I know better.
This week at Summer Theater Camp has been a blur. We have done our best with the situations we have faced. But let me just say, I should really follow my own advice.
Each show really needs at least four main leaders - the main Director, the Music Director, the Choreographer, and we have a person over Art projects. We have had a few other volunteer helpers, but they did not have daily jobs. The Choreographer, my talented daughter Cami, has really worked hard teaching these very young girls and boys quite a few dances. Another talented daughter Katelyn has prepared very fun art projects such as Chinese lanterns for the kids to do in the down time. She has also worked with some individuals on practicing their lines. Katelyn was also a very good Stage Manager during the show. The Director should be working with the blocking the scenes and developing characters. But this go around, I couldn't find someone to teach the songs, so I have had to do both jobs.
I really know better. This has been very hectic and doubly hard to get all of the scenes blocked and set during our very limited schedule.
We had our first "stumble through" of the first few scenes on Saturday. That was hard because so many kids did not to come --- even though the dates had been set months ago. The most troubling part is that some of the parents didn't even respect us enough to let us know they had conflicts. I had sent out plenty of reminder texts and emails and still some parents said that they did not realize we had practice that day.
It would have been better had they never signed their kids up for camp. Some parents said that their child was a fast learner, "she can remember her parts." No, she cannot remember what she has not been taught. We are on a very tight schedule. We cannot go back to teach special parts to kids that miss practices. Every day we add something new. A missing child creates a big hole. We cannot do the show with characters missing!
I understand if some child gets sick or has a little accident and has to miss part of a rehearsal. But thinking your child can do a show in 10 days when they missed 4-5 of them... Really? A couple of kids had to choose whether they would come to the rest of Camp or go to some other activity. Too bad because they had been working so hard. That left us doing some quick recasting. It put a few kids in tears and gave others anxiety taking up the slack.
Seriously parents, what were you thinking?!?!
This week at Summer Theater Camp has been a blur. We have done our best with the situations we have faced. But let me just say, I should really follow my own advice.
Each show really needs at least four main leaders - the main Director, the Music Director, the Choreographer, and we have a person over Art projects. We have had a few other volunteer helpers, but they did not have daily jobs. The Choreographer, my talented daughter Cami, has really worked hard teaching these very young girls and boys quite a few dances. Another talented daughter Katelyn has prepared very fun art projects such as Chinese lanterns for the kids to do in the down time. She has also worked with some individuals on practicing their lines. Katelyn was also a very good Stage Manager during the show. The Director should be working with the blocking the scenes and developing characters. But this go around, I couldn't find someone to teach the songs, so I have had to do both jobs.
I really know better. This has been very hectic and doubly hard to get all of the scenes blocked and set during our very limited schedule.
We had our first "stumble through" of the first few scenes on Saturday. That was hard because so many kids did not to come --- even though the dates had been set months ago. The most troubling part is that some of the parents didn't even respect us enough to let us know they had conflicts. I had sent out plenty of reminder texts and emails and still some parents said that they did not realize we had practice that day.
It would have been better had they never signed their kids up for camp. Some parents said that their child was a fast learner, "she can remember her parts." No, she cannot remember what she has not been taught. We are on a very tight schedule. We cannot go back to teach special parts to kids that miss practices. Every day we add something new. A missing child creates a big hole. We cannot do the show with characters missing!
I understand if some child gets sick or has a little accident and has to miss part of a rehearsal. But thinking your child can do a show in 10 days when they missed 4-5 of them... Really? A couple of kids had to choose whether they would come to the rest of Camp or go to some other activity. Too bad because they had been working so hard. That left us doing some quick recasting. It put a few kids in tears and gave others anxiety taking up the slack.
Seriously parents, what were you thinking?!?!
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