Dear Parents, Read the Script Before You Flip Out

by Chris Peterson

There is a special kind of chaos that happens when a parent pulls a kid from a high school show days before curtain. Sometimes hours. And no, it is not just “unfortunate timing.” It is a full blown collapse of trust.

You are not just inconveniencing a director. You are not just creating a casting headache. You are dropping a grenade into something a whole group of students has spent months building together.

If a parent suddenly has a moral crisis over show content in tech week, I have one question and one question only: where was this energy in month one?

Because you had the title. You had the audition packet. You had the permission forms. You had rehearsal schedules. You had Google. You had literally every chance to ask questions like a grown-up before your kid memorized lines, got fitted for costumes, built friendships, and committed to a team.

Then after all of that, you yank them out. That is not “protective parenting.” That is sabotage in a cardigan.

And then there is the sequel nobody asked for: taking the complaint to admin to try to shut down the entire production. So now it is not just your child’s decision. Now dozens of students lose their show because one household did their research last and panicked first.

That is not protecting kids. That is controlling the room because you showed up late to the conversation.

And yes, I am going to say it again for the people in the back. We do not do this in other programs. Nobody pulls their kid from a playoff game the night before because they just discovered football has tackling. Nobody shuts down the winter concert because they finally listened to song lyrics in November. In sports and music, we understand team commitment. In theatre, somehow, we still act like it is optional until curtain.

It is not optional. High school theatre is structured, demanding, and deeply educational. It teaches time management, collaboration, accountability, resilience, empathy, communication, and how to show up for people when it is hard. That is not fluff. That is life training in stage makeup.

So yes, set boundaries for your child. Of course. That is your job. But do it before auditions, not before opening night. Do not wait until the director has built blocking around your kid and the cast is counting on them to carry a scene. Do not confuse last-minute panic with principled parenting.

This was never really about whether you personally liked the script. It was about whether you respected the process and the people in it.

Next time, read the show early. Ask the questions early. Make the decision early. If you are going to object, at least be on time. The rest of us have already called places.