The Show Must Go On And On And On…

High School, Jerk, Maryland, Teachers, Theater, Time, USA | Learning | March 24, 2015

(My daughter is participating in a talent show at her local school. For a couple of months, everything appears normal, with the occasional rehearsal running until six or seven pm. During the final days before the show, the teacher tries to run the dress rehearsals until ten pm on school nights, when the students have to be in school by seven am. Upon telling my daughter she cannot stay, I drive to the school to pick her up. I find her and the teacher in charge standing outside.)

Teacher: “Sir, I want to thank you very much for letting your daughter participate. She has proven invaluable to the show.”

Me: “That’s fine, but she still cannot stay any later. She needs to come home, eat dinner, finish her homework, and get sleep before school.”

Teacher: *with authority* “I understand that, but when you signed the permission slip you agreed to let her stay for however long we required.”

Me: “If we signed anything, we were unaware of any fine print. We never would have agreed to this if we’d known you were keeping the children this late on a school night. Could you please explain why their school day ends at two pm and you need to keep them eight hours for a rehearsal?”

Teacher: *with arrogance* “Well, sir, that’s the way the theater happens sometimes. Dress rehearsals often run over and we can’t take into account every delay.”

(I know the teacher was once a musician, and his attitude reflects his perceived “expertise.” What he doesn’t know is my own work experience.)

Me: “Excuse me. I worked a decade in this industry as a technician. I know full well how long rehearsals are supposed to take and all the pitfalls and delays. There is no reason a dress rehearsal, two days before the show opens, is supposed to take four times the show’s estimated run time. By this point, you should have full runs moving in two to three hours maximum; even if you took an hour break after the end of school to start, you should be done by six pm.”

Teacher: *suddenly quieter* “Yes… well… we’d still like your daughter to stay. If you agree.”

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