What everyone else said. Turn them in. Replace them with people with scripts. Do a preshow announcement. This will set your reputation in a very positive way.
Prayers to you as you deal with this unfortunate situation.
Original Message:
Sent: 04-21-2015 17:01
From: John Perry
Subject: Following through on the contract
I have to agree with what everyone says, you have to turn them in. Your reputation with the students as well as your job is on the line.
If you have to cancel it will be a huge learning moment for the rest of the cast. Theatre is a community and some members of the community showed disrespect for the cast & crew, themselves and the school.
If you can go on, grab a good reader and let him go out with a script in his hand. I've done it twice, just be sure the actor has a script in his hand for EVERY performance, even if he thinks he knows the lines. The audience will forgive all with script in hand but if he goes up w/o the script, he's just a bad actor to the audience. I'd do a pre-curtain speech explaining that three actors had to be removed suddenly (everyone knows why so don't try to hide it but don't go into details either). It's a teaching moment for everyone.
Break a leg!
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John Perry
Drama Instructor
Atherton High School
Louisville KY
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-21-2015 10:02
From: Phillip Goodchild
Subject: Following through on the contract
Scott, my heart goes out to you. It is stinky, and I can empathize with how you're feeling. It does hurt when kids make pretty stupid choices like this.
I'm with previous responses, you have to report it. You can't not. The legality of smoking pot is not the issue, it's on school grounds, they're getting intoxicated (whether they're harming anyone or not), and there has to be consequences. Would their employer turn a blind eye to them smoking pot in the employee break room? Probably not. The majority of jobs require employees to be drug free (I have worked at Busch Gardens, and know they have a really strict drug enforcement policy, as do all the theme parks).
You don't have to cancel. A girl could do it, at a push. A student could hold the script, all you have to do before the show is announce that 'the part of...will be played by x, who graciously has stepped in at the 11th hour to perform the role.' The audience will understand (and everybody will likely have an awareness of why those particular roles have been replaced). You can pull it off. My Nurse for Romeo & Juliet had a violent sickness that overtook her on the day of performance, and one of my other students performed the role flawlessly, even with a script. Audience didn't bat an eyelid, and she even got much praise and encouragement for stepping in at the last minute (she was due to perform as Titania the following night!). Still, she was happy. She got double Thespian points for awesome-ness. My only recommendation would be have a performer who can read well do it. Antigone isn't the easiest of scripts to pull off, but you would be well served in getting someone who can read well straight off the page. Give them a day to read it over, get familiar with it, you'll do fine, and the show will come together, and with the proper stance taken over the discipline issue, will be a defining moment for your program.
Again, I pray for your production and your heart, and know also that kids are kids. Teachable moment, ra ra ra. Hang in there!
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Phillip Goodchild
Ruskin FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-21-2015 09:47
From: Amy Learn
Subject: Following through on the contract
"The culture of any organization is shaped by the worst behavior the leader is willing to tolerate." Todd Whitaker.
You cannot NOT report this incident. They are under 21 and it was on school grounds. As you said yourself, if it was any other teacher... To not report, clearly sets a precedence that not only will you cover for student's bad behavior but that theatre kids are above the law, school rules and policies. This is a lead actor and a future officer - leadership of your team. This is a stinky choice, but you can take the short term hit on this show or live with the long term consequences of lying and covering up to save a show.
With that said - these are all kids. This is a teaching moment. They are all watching how you will handle this. I would be shocked, in our technology age, if every member of your program doesn't already know about this. Either because they proudly posted to Instagram or Twitter before you arrived or because they posted after.
Several years ago I had to cancel How To Succeed in Business....the Monday of show week. Finch quit. It stunk! I had exhausted all options to cover the role - including trying to hire someone - so had to cancel. I lost a chunk of money and it was a headache to refund tickets, cancel costume rental, etc... But, it was a teaching moment.
The outcomes here all depend on how you handle it. (no stress!) But, this is why we became teachers.
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Amy Learn
Ballwin MO
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-21-2015 07:07
From: Scott Hasbrouck
Subject: Following through on the contract
What would you do?
Antigone opens on Thursday. Middle school preview tomorrow. Last night after rehearsal I caught three cast members smoking pot in the school bathroom. One is my student director who is also under-studying Haemon since Haemon is in the hospital. One is my chorus leader who is also a candidate for club officer next year. One is a guard. This morning I will likely be turning their names in to admin and letting them do what they do. Thing is, I'm in a new district and have no idea what the consequences will be. I have not slept all night trying to get my brain around the fact that with two days until opening I may very likely have to cancel the show.
I might be able to get another Haemon. Doesn't seem like I had too many guys when I was seeking an understudy when my first Haemon went in to hospital. Maybe a girl could play the part? I could put a chorus leader up with script in hand, but would he or she ever get the blocking down? With only one day to rehearse before we have an audience. A guard might be easy to procure. He onl has three lines.
Ethically I cannot justify not turning them in can I? Word is likely to get out. Kids talk. That could cost me my position or at the very least any future credibility with kids at this school. I don't want to be the pushover teacher. There is a reason we have a contract. I've already had to enforce it once this year when a kid got suspended for something unrelated to our program.
The kids actually tried to make a case to me to not turn them in. "Rehearsal was already over, they weren't hurting anyone, and hey it's 420." They apologized but it seemed they we're more upset about the consequences than they were about what happened. One is a senior. If suspension is given he may forfeit graduation. His own consequence for his choices. But I will be blamed.
Had any other teacher caught them it would not even be a question. They would be reported.
I've only been able to come up with one way to keep them in the show. I remember when I was a kid. The fear of my parents finding out far outweighed any consequence the school could have come up with. I could do a sit down with all three sets of parents and let them handle it at home. Knowing these parents it will not be taken lightly. The senior graduates but all three forfeit involvement in any further theatre activities this year, and for the underclassman, next year's first show. The officer candidate has to withdraw his candidacy, which I think goes without saying.
Although I will likely have to do these things as well as recast or cancel. Postponement is not an option.
I have recast individual actors with a week before opening before. Grades or suspensions or other contract violations. One time two chorus members and a crew member in a musical were suspended with a week until opening. They would have missed all of tech week. We re-did the dances and went on. But with two days and two leads? The show might not recover.
I am so hurt am angered by what these kids have done. For putting me in this position and jeopardizing the show like this. I suppose by the time this posts to the web, the worst of this will be behind me, but honestly, what would you do?
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Scott Hasbrouck
Wheat Ridge CO
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