Drama - The Fifth Grade Play

This year marks the first time the girls have an opportunity to participate in a production through the school system.  The Fifth Grade Play.  The girls have known about the play for years because, in addition to evening and weekend shows, the play is performed on a school day - partly for rehearsal, partly to allow understudies the chance to be on stage.  Of course, the girls decided long ago that they wanted to be in the play when the time came.

(I have to throw in here how I like that there's a focus on the arts in school.  If I had an art class in elementary school, I certainly don't remember it.  My first real art class wasn't until seventh grade.  Music as well.  I participated in chorale for a few years in high school but there really was only a small group of kids who were into drama.  That interest was not spread across different groups of students.)

Last year, I came to know more parents in town through dance.  Several have older kids and as I learned more about the play, especially last spring, I became doubtful that the girls would be able to be a part of it due to dance.  The woman who runs the play is extremely strict when it comes to commitment.  And I get it.  Personally, I feel like there's too much of "the rules don't apply to me" nowadays and she's learned what she needs to do to avoid that.

In order to audition for the play, an adult needs to attend a meeting on your behalf.  At that meeting,  commitment is discussed and the adult receives a contract.  The student must present a signed contract in order to audition.  Play practice is two days a week right after school - 2:30 to 4:30 - from the end of November to the end of March.  During the two weeks leading up to the play, you may be in rehearsal every day after school, and it could go beyond 4:30.  Students are only allowed two unexcused absences.  A commitment to another activity or sport is not an excused absence.  A family vacation is not an excused absence.  Really an absence would only be excused with a doctor's note, which is the same with school.  If you have more than two unexcused absences, you may be cut from certain parts of the play.  More than three, and you may be cut from performances.

I have no problem with commitment.  The issue is that the girls have already made a similar commitment to dance.  And they love dance.  There's never been any mention of dropping dance in order to be in the play.  Really, they just want to be able to do both.  Unfortunately, they have earlier dance classes on both rehearsal days.  On one day, Emily and Allie have tap almost right after school.  They would have to drop tap in order to do the play and they can't do that for several reasons.  Tap is a moot point anyway.  Ballet is on the second rehearsal day and, at best, they could possibly catch the last half of ballet.  That wouldn't be considered acceptable to the dance studio as ballet is a requirement of the competition team.

Here's some of the commitment the girls made when they joined the competition dance team:

• They need to enroll in ballet class and either tap or jazz.
• If they miss more than two competition team classes, the studio can decide that the team member is not allowed to participate in a competition.  
• They need to have good attendance in their other classes.

I have one kid who pretty much got over not being able to participate in the play.  Another kid was unhappy and a bit angry but eventually recovered.  Kid #3 is still upset and heartbroken.  I think it's mostly because two of her close friends, who are also in her class, will be in the play and she's super bummed that she can't do it with them.

The good news is that there will be other opportunities in middle school.  A fact I remind them of every time the play is mentioned.