I always triple check. I've used kids/adults/whoever for years. I did
The Phantom of the Opera last year, and it specifically states cast must be grades 9-12 and enrolled in the school doing the performance. Luckily I didn't need anyone else for casting but would have been great to have some extra local dancers who already graduated.
And I love explaining how royalties work to theatre outsiders-they think we magically put anything on stage at any time. Just had a grad school classmate tell me her school was doing LK. I started asking questions. They were just making up their own script!! That was an awkward conversation 😬.
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Veronica Stephenson
Teacher/Director
Enterprise AL
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Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2019 11:11
From: Shira Schwartz
Subject: Lion King HS
While I haven't done Lion King I have done other multiple shows where middle school students are included in the cast. We do have an accelerated middle school on our campus so I"m not actually leaving my campus to cast. That being said, I use the freshman on campus for the younger characters in the cast (unless the parts are specifically for much younger actors). For example, I used 7th graders for both Gavroche and Little Cosette when we did Les Mis several years ago. I've never had any issues from students or parents when I cast this way because it is obviously written into the script for a younger actors to have these roles. It also helps create the illusion of maturity on the part of the high school students when the parts for children are performed by students who are 4-5 years younger than their "parents".
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Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ
Original Message:
Sent: 10-15-2019 08:47
From: Erika Trahan
Subject: Lion King HS
Just wondering if any of you have done The Lion King for High Schoolers??
It is one show we are looking at, but the young/old nala and simba have me really looking at casting concerns.
I've thought about bringing in middle schoolers, but that takes two roles from MY students... How did ya'll handle this if you'be done it?
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Erika TrahanKaplan High School
Speech and Theatre