I'm sorry if this sounds blunt, and I realize you're working in a high school, but here goes. I'm going strictly by what you said, since that's all I know.
By letting that student break the written contract, you sent a very clear message to that student, to the rest of the cast, to the crew, and to other kids in drama classes. And also to any other kids she may have spoken to about this. If you now go out of your way to "compromise" some more, you're going to be sending another very clear message.
And you're going to be turning this into
your problem, not hers.
I agree with the above: call her bluff. You are the show's director. When the parents complain to admin, show them that contract (assuming it says something about hair color). Then it's admin's time to send a clear message to the entire school: either they support you (and written contracts) or they don't.
And there's always that little inconvenience of setting a precedent. If you cave in, you're opening the door for other students to do the same in the future.
If you need a slightly different perspective on this whole issue, have a word with the sports coaches, the band director, and similar people at your school and see what they would do.
I realized something very interesting a long time ago. When I'm in the one in a position to deal with a problem created by someone else, I have two choices. One, I can choose to address the problem and let the person who created it get upset. Or, two, I can choose to do nothing and let everyone who is affected by the problem get upset. I made my decision very quickly.
Afterthought: you may find someone screaming that she's a minor and therefore can't enter into a legal contract. Don't get suckered into this. That will just be a distraction from the real issue which is her hair color as a character in the show. And, again, you're the director. That's how it works. It's your call.
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George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.comwww.georgefledo.nethttp://astore.amazon.com/sdtbookstore-20------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 05-13-2018 12:31
From: Jennifer Jordan
Subject: Help! Neon yellow hair won't dye or wear wig
This infuriates me! I echo what others have already said, except that you open this Friday. I might try to talk to the parent and reiterate that her child has broken their contract and it will affect the whole show. It is also suspect that a child with a "scalp condition" dyed their hair a neon color--That couldn't have been good. BUT...here are a few options:
https://www.manicpanic.com/dyehard-temporary-styling-gels. This one will give your actor a bit of a "helmet head," so it's best for updos and such.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VT144FG/ref=sspa_dk_detail_3?pd_rd_i=B00VT144FG&pd_rd_wg=bwuUS&pd_rd_r=WW485GGFDFR5FE3HM4MN&pd_rd_w=hQqF5&th=1. This spray is part of the new "fiber" sprays that offer a better coverage than most of the traditional theater sprays.
Hope this is helpful!
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Jennifer Jordan
Director of Theater and Dance
Miss Hall's School
Pittsfield MA
Original Message:
Sent: 05-13-2018 07:42
From: Robert Lussier
Subject: Help! Neon yellow hair won't dye or wear wig
So, I have been informed by a student in our play which opens this Friday that her mother will not allow her to wear a wig due to "scalp issues." This is a few weeks after she decided to break her contract and dye her hair a bright, neon yellow color. The wig was our compromise. Does anyone know of any non-dying hair color options? Are there any wash out sprays?
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Robert Lussier
Drama Club Advisor
Hanover Area School District
Hanover Twp. PA
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