Tough call, but I think if she's the best one for the part, then she should have the part. I understand all the drama that could cause, but it's about casting, right? Back in my high school days the lead roles kept going to the same people, but that's just the way it went -- they were the ones who could do it.

I'm in the Wilder Pageant now, and we've had the same person playing Pa Ingalls for the past 25 years. But he's the one who's perfect for the part. I play the Reverend, and that's the part I'm good at. It's the way things go.

Edited by Thudster - 8/30/10 at 8:52pm

You have to go with the actor you think is right for the role.  I wouldn't let the community dictate your choice.  You have to follow your instinct.  However, sometimes its fun to challenge a traditional leading lady with more of a character part. 

Edited by mrlloyd23 - 9/02/10 at 4:01pm

I somewhat agree with Joe; unless it is already cast, I'd give someone else a try, especially if they are in the lower grade levels - if they are acceptable in the role, of course.  At the high school level of theatre, one needs to develop talent on the way up, and expose EVERYBODY to the theatre experience.  Repeatedly favoring the same people for leading roles kills that experience for most "budding actors and actresses" and hurts the program's possibilities in the future.  In school, where EDUCATION is the motive, you shouldn't sacrifice the education and encouragement of many for one slightly better performance.  NOBODY is that irreplaceable, and the following years will be all the better for it.  Besides, it looks bad (stale and "cliquey") to your audiences to continually have the same leads, no matter what level of theatre it is, and to me, it indicates the director has no real skill, or courage, or imagination.

This article from the AACT kinowledge base may help;-

Edited by JoeMc - 9/09/10 at 9:39pm

This is why I am hesitant to cast freshmen and sophomores as leads, regardless of how good they may be.  First, I feel better using students I know a little bit more about- upperclassmen.  Second, if they do get a lead early, I've seen a lot of ego problems develop.  Finally, I've been pleasantly surprised to see older kids blossom when I didn't just use the "obvious" underclassman in the role.

I was "the other guy" in high school- the one who did get to play a lot of fun character roles, but never the lead- while one of my friends played the Pharaoh in "Joseph" sophomore year, Jim in "Big River" junior year, and Billy in "Anything Goes."

I have a freshman girl this year who is a great singer, but I also had some strong seniors who hadn't gotten to shine much.  I cast them as leads, and put the freshman girl in the chorus.  Lights came on, and the freshman girl's eyes went wide and she faded into the shadows.  I've worked with her more this year, and I think next year she'll be ready for bigger things- I'm already looking at her for the Sour Kangaroo in "Seussical" her sophomore year and maybe even "Beauty and the Beast" her senior year.

On the other side of things, I had very few boys audition for this year's musical (four, in fact... so I had to go grab a few more), so I ended up casting a freshman boy in a lead.  He almost completely broke down under the pressure, and I don't want to do that again.  And yet... next year, we're doing "Seussical" and I have an upcoming freshman whose personality and voice would make for a perfect Cat in the Hat- the role that a lot of productions skimp on...  But I also know that the actor playing the Cat has to be mature and organized to manage all the entrances, props, costumes, accents, songs, and lines the character has.

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see what happens at auditions.