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Koigokoro · 03-05-2007, 05:45 PM

Hello everyone. I am in a sticky situation that has led me to these boards asking for help. Please read this, even though it is long and may sound like I am just complaining. Thank you.

Today at the end of the rehearsal for our Sears Drama Festival play we were going to enter into the competition, our lead actress pointed out the obvious: everyone in the entire cast wants to quit. When I say everyone I am not desiderating. Ever single last person in our acting cast nodded three head. I am torn in the middle of it, because I whole-heartedly support dropping this play (something I have never thought I would do... EVER!), but I have wanted to act all year, and have sacrificed everything to act for the festival.

First off, I will explain what this play has been through:

Our school really wanted to focus in on the festival this year and make it to Toronto. We decided to forfeit the usual December play so we could start writing a student-written script, but unfortunately that fell apart due to lack of time. Then we pulled out a tonne of plays to do. We had our harts set on a comedy this year so we chose Cop and the Anthem. Very good play, and we all loved the script, but the small group of us who had been writing were very disappointed. Anyway, we held auditions and the director and stage manager casted us. Many of the serious actors (although I will admit not all) had gotten the smallest of parts, adding to the disappointment. There are (from what I know of the cast) four or five of us who take acting seriously and plan to peruse it as a career after high school, this including myself. Anyway, about a month in our director moved away and the stage manager took over for another month or so until the new teacher was found. So over three months we have had three directors. Along with that, the week for the competition for our area was moved to the week of our March break. Most of the cast can't make it, so we have been looking for other areas. We still don't have a place, and I doubt we will get one. Over all, the acting side of this is disappointing for all of us. As one of the cast put it today "It isn't any fun anymore... there is no motivation to this... If feels more like homework than a play."

I agree with what was being said, but I will be very sad if we throw away the play. For one, I have never quit a part because I didn't like it, and there were many parts I have gotten that I hated. Nor has our main character (the girl who voiced this in the first place), who I know is very dedicated, or anyone else that I know of.

I also agree with the directors that we sound like a group of prima donnas. It is unfair to our dedicated stage crew and tech crew, and it is unfair to ourselves because we have put in a good amount of work. And above all, it is unfair to our current director, because this is her first play with our school and she is a very nice person and talented director.

Anyway, I know this is lengthy and I apologize, but I really do need some advice. I am torn in the middle of wanting to quit and wanting to persevere to the end... I know I sound like a complete bitch, but when the whole cast wants to quit then it proves that something is wrong with the play.

Thank you agian,
-Koigokoro <><

Ps, sorry if there is bad spelling, I did my best.