Primary school children being auditioned for school play

RosieBloom

Hi there, just wondering what people's views are on primary school children being auditioned for school plays? This has happened recently in our local school and the teacher that was auditioning had more or less picked the children before the auditions took place. Surely at this level all children should be equal?

intheclouds

They did it in my primary school when I was a child, and it still stands out in my memory as a horribly mean way to treat us kids.

Not only did we have to do the audition in front of everyone else, the teacher choosing made smart (supposedly funny) comments on peoples performances and so deflated each child who was not picked by being nasty to them.

Minderbinder

RosieBloom wrote: »

Hi there, just wondering what people's views are on primary school children being auditioned for school plays? This has happened recently in our local school and the teacher that was auditioning had more or less picked the children before the auditions took place. Surely at this level all children should be equal?

So how would you have the teacher determine who is the lead and who is a tree?

How do you know the teacher pre-selected the parts? Were you there for auditions?

I think most teachers at that level would be looking for kids with enthusiasm who look like they want to participate and can learn a few lines. they are not necessarily looking for the next Marlon Brando

genericguy

It's no harm having a competitive element. It will teach children that they won't always be handed things without merit.

stoplooklisten

The auditions can be as much about public speaking and confidence building as well as seeing who gets lead parts/backing parts and fairness. The children cant all be equal. how would that work? Pick names out of a hat? Then perhaps a child who doesn't want to do it ends up with the main role?

neris

the over protective molly coddling of modern children continues, wait till they hit the real world in years to come and are totally unprepared

evolving_doors

RosieBloom wrote: »

Hi there, just wondering what people's views are on primary school children being auditioned for school plays? This has happened recently in our local school and the teacher that was auditioning had more or less picked the children before the auditions took place. Surely at this level all children should be equal?

Nope afraid not, put one kid who seems all boisterous and chatty on a stage and they might freeze up, put another quiet child and they can change into a different person.

So if you were that teacher how would you ensure that you get people in the play to do the biz on the day.

I think it would be a more horrible situation to put someone unsuitable in a lead and then cave in to nerves or not be heard on the day.

Wesser

I think the selection process needs to be fair and that all children who wish to
Participate need to be given a part even if it is a small Part.

However children do also need to learn how to deal with the disappointments of life. This is an important
Life skill.

retro:electro

I remember being in sixth class and my teacher randomly asked one day, "who would like to sing a song for the class?". One girl volunteered and afterwards she was asked if she'd like to play the lead in the school play, she agreed and that's how she was chosen. She had the confidence to sing there and then and that's what scored her the lead. Seemed fair to me then and it seems fair to me now.

ted1

RosieBloom wrote: »

Hi there, just wondering what people's views are on primary school children being auditioned for school plays? This has happened recently in our local school and the teacher that was auditioning had more or less picked the children before the auditions took place. Surely at this level all children should be equal?

No , some kids are good at sports and get picked first, other kids are good at drama and get the good roles.

Speedwell

The point of a primary school play is to have everyone participate and learn how to be in a play, not to select children who by some miracle already know how to participate in a play. Jesus.

byhookorbycrook

No one is advocating children to be omitted. All children can put themselves forward if they so wish. I think you need to remember that many children would curl up and die if made to take a main part where there is perhaps a lot of singing or dancing and lots of lines to learn. And if you think you can force a child to do this , you really don't understand primary children.

Children have different strengths, in primary schools children will excel in different areas, including drama, sport, literacy , maths, music and so on. Would you advocate asking a child who couldn't multiply to do 100 multiplication exercises?

ted1

Speedwell wrote: »

The point of a primary school play is to have everyone participate and learn how to be in a play, not to select children who by some miracle already know how to participate in a play. Jesus.

Some kids are naturals on stage some kids are not.if a kid had a strength it should be used.

purplecow1977

When I've done plays in the past, I've ran through the roles & explained whether the role had a lot of speaking parts or not. Some children just do not want the limelight, and I don't want someone in a lead role that isn't going to do the part justice/freeze up/be shy and not want it! So I'd say 'right, this part is for X, good few speaking lines, who is interested?' and then those that are interested read a couple of lines and I decide from that. Is it an audition? I suppose it kind of is. I'm not sure how else I'm to decide on a particular role though! In saying that, children I thought would be well up for a particular role, were not, and others that I thought were quiet, were keen on it and volunteered easily!

LC2016

It's no different to children at that age being picked/ not being picked for the sports teams. I remember at 10 years old in 4th class,we had an indoor hurling schools team and only about 3 out of around 25 weren't picked to play some tournament in Dublin. When it came to the selection time after the trials, the teacher's father had passed away and was replaced by another teacher for one training and the tournament and even though I was one of the better ones,the replacement coach teacher(who always seemed to dislike me for whatever reason) left me out over young lads who never held a hurley in their lives. I remember I was devastated and cried all the way home in the car