Anyone Can Produce Plays with Kids

217986 Resource 100513 101704 1 1226422959563 1250462664649 Controlled The Contract That Could Save Your Sanity

As a director in middle or high school drama, you face problems as predictable as they are frustrating.

Students missing rehearsals because something “better” comes up. Tears when the role goes to somebody else. Lines that don’t get learned. Disruptive behavior offstage. Angry phone calls from parents about any number of issues. A student who thinks he or she is a “star.”  The stage parents who think their kid is the next Miley Cyrus. And if that isn’t enough, sometimes you’re caught in the middle between parents and administration.  Don’t be discouraged. Help is on the way, and it comes in the form of a contract. Yes, a contract.  A document that you write, sign and insist that the auditioning students and their parents sign as well. It is also a wonderful way to CYA, which is another way of saying Cover Your, er… Bases. The audition form can be your first contract with the students. This form, which should be signed by both student and parent before auditioning, should include a sentence such as: “I agree to play any part assigned to me without complaint.” Teenagers often balk at wearing costumes, or even combing their hair in a way they consider “uncool.” Cover this possibility in the audition form as well:  “The actor agrees to wear the costumes, wig, or hairstyle of the director’s choosing.” Once you’ve cast your show, require all actors and their parents to carefully read and complete a separate cast contract you’ve written to outline their responsibilities as an actor in the show. When preparing this contract, keep it clear and straightforward. Ask yourself things like: Outside of sickness, how many rehearsals is an actor allowed to miss? Put it in the contract. If an actor misses more than that, what happens? If you feel he then agrees that the director has the right to replace that actor, put it in the contract. When is the deadline for being off book? Put it in the contract. Unfortunately, many students are more familiar with competition than they are with cooperation, which is one of the reasons theater is so important. Nothing ruins a theater experience faster than a kid who thinks he or she is the “star” and doesn’t get the idea of ensemble. Believe it or not, even this sort of behavior can be addressed in your contract. “The actor agrees to work as part of the team. Any actor whose attitude or actions are disrespectful will be asked to leave the show.” Clearly stating your expectations upfront will help you keep your sanity throughout rehearsals and keep the behind the scenes “drama” to a minimum. I encourage you to have your cast contract available when students first pick up their audition forms. Though they won’t have to sign and turn it in unless they’ve been cast in a role, students should know from the get-go what you expect of cast members. Besides protecting yourself, having a contract demonstrates to first time actors and their parents that you take theatre seriously, that it’s not just fun and games. Ironically, when everyone understands the rules and you give yourself the power to enforce them, then everyone really does start having more fun! 9 application/xml false actor auditions basics casting contracts control directing discussion drama education expectations Anyone Can Produce Plays with Kids The absolute basics of staging your own at-home, in-school, 'round-the-neighborhood plays http://www.pioneerdrama.com/searchdetail.asp?pc=ANYONECANP&id=1 On With the Show This straight-forward guide, which is really three books in one, gives you the tools to work more effectively and efficiently toward the final production. http://www.pioneerdrama.com/searchdetail.asp?pc=ONWITHTHES&id=8 ArtsEdge This is an excellent site for teachers of K-12 students in the arts, offering in-depth instructional information on a wide variety of topics. http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/les.cfm A Drama Approach to Education Although not a site related to teaching drama as a subject, this is a useful site for those teachers wanting to integrate drama teaching methods in their instruction of of other subjects. A very good site with a wide variety of examples and useful resources. http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/drama/dramaapproach.htm Clearly stating your expectations upfront will help you keep your sanity throughout rehearsals and keep the behind the scenes drama to a minimum. Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 5.1; Trident/4.0; .NET CLR 1.0.3705; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; Media Center PC 4.0; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; Zune 3.0) 127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1 $Admin 67.172.146.66 false true false false true 100513 blog blogsite/PioneerDrama/web