Do you think this is right?
Do you think this is right?
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#0Do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:03am
The Friday performance of my school's fall play was cancelled because our football team has a huge playoff game. There will now be only two performances.
This would have been a PERFECT addition to my opinion paper "Sports overpower arts in city".
#1re: Do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:04amThat is not right at all. That really sucks. I'm sorry.
#2re: Do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:07amDon't schedule theater during football season, football is a major revenue stream for the entire school athletic department.
Matt_G
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/1/04
#3re: Do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:08amHon, it's the same reason all those players will graduate without having done half the work needed in their classes.
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#4re: Do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:11am
Our football seasos is usually over by the end of October. This is the first time in my school's history to go to the playoffs.
I just think it is extremely un-fair. That's life for ya.
#5re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:17am
this is the first time in my school's history to go to the playoffs.
*shaking head*
...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty
pray to st. jude
i'm a sonic reducer
he was the gimmicky sort
fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective
#6re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:23am
aw, that really sucks. I'm sorry 
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#7re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:33am
Oh, I am not part of this production. The drama dept. does not support me, so I am working at an awesome community theatre. I am learning so much more there.
I am just sick and tired of sports overpowering the arts in my community.
laactress
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/7/04
#8re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 11:35amThat totally bites and really makes me appreciate my old high school more and more cause the shows always came first! I am sorry.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#9re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:11pm
Can they reschedule the Friday night performance to be a matinee on Saturday or Sunday?
Is there a lot of conflict, ie people who are in marching band are required to go to the game but they are alos involved inthe show?
It would seem that yes, it's unfortunate, but probably can't be helped.
Sports over everything. That's why when I was in high school I had to help a friend of mine study his ass off so he could get a 9, that's right a NINE on the ACT so he could get his football scholarship. But then I had to join the damned Navy.
timote316
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/04
#10re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 12:16pm
Well, you have to weigh the options:
Cancel performance
-OR-
Perform to empty house
I'd choose the empty house (my school does, too), but others may chose to cancel.
Yes, athletics kill the arts, unfortunately
BwayTheatre11
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/25/03
#11re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 2:58pmSince when is an audience full of student sports fans? There are others who would attend the show.
#12re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:11pm
It is absolutely revolting. There should be no reason that a school play should be canceled for a sporting event.
But, we all know how this country views sports and art. It's sickening.
#13re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:19pmyou people are out of your f***ing minds. this is what could be a once in a lifetime accomplishment for the team and those persons on it as they've never made the play-offs before. if there were only one performance of the show, then i would agree that it should not be cancelled, but there are two other performances of the show. get some f***ing school spirit.
...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty
pray to st. jude
i'm a sonic reducer
he was the gimmicky sort
fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective
#14re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:24pm
Papa--you MUST be joking.
Not everyone gives a crap about the freaking football team. People don't rally around the drama department when their play goes to state.
It's bad enough that kids only get 3 performances to experience what it is like to do live theatre--hardly enough time.
And, I should think that us theatre folk would be very concerned about the cultivation of new artists and audiences of the theatre if we would like to have a theatre to work in the future.
F#@* the f@#$ing football team!
#15re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:28pmand people wonder why theatre geeks get their a**es kicked.
...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty
pray to st. jude
i'm a sonic reducer
he was the gimmicky sort
fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective
broadwayguy2
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
#16re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:29pm
"F#@* the f@#$ing football team!"
hmmm.. been there done that. Nuff said.
#17re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:30pm
Never got my a$$ kicked thank you very much.
If you are being serious, papa, I think I am more disgusted with you than I have ever been about Shrubya.
#18re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:38pmFor me, it was the baseball team---everyone hit a homerun that night.
#19re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:45pm
Really, bitching about sports culture and how people should be more into the arts is pretty pointless. Sports are bigger than the arts, they make more money and they attract bigger audiences -- go to NYC and its the same thing. Go to London and its the same thing. You think people in Chicago care more about their art museum than they do the Cubs? Not even close. Compare ratings between the Super Bowl and The Tony's some time. Sure, it's easy to sit and say how all that does is show how unsophisticated and Plebian we are and point out what a horrible country this is and how if that wasn't the case we'd all be beautiful people dancing together in perfect harmony while we all cured cancer and discussed literature and fine wines.
Or you can get over it and be real.
#20re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 3:51pm
I'm perfectly aware of the realities of sports vs the arts. And, I never said that I thought that people should trade in sports for the arts. What DOES piss me off is when the arts get trampled by sports. And being a theatre teacher (am I correct?) I should think you would have a different opinion on the matter.
And, I will b!tch all I please as long as funding for the arts is depleted and arts programs in schools evaporate.
Frankly, I am amazed that I even have to debate this on a freaking theatre board.
Updated On: 11/16/04 at 03:51 PM
#21re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:00pmf*** 'em. it's the regional finals and the team is ranked #3. i grew up in ohio. that place would be a ghost town if they performed. ever have to perform in an empty high school auditorium?
...global warming can manifest itself as heat, cool, precipitation, storms, drought, wind, or any other phenomenon, much like a shapeshifter. -- jim geraghty
pray to st. jude
i'm a sonic reducer
he was the gimmicky sort
fenchurch=mejusthavingfun=magwildwood=mmousefan=bkcollector=bradmajors=somethingtotalkabout: the fenchurch mpd collective
#22re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:01pmI don't really get why both events can't happen. I don't know...unless half the cast and crew are also on the football team (lots of people in my high school, myself included, did both the big fall production and played a sport...hell, our stage manager was also the captain of the field hockey team...we made things work!) I can see where the attendance might suffer, but it seems crazy that they would call it off entirely!
#23re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:02pmNo one is arguing the importance or excitement of a high school football team going to the playoffs. The fact that the school play was canceled for this is what is ridiculous. Why does the play need to be canceled?
#24re: do you think this is right?
Posted: 11/16/04 at 4:05pm
You know, we're talking about Ohio here, where I live. We INVENTED football. It runs a lot deeper here than most people imagine. No one's going to go to a play when there's a major football tournament going on. Plenty of kids jump from sports to theater and back again, the way it should be and plenty of parents love supporting both but a school stupid enough to schedule one against the other (even if the team doesn't normally go to the playoffs) gets whatever problems are coming to them.
People are going to like, support and attend high school football in bigger numbers than they are school theater. Given that why would you want to then go a step further and make them have to choose one over the other?
Bad planning on this school's theater program here, folks. It's not the kids' fault but it's not the football community's fault either.
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