Play - Tulsa,OK

My daughter was in drama all through school, and my family does community theater. Once a role is assigned, the only reason it gets reassigned is if there's a problem with the actor who has the role. You don't take a role away from an actor just to satisfy another actor who has a diva bone.

Our juniors (10-11) are doing the exact same thing -- our play performance is tonight and we have younger girls coming! Same journey. I am one of the leaders and I NEVER in a million years would allow that. That is about the dumbest thing I ever heard of! It goes completely against the ideas of cooperation, being a friend to every girl, and that girls can do anything -- now that one girl knows she can't do the part she wanted and originally had. On top of it, the girl who wanted the bigger part was allowed to do something that will in hindsight will be a black spot in her memory. To this day, I remember shitty choices I made as a young girl and am embarrassed by them 30-40 years later. The adults around her failed to guide her and allowed her to do something very selfish that she will be embarrassed by (I would hope) later in life, if not even now. I don't sense a question here, and I don't know how anyone could possibly fix it beyond giving the original girl her role back. Huge fail, all around.

ETA: I have to follow up on my answer -- I was so intrigued by this question since we're in the same boat (and the play was awful last night, but the girls had fun!) I asked my daughter what she thought, and she said the girl shouldn't cry because she still is in the play and she should be happy to give the girl what she wants. Yes, she would feel a little disappointed, but she would also feel happy to give her friend what she wants. My daughter makes me shake my head sometimes, but I am totally humbled by her generosity...

Wrong, wrong, wrong. This is not NYC and if the part was rewarded to one girl, it shouldn't have been pulled and given to another. What the heck is that teaching? If you want something you just take it? I'd be FURIOUS too! This scout leader needs some lessons in ethics.

I taught theater to that age group for six years. I switched parts on occasion, but usually because it worked well for all involved. Sometimes there is a good reason to switch a part, although in the situation you describe, it seems hard to justify.

I think you, or someone, should talk to the scout leader, and try and understand her rationale. The fact that one girl suddenly wanted a bigger part after a week is not usually a good reason to take it away from another girl. If the leader wanted them to audition for the parts, she should have done it from the beginning.

Since the girls wrote the play, I think they should stick with the original choices. It's not like they are putting on a major performance.

It's possible the leader just thought the other girl was better in the role, and wanted an excuse to change them. I know I have often preferred someone else in a role, but I would never take a role away from a kid, once I have given it to them.

Talk to the scout leader -- she should tell the second girl that she realized it was unfair to take the role away from the other girl, and she should give the part back to her.

The teacher should NOT have given away the part. She SHOULD have let the 2nd girl be an understudy for the 1st girl in case the first girl got sick. Just because you decide you should get a bigger part, assuming that all of the girls were happy with their parts before visiting the theater teacher, the assignments should have stayed as planned.

As a Girl Scout leader -- I'm so sorry that the leader did this. It's a terrible example to the entire troop and is already alienating parents too. It's a little unclear to me: Did the leader get this idea of giving the second girl this part after the theatre teacher suggested it? It sounds that way, since you say the change came about after they worked with the theatre teacher.

The girl who "wanted a bigger part" has unfortunately learned that she can get what she wants, without having to do anything to earn it and even if someone already has what she wants. The girl who got booted from the part has learned she can't trust the troop leader's word. And the other girls have learned the same two things. Maybe the leader thought, "Oh, no, instead of letting the girls pick parts we should have had 'auditions'" after talking to the theater teacher. But this is a GS troop, not a theatre troupe.

Two shows could work if there were more folks coming to see the play and I guess the troop could do one show for the younger troop and a second show for parents. That could work. But it sounds like the girls are already so burned by this they are ready to give up. If you could convince parents to come (they must come -- if no one turns up to the parent performance it will devastate the girls) to a second show, that might work. But then the leader would have to decide which "lead" girl did which performance. That is a recipe for more drama, and not the good kind.

If two shows can't work (and I'm not crazy about the idea but it could be tried if you can get support from parents),....Well, as leader, I would return to the original casting, apologize to the girl who got the boot, and tell the other girl -- who will be the furious one now -- that I shouldn't have made the change to begin with and was wrong to move someone from an already assigned part. This situation sadly WILL end with some girl hurt; the leader's actions have already assured that. If she were still considering the move there would be time to fix it but now she can only restore the first casting and apologize to all the girls. ALL the girls.

I would think the ONLY reason to take a part away from someone is if they were failing miserably at it or didn't want to do it anymore.

I do remember that when I was in middle school I was an understudy for the starring role and had a small role in the play. One day at practice I had to do the starring role because the other girl was sick and I did such a great job that the teacher decided that I would do the starring role one night and the other girl would do the starring role the next night. But this was theater class.

This is just Girl Scouts so I think it's rude to take away a part from someone who had it just because someone else wanted it. I would see if there was a misunderstanding somewhere. I think the girls and the parents need to get in the same room with the teacher and figure it out. The one who lost the part needs to understand that sometimes these things happen and that she needs to help figure out a solution, not just give up. The girl who took the bigger part needs to be compassionate.

I would say that the right thing to do would be to give the part back to the girl who had it (provided that she graciously accepts it back and then works hard) and that the other girl be compassionate and go for a bigger role next time. All of these are valuable life lessons too.

Most of the time there are auditions, then they are cast, then the show is practiced and performed.

So either the auditions were closed and the cast list was set or it wasn't. If it WAS, then the girl shouldn't have been able to audition. If it was not, then the first girl shouldn't have been lead to think she had the part. I think that the bottom line is either it was favoritism, mismanagement, or both.

If the girl is not yours, then you let it go and let your child decide to stay in the show or not.

If the girl IS yours, I'd encourage her to try out for community theatre or the school play. Find another avenue.

Assuming it was changed solely for the girl who wanted a larger part, I'd cry foul if I were the M., too. As a theatre person who has also directed children's plays, I never recast unless someone dropped out or wasn't doing their role. You were either there for the first round of auditions or you weren't and I didn't punish someone else who showed up when he or she was supposed to.

So horrible for that one girl. This leader is not very experienced it seems. Once the parts are assigned they don't get changed around. I'd find a different troupe next time.

From my experience in theater and child's involvement, once parts are chosen or awarded, the only way it changes is if the person named falls ill or steps down. Sounds like what was done was terribly wrong and hurtful. Definitly not something the troop should do. To answer what you should do about it ... share the question you submitted and the answers with the others and the leader who did this. I agree that the upset mother (maybe you or not) would be the one to address this with the leader.

As a scout leader AND a person with theater experience this sounds like a really bad call on the leader's part. You shouldn't decide to hold auditions AFTER parts were cast.
Did the mother (is it you?) ask the leader why she changed the rules mid way through the process? Or is there more going on, like did the girl who had the part not take it seriously? I've been in shows where parts were scaled back or taken away because kids were goofing around or weren't learning their lines.

poorly handled by the leader.
i've done little plays with my students, and they all audition for the parts they want, and are selected either by me, or by vote. no one gets their part yoinked away from them after it's been assigned. i've had kids decide their roles were too demanding and had to shake up the casting, but i'd never take away a cherished part. even if a better young thespian coveted it.
school and troop plays are about fun and fellowship, not great acting.
i guess my bigger question, though, is why YOU are noodling your way into the center of the issue? let the girl's furious M. handle it.
khairete
S.