost everything they've done when they've done a lot of plays.)

[lakmé]

What Laurel said.

[jesuiscommejesuis]

Of course not. If this person deserved her roles, then good for her. It\'s not like they\'re all leads, anyways.

[star2ballie]

^ I agree with Laurel and what jesuis said.

I was thinking it was going to be like, "lead lead lead"...

I don't see why someone consitently being cast in high school productions is a big deal.

[Gwen]

It's more of a thing of inquisitiveness for me about how others feel.
(Though I've also said I'm kinda down about not having done that much.)
....
I now officially feel like an idiot.


Thank you all for your insight.

[Annie]

Lucky girl.

I have mixed feelings about high school shows. Teachers are in a bit of a bind in terms of whether or not to cast simply based on who is immediately the best for the role, or in order to give more people chances where they may otherwise not get them. I can argue for both sides, so I think there needs to be a better balance in some places. High school is high school, so they shouldn't be so focused on the final product that they overlook a student who cares a lot about the production, is willing to work hard and shows good potential, and opt for the student who gives the better audition, has been cast in every show thus far and could do the part with his/her eyes closed. Then again, it isn't fair to the latter kid to be snubbed if they were technically the better audition.

I know what it's like to get crap parts. I only auditioned twice in high school, got tiny parts both times and was incredibly hurt by it. But then, I got into theatre school, learned a ton, knew what I was doing when auditioning for the plays and landed 4 / 5 lead roles that I had gunned for. (not this last time.....dagnabbit.....ah well.) So, I'm lucky that for some reason, my defeat and disappointment in high school didn't turn me off from pursuing theatre, but it may have for many others. For that reason, I do think that high schools should make more of an effort to give kids chances. I was a quiet kid in high school and got most of my theatre fix in a touring company aside from school. Only in 10th grade did I finally work up the courage to audition for a school production. I had been doing theatre for a good while, but because I didn't get my foot in the school door early on enough, and I wasn't one of the popular kids everyone knew, nobody had a clue who I was or what I could do. Granted, they were very 'safe' with who they cast in the good parts at my school and tended to find their "stars" of the year early on and stick with them until they graduated, so I paid for having not involved myself in school theatre until too late. But this is totally unfair. This is high school for goodness sake. Give people chances.

hahahaha. Think my high school wounds have healed yet?? haha.

[/rant]

[PappyCat]

I don't get the problem. She obviously had a mixture of good roles and smaller roles (Her junior year she had Viola in Twelfth Night and than a dancing part in Helly, Dolly.) Talented people are going to be picked often.

[music is my life!!!]

it's not whining, and yes, i can see where you're coming from with this topic. some people get everything for no apparent reason and it's stupiddddddddddd.................

as long as you (and everyone else there with talent) get the parts you want, i don't see the problem. she'll obviously be leaving sson so your chance will come in the end!

[The Drama Queen]

post deleted.

[Not Dead Yet]

Everyone who claims that there are "favourites" who always get cast, are really looking at it the wrong way.

Yes, there are two guys who always get main parts, but that was because up until January, they were the only guy actors in our club. Now we have some new Freshmen and a few of the crew stepped up and are involved in shows now.

Our drama club PRESIDENT didn't get any roles this year, at all. She understudied the lead in the Fall play out of necessity but she initially wasn't cast because her mom doesn't want her "wasting her time" in theatre. (Which I think it a load of crap, but at the same time I agree because she's not that good and I really wouldn't want it to end up being her career choice.)

Our Secretary, who is also claimed to be "a favourite" has gotten ONE part so far, and she's a Junior. Granted, it was a lead, but she fit the part so well she wasn't even acting.

I'M a "favourite" and I've only gotten smallish parts (along with music director and stage manager), but I am only a sophomore, so I have higher hopes for the future.

Think of it this way: It's not as if this girl is getting ALL leads. And if she's cast and does a good job, then great for her. It won't stop your jealousy but the opinion of ONE director shouldn't bring you down.

[DontDoSadnessxx]

I completely understand what you're saying. But I feel in some other cases it's different. There's this girl in our school she's a senior now but from sixth grade on shes had
Storyteller in Once on this island
Lucy in YAGMCB
Marian in music man
Sally in cabaret (she was a freshman!)
Abigail in the crucible
cosette in les mis
Maggie in the man who came to dinner
and reno in anything goes.
The funny thing is that she really isn't that good! There have been two show where she hasn't had the lead. So as for playing favourites... well there is living proof. The only reason why I'm not really annoyed by it is because one of the shows (the wiz) I beat her out for dorothy

[curlyhairedsoprano91]

[Kiwi]

See, this is why i love the whole seniority concept. Sure it sucks for the first couple of years, but then when you're a senior or a lucky junior you get your chance and it's not taken from you by some little freshman who's just as good as you are and should have to wait like everyone else, and get his or her chance when he or she is a junior or senior. If they're good freshman year, they'll blow you away even more with a couple years of seasoning. Surely, if they're above and beyond in all aspects and/or perfect for a certain role, they should get it, but if someone is just as talented or right for the role or close to the same and is older, it should go to them.
And I'm saying these things having been negatively affected by seniority. My drama teacher flat out told my brother that had I not been a sophomore (which is the first year at my high school) I would have gotten Lola in Damn Yankees (I'm not trying to brag, I'm trying to make a point). But this other girl who was a senior this year, although she wasn't the strongest actress, had a good enough voice for the part, and looked like a Lola more so than I do, and therefore got the part. But I'm fine with that because I have two years ahead of me to try for leads.
Really, school theatre should be a place where everyone gets a chance, rather than giving one person the best roles every year when other people would do just as well in those roles were they given the chance.

[musictheatre00]

[DontDoSadnessxx]

You're too kind Chris =]

[music is my life!!!]

what about the guys who get every part you try to get and over 20 people (who are ok) never get anything? do you call that fair?

[Apollyon]

My high School never does musicals so I have very little experience of this in a "High School" context. however, having been part of amature theatre companies for nearly 8 years I've seen it a lot.

I joined my first proper amature theatre company at the age of 11 for a production of Oliver. I was a chorus member. the year after that my role got slightly better, the year after, slightly better again. two years later I got my first lead role. The scarecrow in the wizard of Oz, after this for another two years I consistantly got lead or supporting roles. this is mainly due to the fact that the director, musical director, and producer thought I could do it having proved myself several times over. there were many other cast members in a same position as me who after proving themselves in a lead role once were cast consistantly after that. last year the company closed and I moved to another one ran by a woman who had taught me years before. I got a small supporting role in this company's first show. a role I believe I got only because the woman in question had seen my past shows, thought I was good enough for a role but I was yeat to prove myself to her as an actor, the male lead went to a cast member who had been part of the woman's last company and had played the lead in their previous show.

that long winded story was basically a way of saying that in theatre company and high school situations where a core cast are present several years in a row directors will generally cast those who they know have done it before. casting by numbers if it were. [/i]

[LaurelDP]

At my highschool we choose shows based on who we have... so obviously people who have had roles are going to keep getting roles. But we also give new people opportunities.

This year we picked Urinetown because we had the perfect Hope, Bobby, Lockstock, and a couple people good for Pennywise (which I ended up getting). But we have a new person as Little Sally. She's a sophomore and is ridiculously talented, but hasn't been in a show at the school before.

In the fall we picked Much Ado About Nothing because we had the perfect Beatrice and Benedick... roles like Verges, Borahcio, and the watch went to newcomers. And then someone who had consistently held good supporting roles the year before was put into a small role of Antonio -- which he fit very well.

The year before we did a version of Dracula. We picked the show specifically for one of our amazing senior boys who had never really had a lead to that point. A senior who had never had a role got Lucy. A junior who had never had a role got Renfield. Myself, who played a lead in the musical the year before, and had always had supporting roles, got a role that was in one scene and had maybe seven lines. Same for another girl who played a lead in the musical and always gets the lead at our school.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that at my school, yes, there are favorites -- they are our varsity players. But overall our shows are cast according to talent. Sometimes there are some iffy things [we just graduated a girl who consistently got roles -- not leads, but roles -- who wasn't great, but she was the director's pet, and she was always very reliable and helpful and played her part well enough, but never did anything amazing.]

My school is kind of weird, though. We don't have a lot of people who fall under the same type. Like, we don't have 10 ingenues. If anything we have a bunch of character actors/actresses.


I don't know what I was trying to say in this post? Just sharing my story, lol.

[Beagle On Stage]

It looks to me like the girl mentioned in the original post is getting what I would consider the ideal high school theatre experience. She is getting several opportunities for meaty roles, but she's also being put in smaller roles and learning how to play those gracefully, too. (She even "paid her dues," which is something I think is unnecessary, in the beginning...it's not like a witch in Macbeth and a soloist are the best parts.) She will probably emerge at the end as a very versatile actress who I would be perfectly comfortable casting in most roles. Assuming that most of the other people involved are being cast similarly, GOOD FOR THAT TEACHER - s/he has found the balance that most high school drama teachers fail to find.

To me a bigger issue is the people who get the lead every time. I have two problems with that. One is that it screws everyone else over and robs them of opportunities. Let's say someone gets every lead every year. No one else is getting the chance to shine, and they may be better for a part than that person, but they aren't getting it because they arent' "the one." (Example, the perfect Winnifred one year isn't necessarily the perfect Marion the next year, but she might get it just because everyone assumes "Beth" is the best one.) But what's more, that person going to be in for a rude awakening the first time they audition outside of that school and find that they're not really the shit anywhere else. And so they won't know what to do when they get their first smallish part because they've never not been the center of attention. Their education has failed.

By the way, Laurel, it sounds like your school has got it right! I love that your school knows how to feature its "regulars" while still letting newcomers prove themselves. More schools should catch onto that.

[Beagle On Stage]

RE: Kiwi's seniority post.

I think seniority has its own good and bad points. I completely agree with all of your positive points about it, and that's all perfectly vaid. The bad things are that it does limit the underclassmen (which isn't the end of the world, but sometimes you need to be able to make an exception).

Also, sometimes it makes it hard to come up with a believable cast if seniors always get the leads and underclassmen always get the bit parts. Because then you end up with 18-year-old seniors as Romeo and Juliet, with a cute little 14-year-old trying her best to play Lady Montague, but failing because she doesn't have the maturity in look, voice, or skill to sell an adult role yet. Or, god forbid, an adult with a very mature voice playing Maria while a shrimpy acne case plays Schrank or Krupke.

Since we're getting to share stories in this thread...I had the reverse seniority experience. I went through three drama teachers in high school. The first cast strictly on talent and who fit what role, the second cast based on who went to the performing arts academy he owns, and the third tried her best not to mess up the order of the universe. Instead of starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top, I got all the leads freshman year, then got progressively smaller and smaller roles sophomore and junior years, ending with bit parts senior year.

If you don't like what you're getting, the solution is to take your business somewhere else. I've worked with an adult community theatre since before high school, and they used me well and made it worth my while. So while I may have been playing the Butler in "Dreamcoat," the wall in "Midsummer," and the teen angel in "Grease" at my school, I was doing Billy in "Little Mary Sunshine," Dauntless in "Once Upon a Mattress," and Matt in "The Fantasticks" simultaneously with those roles at my other company. That will keep you very busy, but it's worth your time if your school is wasting you.

[Gwen]

[Kiwi]

To Beagle:

Did you read my entire post? I said there should be leeway when someone is significantly better fit for something. I'm talking about seniority based on when one person is just as or close to being as fit for a role as someone else and is older than that person, not "the only people who should get lead roles are seniors, no exceptions." Obviously there are exceptions, I'm just saying in high school seniority is the most fair way to decide on lead roles.

[Beagle On Stage]

I wasn't rebutting your post, just jumping off from it. Sorry, I should have been more clear. Totally my bad.

[Not Dead Yet]

[MaryMag]

Legitimate theater is not like kindergarten where everyone is "given a chance."

Besides, you ARE given a chance. It's called an audition. You should be happy you are at least allowed that. There are things I'm perfect for but cannot even get SEEN at an audition.

My apologies, but I hate this American idea that it is everyone's right to have a chance. You have a right to nothing, actually. Nothing is your right. Fight like hell for everything and be grateful for the smallest victory.

[ilovebway]

[LisaKitty]

[MaryMag]

[Melindaisy]

Well, I pretty much was that girl being talked about in the original post. When I was in high school I got solos, major roles, and leads in everything I auditioned for. I was called alot of names from "brown noser" to things much worse by the girls I competed against.

All it did was to make me work even harder to show I deserved the roles I had. I started taking voice lessons from one of the best vocal teachers in the city near where I lived. I worked hard onstage and off to know my lines and help where I could. I had virtually no female friends in the chorus or drama club.

When I was a senior, our old drama instructor retired and we got a new one, just out of college. She knew no one.... once again I had a major role in our fall play and then the lead in our musical that spring. One night during rehearsal for the musical I was sitting alone off stage while they rehearsed another scene. Miss R., the drama teacher, came up to me and said she noticed no other girls ever hung out with me.... I said it was cause they all hated me. "Oh, jealous", she said. "Everyone thought when we got a new teacher for the drama club that everyone else would be given a chance at bigger roles", I said.

What she said then was a real balm to the hurt I always secretly had: "They are given a chance, every time there is an audition, it is their chance to win a part for themselves. Think of it this way: you are ranked in chorus, and in band. If there are solos in a performance they go to the first chair, or the first voice, right? Why should it be any different in theater? I simply choose the best actors to fill the parts we have. Life is not an equal opportunity employer.... there are winners and losers. You work hard and are the best of what we have.... why shouldn't that be rewarded? "

[Bianca.]

[lakmé]

Yeah, I was that girl in high school as well. I actually wound up losing my "best" friends senior year due to jealousy (which was LAME). When I got to college, things got a lot better. Well, I quit hanging out with people who had jealousy issues, because they had their own things going for them. THEN things got better.

[Gwen]

I'm sorry to hear you guys had to go through that. As I said in my first post, I've been jealous, I'll admit that. But leaving someone because of it....that's a no no in my book. I'm not trying to put blame on anyone.

Thoughts hitting my brain as the bell rings:
....I'm off to class where I will proceed to read through The Scottish Play to prepare for next year.
...and will have to ask my drama instructor how I can improve. (Again.)

[Not Dead Yet]

[Beagle On Stage]

Not everything can be taught in a classroom, though.