My son is a Senior in high school and in Drama. He was given the lead part for their UIL competition. He was fantastic and won Best Actor and his co-star won Best Actress which is never given to the same school; so you can imagine how proud we all were.
To be honest and fair, the play was shown at school as a dress rehersal before the competition the day before. I was not too impressed and actually thought to myself "this play won't make it" although every one else thought it was great!
The play was called "A Runner Stumbles" and it is a very dramatic and emotional play about a Priest and one of his nuns. It could be construed very easily as a controversial play;
Anyway, Wedensday we went to watch the competition and afterwards was when the awards were announced and which 2 schools would move forward. Our school won.
The judge came out afterwards as usual to critique all of the plays and their actors so that they knew what to work on if they advanced. It took the judge close to an hour and a half to decide. We all listened very closely to what he said about each school. It came time for my son's school to be critiqued and he didn't have anything bad to say; and just complimented them on such a great play and acting and especially loved the Priest (my son).
Friday comes and we (lots of family) attend. Our school was last to go on stage. They did a great job again, but definitely not perfect like Wednesday's performance but just as powerful.
We had a new judge, which is suppose to happen. She took 10 minutes to decide. Our school did not advance but my son won Honorable Mention which actually is two steps down from Best actor. That never happens. Leads always get at least All star cast, so it was actually insulting, but we were all still very proud.
The judge comes out to do her critique and tells the cast that she did not get the time line of the play (past and present) and felt the acting was not real. The kids were upset with that part of her critique because 1) they don't choose the play and 2) she is handed a script so that she knows what to expect. So she SHOULD have known about the time line.
Anyway, I decided to send an email to our first judge and thank him because this WAS A HUGE DEAL for my son; (for many reasons that are too long to list). He kindly wrote back and said that my son was extremely talented and he should pursue that career. (He is actually going to medical school, so acting was just for fun).
I then decide to email the other judge; I thanked her for her time, and also said that the actors and schools that won that competition deserved it; and I meant it as they were all great for the most part. I also asked if she had possibly not read the play to understand the timeline in the play because that made such a difference in her determining which play advanced. I also questioned why it took her only ten minutes to decide their fate compared to the first judge who took one hour and a half.
She answered and I was satisfied with what she said, although I wasn't going to argue her justification for it, I just replied again and thanked her and mentioned that I realized how hard it is to be a judge.
Today I receive an email from my son's teacher because this judge went to the Board and complained and was extremely insulted; so my son's teacher had to reply and she was verrry upset about me doing this. (I am president of her booster club so she knows me very well). No where in the UIL rules does it state that we cannot send our praises, complaints, etc. to them. It actually gives their emails and home phone #s on the UIL website.
A short background on the teacher. She HAS NEVER STOOD UP FOR HER KIDS. She is very degrading to each of them in front of everyone. These teenagers have come to me numerous times over the past 4 years because she is so rude to them. I have always told them to ignore her meanness, but to take what she actually is trying to get across in a positive manner. Many stories I can relate but this is way to long anyway.
Here is my point. .....FINALLY.
The teacher should have stepped up immediately when the judge was critiquing and asked the same questions I did. The kids were very disappointed because she just sat there and did not defend what the judge SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. Most of the kids were crying on the bus before they left, (some because they were Seniors and it was there last performance, some because they were disappointed and all because their teacher told them "I dont know why you are all crying, you sucked, and deserved what you got" instead of having any sympathy or compassion for their hard work. She never has praised them except to actually tell my son that she could not believe how hard he worked on this play and how proud she was of him), but none to the other cast members.
This has now caused the teacher to be really pissed at me as this has to be explained to the school principal and to the Board at UIL. I don't blame her except for the fact that SOMEONE needed to step up so these kids didn't feel as though their teacher threw them to the wolves.
Had I known this was that big of deal, I would have still sent the email, but I wouldn't have been insulting (as the judge took it). I did NOT QUESTION WHY OUR SCHOOL DID NOT MOVE FURTHER, NOR WHY MY SON DIDN'T WIN BEST ACTOR. The other schools were just as deserving and that was fair enough.
Was I wrong to get answers?
I AM SO SORRY THIS WAS LONG.
To be honest and fair, the play was shown at school as a dress rehersal before the competition the day before. I was not too impressed and actually thought to myself "this play won't make it" although every one else thought it was great!
The play was called "A Runner Stumbles" and it is a very dramatic and emotional play about a Priest and one of his nuns. It could be construed very easily as a controversial play;
Anyway, Wedensday we went to watch the competition and afterwards was when the awards were announced and which 2 schools would move forward. Our school won.
The judge came out afterwards as usual to critique all of the plays and their actors so that they knew what to work on if they advanced. It took the judge close to an hour and a half to decide. We all listened very closely to what he said about each school. It came time for my son's school to be critiqued and he didn't have anything bad to say; and just complimented them on such a great play and acting and especially loved the Priest (my son).
Friday comes and we (lots of family) attend. Our school was last to go on stage. They did a great job again, but definitely not perfect like Wednesday's performance but just as powerful.
We had a new judge, which is suppose to happen. She took 10 minutes to decide. Our school did not advance but my son won Honorable Mention which actually is two steps down from Best actor. That never happens. Leads always get at least All star cast, so it was actually insulting, but we were all still very proud.
The judge comes out to do her critique and tells the cast that she did not get the time line of the play (past and present) and felt the acting was not real. The kids were upset with that part of her critique because 1) they don't choose the play and 2) she is handed a script so that she knows what to expect. So she SHOULD have known about the time line.
Anyway, I decided to send an email to our first judge and thank him because this WAS A HUGE DEAL for my son; (for many reasons that are too long to list). He kindly wrote back and said that my son was extremely talented and he should pursue that career. (He is actually going to medical school, so acting was just for fun).
I then decide to email the other judge; I thanked her for her time, and also said that the actors and schools that won that competition deserved it; and I meant it as they were all great for the most part. I also asked if she had possibly not read the play to understand the timeline in the play because that made such a difference in her determining which play advanced. I also questioned why it took her only ten minutes to decide their fate compared to the first judge who took one hour and a half.
She answered and I was satisfied with what she said, although I wasn't going to argue her justification for it, I just replied again and thanked her and mentioned that I realized how hard it is to be a judge.
Today I receive an email from my son's teacher because this judge went to the Board and complained and was extremely insulted; so my son's teacher had to reply and she was verrry upset about me doing this. (I am president of her booster club so she knows me very well). No where in the UIL rules does it state that we cannot send our praises, complaints, etc. to them. It actually gives their emails and home phone #s on the UIL website.
A short background on the teacher. She HAS NEVER STOOD UP FOR HER KIDS. She is very degrading to each of them in front of everyone. These teenagers have come to me numerous times over the past 4 years because she is so rude to them. I have always told them to ignore her meanness, but to take what she actually is trying to get across in a positive manner. Many stories I can relate but this is way to long anyway.
Here is my point. .....FINALLY.
The teacher should have stepped up immediately when the judge was critiquing and asked the same questions I did. The kids were very disappointed because she just sat there and did not defend what the judge SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. Most of the kids were crying on the bus before they left, (some because they were Seniors and it was there last performance, some because they were disappointed and all because their teacher told them "I dont know why you are all crying, you sucked, and deserved what you got" instead of having any sympathy or compassion for their hard work. She never has praised them except to actually tell my son that she could not believe how hard he worked on this play and how proud she was of him), but none to the other cast members.
This has now caused the teacher to be really pissed at me as this has to be explained to the school principal and to the Board at UIL. I don't blame her except for the fact that SOMEONE needed to step up so these kids didn't feel as though their teacher threw them to the wolves.
Had I known this was that big of deal, I would have still sent the email, but I wouldn't have been insulting (as the judge took it). I did NOT QUESTION WHY OUR SCHOOL DID NOT MOVE FURTHER, NOR WHY MY SON DIDN'T WIN BEST ACTOR. The other schools were just as deserving and that was fair enough.
Was I wrong to get answers?
I AM SO SORRY THIS WAS LONG.
