Originally posted by drama coach I feel your pain. I am doing a small show and I have students who are not showing up during tech week. I've reduced the number of practices, had students only attend when they will be on stage, brought food, you name it. I've come to the conclusion that parents are not teaching their children to be committed. They are allowed to drop out or not show for things. They feel very entitled. Very few take responsibility for their actions. While not all the students are like this, the few that are leave a bad taste in my mouth.

I'll be doing a lot of things differently for our spring play, and I'll write a thread about that and other things I've learned after this run closes this weekend.

I do have one significant lead who told me she has to work during the final dress rehearsal Wednesday.  Nice.  Also, our drummer will be out the same day for work, which means the band won't be anywhere close to where it's supposed to be.  Sigh...

My "joy" on the first day of production week yesterday?  One of my significant cast members, a senior who had the lead in our play last year, had been sick in the hospital all last week.  When she came out of the hospital, her employer told her that because she missed work last week, they could not honor her request to be off on one of our show nights.  She came to me to ask what to do.  Well, she was still really weak and was going to go home after school instead of coming to our dress rehearsal, so I suggested that she not worry about the stress of the show and just concentrate on getting healthy.

The girl was part of a "greek chorus" ensemble, so it didn't hurt the production, but man, it stinks to have to tell someone the 11 weeks of rehearsal was all for naught... ESPECIALLY when she was coming to every rehearsal she could.  She may still come and help backstage, but MAN...