ddavidson
Joined:
08 Dec 2009
Posts: 1
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 Posted: 06/01/2010 at 3:00 PM Post subject: MCT TAD TALE |
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Campus Corps Stories of Service
Dan Davidson
danodav@gmail.com
The University of Montana- Missoula
Missoula Children's Theatre
EDUCATION
There are many challenges to the job that we face every week. The need for extreme flexibility, time management, and the ability to "go with the flow," of an educational institutions way of operating among them. There is another challenge that has consistently been coming up as well for us- especially this Fall- parents.
Most of the communities that we visit vary in parental involvement, etc... But what Katie and I have had to deal with more and more are parents being let down, angered, or feeling the need to defend their child when they don't make it into the cast.
The audition process through MCT is very straight forward and somewhat brilliant in the way it is constructed. Two Tour Actors are able to get through seeing a very large group of young people in a 2 hour time period that let's us judge their ability to listen, act, sing, dance, and judge how well they work with others through a series of very simple exercises. We tell the kids at the beginning of the audition- especially in situations where there are over 60 kids that show up- what they need to do to have a great audition. We also remind them consistently throughout the process, giving extra attention and extra time to those kids who we feel/ can judge need it. After all of this is said and done we have to arrange about 50- 60 kids into different roles, get all their names down, announce the cast, and give a special couple minutes to really congratulate everyone and encourage those kids who were not able to get cast to keep auditioning for show especially if it is something they feel very passionate about.
It is after this that we inevitably have parents come up defending their child, aghast their child wasn't chosen, or simply trying to find some loophole that might enable their child to still be a part of the performance. This is heart breaking to Katie and I, especially because we both truly wish that we were able to cast every single person who shows up. This past week, especially, there was a fifth grader who I could see would need a little bit of extra attention because of some possible ADHD issues. Immediately Katie and I decided that we would be giving him some extra chances because we could see that he was very talented. However, after numerous reminders from Katie and I directly to him, he consistently was not following directions, talking when he knew he wasn't supposed to be, and really getting the way of the other kids around him, we decided that he was not the best fit for our process that week. Because of the limited time frame we have to work with the kids we need kids that are passionate, talented, and able to listen and follow directions. This fifth grader showed us mainly that he was not able to fulfill all of those, which would ultimately be unfair to the entire cast if we would have to give him so much extra attention during the process.
Immediately after the kids were congratulated, encouraged, and let go for their dinner break, a concerned parent sprang towards Katie and I. I ended up speaking with her for a few minutes and explaining to her why it was we made the decision we did. She kept stating she understood but claimed she wished the School would have provided a Special Ed teacher or provided us with forewarning, etc... She was very much pushing the issue of equal opportunity for her child. My response to her was exactly in line with what she was wanting. I explained that equal opportunity was more than given to her child and that Katie and I were very impressed by his level of talent, but it isn't just about that. The need for the kids to pay attention and be directed is just as important. We had given him nearly three times as many chances as the kids around him- which by the end of the audition was apparent to all of the other kids and adults in the room- yet still he was unable to listen and follow directions.
In the end, she did understand but let me know that he was heartbroken. I quickly let her know that she needs to let him know that Katie and I thought he was very talented, but we though it was more rewarding for him to realize the consequences of his actions than to just be rewarded. In the end, we believe that is also a good part of the process. The kids are held to a certain standard during the audition and the entire week. They have to work hard and show us they are ready, willing, and able to work together to put on a really great show. This instance also really made me realize that there is such a double- standard when it comes to equal opportunity in schools. I believe kids need to be held more accountable for their actions and not given so much because they will only continue expecting the same from everything in their life and that is just not the case. It seems more harmful to let kids slide than to allow them to actually earn what it is they want.
CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE AS A RESULT OF SERVICE.
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Catherineavery
Joined:
25 Aug 2010
Posts: 6
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| Posted: 10/12/2010 at 10:29 AM Post subject: RE:MCT TAD TALE |
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I think you did the right thing in not letting the child have the opportunity and to learn the consequences of not listening, etc. Next time the child may put forth the effort needed to get the part and be able to be successful in executing the job. Tough call though, but we need more of this type of actions, along with the patience and working with the parent to see it through also.
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