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Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

  • 1.  Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-17-2019 12:43
    Hi all, 
    For all High School Theatre Teachers, help! I am having serious conflicts with students attempting to do theatre and sports/ other extracurriculars and I am curious how other folks handle this. How do your rehearsals work? Do you allow them to do other activities during the rehearsal process? how do you manage it? I've lost multiple students to " emotional issues" who are trying to take on too much and I am getting the blame from students and parents. Any advice would be appreciated. 


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  • 2.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-17-2019 12:59
    The struggle is constant. I try to be flexible...to a point...but only if their other extra-curricular is also flexible. I feel like sometimes, Drama is expected to make allowances, where other groups/activities are not. In a perfect world, I would just tell them to choose one or the other and leave it at that, but I do not often have the luxury of turning away ANY kids that have an interest. I make my expectations clear up front, and provide a rehearsal calendar at auditions. Kids have to put their commitments and conflicts on their audition form, and in the casting process, I decide whether or not it is worth the hassle. I Also have them students and parents sign a contract when we start rehearsals so they know what they are getting into. Sometimes the kids who do a fall sport just have to only participate in winter and spring, and the kids who do a spring sport only participate in the fall and winter. The really tricky one is the marching band kids. Our rehearsals never overlap, so on the surface it seems fine, but if the kids try to do both marching band AND the fall play, they often get burnt out. In the end, I leave it up to them at the start. Some are able to do both.

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    Christopher Hamilton
    Drama Teacher
    Kennewick WA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-17-2019 15:09

    We are in a similar situation. We service two high schools. Both directors allow students to submit scheduling conflicts with their audition forms. They are able to take into account obligations for the entire proposed cast and take a student's ability to rehearse properly with all of the other audition criteria. Typically we are flexible earlier in the process, but are very rigid allowing very few exceptions the 2 weeks prior to a production run.

    It is difficult and often challenges relationships with other staff who are not willing to reciprocate with their flexibility, or unwilling to understand our perspective. 

    ~Dave



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    David Simpson
    Performing Arts Center Manager
    East China Schools
    East China MI
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 10-24-2019 10:56
    I agree...the struggle is real! Because of the size of our school I have to share my theatre students with numerous other sports and activities. We somehow make it work, but it is difficult and frustrating. What I do here, and it has worked so far, we have auditions the 3rd week of school in  August and our show is in March. Yes it is a long time, but it allows so many more to be involved and not get burnt out. We do a full on musical and we need time to learn the dances and songs. It is long but it works!

    Renee Craig

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    Carmela Craig
    Theatre Director
    Cookeville TN
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-17-2019 16:23
    This is my first year taking on the HS Fall production (after years doing JH)  and I am in the process of rebuilding the program after several lackluster years.  I tried to prepare for most of what was going to come at me,  as almost my entire cast are in a fall sport, dance, cheer and/or marching band. (We are a small school and our students are stretched thin) At auditions and right after casting, I discussed the challenges of taking on multiple activities and managing academics.  I asked for conflicts and handed out a complete schedule of rehearsals. I created a schedule that wouldn't require every kid at every rehearsal.  I discussed expectations several times. 

    Some students decided that they could not make the necessary commitment, so they opted for walk-on role, a crew position or chose not to go out.  Some students, however, I recently had to let go or they quit.  A couple claimed they didn't know rehearsals would go after 7pm (seriously? We can't even start until 6:30pm!) but, mostly I think some took on more than what they could handle and unfortunately, the play was expendable to them.

    Bottom line is prepare your students as much as you can for what they are getting into and be very clear on rehearsal times and policies.  You can head off a good portion of potential issues, but unfortunately things like this are always going to come up.


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    Derek Friederich
    Thespian Troupe 417/Speech Coach/Jr. High Drama/Fine Arts Center Technical Director
    Postville IA
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-17-2019 17:02
    It really depends on the community of your school and, to be blunt, how long you've been at your school will affect this as well. I've been at my school for 12 years and, at this point, the younger teachers and coaches coming in know my schedule and expectations are well established on campus. That being said, I am pretty flexible when it comes to blocking rehearsals (and I have swings to ensure that rehearsals can move forward even if there is a conflict) and I let them leave these rehearsals early to get to practice. I also provide passes to students to go to those practices late (to prove that they weren't just tardy and were involved in a school activity) but require that they are present for the full rehearsals once we start stumbling through. 

    It is more difficult for me, but I only rehearse my shows 3 days a week. Having those 2 other days for students to attend other activities also puts me in a good position when I have students who have conflicts. I also have, on the audition forms, a section stating that missing 3 rehearsals (regardless of excusal or not) may result in your removal from the show. It is not a guarantee (I look at each situation and make a decision) that you will be removed, but it makes it clear that this is a possibility.

    Sometimes students have to make a decision about which activity they want to participate in. For example, swim and dive can never participate in our fall show. They have qualifiers and state championships during tech and show week every year. There is simply no way to participate in both. Instead, most of those kids will swim in fall and audition for our spring show after the season ends.

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-18-2019 06:15
    I teach in a small school and most of my students are involved in other activities. Some activities and sports pair better than others. We rehearse right after school every day, and marching band rehearses 3 times a week, so the marching band comes on the days they are free until the season is over. Basketball has either early or late practice in the winter and it alternates, so my boy who plays basketball can come every other day. The coaches just share their schedule with me. I think the coaches I have worked with have been professional and not interested in putting kids in the middle. At a smaller school, the coaches and I have to make it work in the best interests of the students. I have understudies who provide coverage on days someone is absent, and I post videos of material we have learned on Google Classroom so students are not completely lost.

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    Nancy Lomas-Reynolds
    Director and Theatre Coordinator
    Voorhees High School
    Glen Gardner, NJ
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-18-2019 09:28
    When I was teaching, I also had this issue. Some of my best performers were in band, chorus, and other activities. What made it work was that almost all of the sponsors of the other activities agreed with me that students should have multiple opportunities. We agreed to split time with each others rehearsals / activities. (None of us really liked it, but we were all focused on the needs of the students.) In some cases, I told a student that, given their conflicts, I could only consider them for smaller roles, or if they were to be considered for a lead, they would have to give up the other activity. That left the choices firmly in the student's hands. When presented with these choices, I only told them that they were being considered, not that anything was a certainty. I needed to know in order to make the best decisions for the cast as a whole. (The Nose Tackle on the football team quit the team to play Charles Condomine! A girl in Field Hockey chose to not be cast.)  The only sponsor with whom I couldn't work was the Cheerleading Coach. She wouldn't let her students do anything else. I think her issue was that she was young and a bit insecure. I recognized that, I felt much the same way my first year teaching. :-)

    I see the key as building relationships with the other teachers and giving as much autonomy to the students as possible.

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    Robert Smith
    VA Co-Chapter Director
    Retired
    Centreville VA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-18-2019 09:58
    I think this is a challenge for most of us. I direct in a small school system and the students in my program tend to be not only honors students juggling a heavy class load, but active in student council, national honor society, and marching band - plus we're a poor district and many of them hold jobs as well as being bowling/tennis athletes. Direct scheduling conflicts (and rigid refusal to share) mean that cheerleaders, football and basketball athletes can't make enough rehearsals to be part of the cast, but many participate on crew. We do 2 shows a year - a fall play and a spring musical. For each, there is a student contract which has a section for listing conflicts (sports, work, honor societies etc.), and a multiple activities form, which the supervisors of all their various activities must sign acknowledging they are also in drama. That way, going in, I know who is likely to not have sufficient time to manage a lead role. I schedule around the big chunk conflicts (i.e. I don't schedule rehearsal at the same time as marching band practice or activities because half my kids are band or guard). And I make allowance for late arrivals due to national honor, class officer, and tutoring meetings. In short, as long as a student is demonstrating commitment to the show and their part and their absence(s) are not derailing the rehearsal process altogether, I am forgiving and flexible. The kids have learned to understand and appreciate this. It is rare that I have a student abuse the leniency.  Hope this helps.



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 09-18-2019 18:12
    I allow them to go to all sports & activity conflicts that are written on the audition sheet, except the last 2 weeks belongs to Drama.

    Maria Stadtmueller
    Kendall Park, NJ

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  • 11.  RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

    Posted 10-24-2019 12:24
    I feel your pain and I have a few rules that help me the most. 

    1) I create my rehearsal calendar around the other commitments of the leading actors. For instance, if I were doing Sister Act, Delores' schedule would be the framework of mine. If she has voice lessons on Thursdays at 4, and tutoring on Wednesdays at 3, then those become the natural "empty" slots in the rehearsal calendar. This means I don't have a rehearsal calendar until the show has been cast. In those empty slots, I offer study hall for students and put this in the calendar. This keeps the parents happy and helps them see that I care about the students academic success.
    2) I spend lots of time creating a rehearsal calendar that only calls the people who are needed at that rehearsal. Sometimes that means a student isn't called at all or maybe is just needed for the first hour. This helps my students see that I value their time and shows them where their opportunities for other things are. We don't have rehearsals where people are sitting around and not being used. (I think this is mostly for my own sanity, I don't want a lot of extra distractions sitting around, I'm impressed with other teachers who call everyone all the time and can not get distracted).
    3) If you are in the ensemble and you miss the blocking or choreography for a scene, then you are not in that scene. I don't "kick them out," they are just not in that scene. This helps put the owness on them, not me, for being at rehearsal. Sometimes they are smart enough to have someone hold a spot for them, record the rehearsal, etc. and they can slip in the next rehearsal like they were there all along.
    4) I tend to be very flexible until three weeks before and I tell them that in exchange for my flexibility, the attendance must be perfect the last three weeks. 
    5) My student assistant becomes and amazing asset for helping students who are out, coming late, leaving early, etc.
    6) I usually have one day a week that is the most important and longest rehearsal. For me the last few years it has been Friday. The other teachers want to get out of the buidling so they don't have tutoring, they cut practice short, etc.
    7) For the musical, I stress the importance of not missing the vocal rehearsals, so I have to be even more flexible with the blocking. This helps keep my vocal director happy.
    8) Last year we paired all of our 1st time musical students with a successful senior or junior. This helped with lots of things including getting students to take their responsbility seriously. 

    For what it is worth, we get out of school at 2:20 and that means I can have several hours of rehearsal and even students in leading roles can have a job in the evening. That makes the early start to school worth it for me and means I have more afterschool time to share than others might. 

    Break A Leg,

    Harvey

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    J. Harvey Stone
    Teacher/Director
    Williamsburg VA
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    Original Message


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