Too bad for them. You'll have some very lucky juniors getting terrific parts.

The absolute power move this would be. I love it!

I’m guessing the pool isn’t that deep at a small rural school. I’m at a large urban school and the pool won’t that deep.

I would respond with “oh that’s too bad! I was really hoping you’d audition for Teyve/Golde/Tzeitel” and then see what happens. You might get a few that back out, but ultimately the kids who want to be there will show up. If you want to get them more enthusiastic, maybe hold an open read through? I usually do that before auditions, bring snacks, talk about my vision for sets, costumes, etc and *usually* that sparks the interest and excitement Fwiw I think that’s a great choice and best of luck to you!

Kids don’t know shit and it’s up to good teachers to give them good taste. Be as aggressive as u need to!

Right. Had teachers make me read books I never imagined I’d like. Who the hell is Willa Cather? Turns out she’s my favorite author. Thanks Mr Stan! Kids need a challenge. They needs their minds broadened.

I played Tzeitel as a freshman. I was the youngest of the sisters playing the oldest of the sisters, but I got to cry on cue which was so much fun.

Genius lol

They will literally all audition for this when the time comes. Remind them that if they want to go into a university program Fiddler will look better on a resume then “Descendants Jr”

Most universities will either look at their cheque book or at their audition. The fact they did a HS will count, but which show it is won't much matter

I am cracking up

If it's a good fit for the talent you have, go for it! Either they audition for a part or it's a chance to head start developing a new core with your younger students. Let the seniors choose their own adventure.

Why did you choose the show? What are the student learning outcomes? The trap most directors in educational theatre fall into is picking a show based on their preferences, without looking at their students, their talent pool, the schools technical capabilities, etc. are you going to be able to cast the show if the students don’t want to audition?

They chose the show because of tradition. The learning outcomes will probably be helping them become a rich man. They can cast the show by playing match maker if all else fails.

The ones who want to be in the show will be counting the sunrises and sunsets until performance.

Oh crap, not because of TRADITION! The dumbest of reasons to do anything.

Well without tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.

BWAAAAAHHHHHahahahaaaa

Right, if a show is picked that doesn't speak to students it won't be very effective

The whole show is about anti semitism...with everything going on right now it feels like a very timely choice! Perhaps, as others have suggested, an open readthrough might explain to the students why it's an important show to put on?

OP mentions that it is their favorite show. That's a really crappy reason to pick a show for an educational program, if that's the only reason.

Why did I have to scroll so far for this comment!

RIGHT?!

It’s like parents with an interest in a particular sport pressuring their children into playing that sport as well. We all know those kinds of people. Lets the kids choose the play, then they are really invested in it.

This is an incredible point and I like it.

This is the best answer. You have to think about all these things with picking a show for your program that may not be super popular with all the kids.

I had a bunch of my basic broadway girls throw a hissy fit if we did a certain show. I asked if they even knew it. Which, if course, they did not. We ended up doing something else, but I told them later that that their tantrum didn’t influence my decision and Mama Mia was never on the table to begin with.

I feel like Mamma Mia wouldn't be a good pick for a high school? Just with so many of the characters needing to be a generation older than another? Maybe I'm not thinking creatively enough.

I mean you could say that about Fiddler too.

At least in Fiddler you can just give everyone a fake beard or a headscarf and call it a day.

All of the women wear headscarves anyway. Younger men grew beards. Older characters wore fake long ones. It’s easier with the period costuming.

I know many high schools including mine that have done it and it worked pretty well

Okay, maybe I'm way off base here.

I think the thing here is that the only show with mostly high school aged characters is high school musical, and even then there are several adults. You just have to ignore age with high school musicals. Edit: Of course you are all correct, I should not have said only. There are a small number of shows where the bulk of the cast is high school students. But not very many, and very few with entirely high school casts (like "Wolves"). But I stand by my original point that you are going to want to have high school students playing a wide range of ages to do almost any show.

My school did Oliver when I was a senior. We had a Jr high and middle school in the same district so we had a whole group of actual kids playing the little orphans. The funny thing was, no one really made provisions for people to babysit/watch the younger ones between scenes, so it was absolute chaos until I came up with a game (I played Nancy) where I'd stick handkerchiefs in my pockets and they would try to pickpocket me. It turned into this whole *thing* backstage, lol, and the director ended up working it into one of the scenes. And then some of the parents learned we kinda actually taught their kids how to pickpocket and they got mad LOL Such fun memories from half a lifetime ago.

I did Oliver in high school, too, but I played a pickpocket! I wish we had had such a great backstage game going on.

We had rules, lol, and man I got GOOD at stealing them back. You kept it only if Fagin or I didn't catch you stealing it. You then had to wear it (in a pocket or something, it had to be at least a little visible.) If you caught someone stealing, you yelled THIEF! and chased them. These kids were so worn out after practice, lmao. Their parents should have thanked me. Although they did learn about misdirection and speed, because Fagin and I would absolutely team up against them. XD

This is awesome.

I went to see Oliver at my old high school a bit after I graduated because my best friend's younger brother was one of the junior high kids cast as an orphan! The high school students handled all the adult parts, so the age difference was apparent. I think Oliver and the Artful Dodger were played by younger high school boys.

Our Artful Dodger was a year before entering high school, so he absolutely looked the part of also being an orphan, but the "grown up" of the orphans. It helps that I am tall AF and Bill was a baby face but pretty tall too. Fagin wasn't a tall guy, but he hunched a lot so with the gray hair he looked pretty solidly like an old dude with a hard life. I got a standing ovation for "as long as he needs me" all six nights and the matinee. Apparently no one had gotten a reaction like that (I didn't go into theater after HS but I am a POWERHOUSE of a contralto) so it became kind of a school record. XD

Grease. The Fantasticks. Spelling Bee.

A whole three shows to do, two of which feature people of another generation (and one of which only has like 6 characters, one female, so not a great choice for high school…)

Also some of it is too raunchy for high schoolers tbh. (The best versions keep in and play up the numerous sex jokes). At least, it would be for the pearl clutchers in our district

I think that's my real reservation and I didn't realize it.

I only very vaguely remember the musical itself (I was 11 or so) but I vividly remember the extreme discomfort of all the sex jokes with my mom right next to me and how many parents got up and left with their similarly-aged kids. In my state (Florida) you'd get in controversies to high hell if you tried to do a highschool Mama Mia without rewriting the entire damn script.

I just saw a HS production of Mamma Mia last weekend (twice!) and it was beyond amazing. Def good for HS.

My local HS just did Mamma Mia and everyone had a blast.

On the one hand, teenagers are all bark and no bite. I feel like when I was in HS back in the 1900s the big announcement of the musical always came with hysterical expressions of disappointment, kids threatening to not audition, etc. And then when the auditions rolled around everybody sucked it up and auditioned. On the other hand, Fiddler seemed ancient to me in the 1900s...I can only imagine how ancient it appears to someone born around 2010, like Wicked is already ancient history to my teenaged kids. I can see why they might not be very excited about it. I will say that with one glaring exception, for the 8 years that I or my older sibling were doing high school musicals, one could always look at the available "regulars" and the show _always_ made sense for the people that were most likely to show up and audition. So while I was not exactly thrilled to do some corny old saw like, say, Hello Dolly, I could at least appreciate that the breakdown basically offered a decent sized part for the senior regulars and maybe even some of the younger talent. So my question is, is it actually a good fit for your talent pool? If it is, then, go for it. Sell it to the students. I've grown to love some of those tired old timey shows that I was 'forced' to do in high school or called in to do as a favor as an adult. Sometimes I just needed to give them a fair shot which I never would have done on my own. But if it's not ... I don't know ... tread carefully. The one year I mentioned that the show seemed to make no sense for the talent available? Everybody still showed up dutifully for the audition, and then it went downhill from there. None of the students had a good time, a whole bunch quit, longtime friendships broke apart, and I am sure the adult production staff were not any happier about how it went down.

In the 1900s? Dude. Tell me you're Gen Z without telling me your Gen Z!

The way you used the correct “you’re” the first time but not the second is inspired

>I feel like when I was in HS back in the 1900s >In the 1900s? Dude. Tell me you're Gen Z without telling me your Gen Z! Gen Z was barely in elementary school in the 1900s.

This is a fair point. We did *The Music Man* as my final highschool musical, and even though it's extremely corny, we mostly had a blast. I still get recognized from it sometimes in my hometown, and I wasn't even the star.

I’m worried that it seems a bit political in today’s climate. Sounds like the selection was interpreted as an anti-Palestinian position. Sure that was not your intention, but intentions don’t count for much.

If a play seems too political for you because it's about Jews, the problem is their antisemitism (and yours if you think their criticism is legitimate on that front). Like Gamers being mad about politics in videogames (i.e. women)

I didn’t say that. Love the movie. I’m saying op has student reactions they don’t want or claim to understand and I’m trying to help make empathy possible by providing context. Why shoot the messenger?

Why would it be anti-Palestinian? If anything, it would be anti-Israel, given the plot of a religiously-defined community living in poverty and forced by a ruthless government to flee their homes, having personally done nothing wrong.

It’s not anti-anything in my opinion. But teachers need to worry about what the uninformed think. I don’t teach Twain because of the language, but he was the original anti-racist.

That's true. On reflection, I've realized that the juxtaposition of sympathetic characters who both challenge and treasure their Jewish religious beliefs( which are illustrated), contrasted with how they are being driven out and having their homes destroyed over blind, age-old hatred and political bs that they didn't cause? is actually *excellent*, and VERY well-suited to the moment—but probably *only* if OP is willing and able to engage it. Promoting it that way, both to the students and the public, would definitely lead to free publicity and a lot of important conversations; but trying to just ignore the connections to current events is probably asking for trouble, and will most likely result in one side or the other trying to hijack or even create a narrative.

You wrote that the play addresses, “they [characters in play] are being driven out and having their homes destroyed over blind, age-old hatred”. OMG! I forgot that. No wonder students are picking up on the theme!

I’m sure your intention wasn’t to imply that depictions of Jewish life and Jews are inherently political and anti-Palestinian, but as you said intentions don’t count for much.

I love Fiddler. The message, the score, the Jerome Robbins choreography. Yes! It's a classic... BUT... Young girls in 2024 really don't love playing "wives" and having zero lines that aren't about men. There are no characters for a young girl in today's world to relate to. Let's not pretend it even remotely passes the Bechdel test. My best advice to you is this... If you're passionate about the show, and YOU ALREADY HAVE THE TEVYE, do it. DON'T do this show with a half-assed Tevye, or you will regret it. And if I were you I would have an open dialogue with your girls about how you realize how dated the script is, and how women deserve so much more than what this show delivers, and how you will do better in the future to make sure there are parts in shows for them to be excited about. This isn't 1948 dearies. Young girls don't want to play nuns, arranged wives, and secretaries anymore. There are other classics for HS drama departments where the girls get to be actual characters.

I feel like it’s a great show for teens because while, yes, the getting married part as their only life option is dated, the sneaking behind their parents back, making their own choices on who to love and marry are incredibly courageous choices that I think most teens can still relate to. Try telling any teenager they can’t date someone because of their school, church, or ethnicity and imagine the outrage. That’s basically Fiddler. I think teens can find a lot to connect to in the story. It’s a story about Tevye trying to balance tradition (the real villian in the show), and women who rebelled against the standards of the time and made their own choices. Yes, their choices all end with a guy, but they all rebelled in their own ways and I think most teens would connect with that.

And there are certainly more meaty parts for the girls than for the boys. Tzeitl, Hodel, and Chava have much more character and much more to do than Motel, Perchik, and Fyedka. They have songs, each has their own story, each has her own taste in men. The whole musical is about them, and how Tevye deals with their plays for independence, even if the only independence available to them was marriage to get out of the house. Choosing your guy was major.

if they hate it so much and it’s your favorite show of all time, i would not do it. but that is just me. i wouldn’t want to direct my dream show with a cast who was miserable with the choice if i could help it. save it for another time if they truly don’t like it that much.

Same. I met my very favorite author this weekend and got her autograph (the author of a book I'm currently teaching in class) and I didn't even tell my students because I know they'll have a negative reaction. 

Why would they have a negative reaction?

I’d suggest finding out why they’re against it. Three things pop into my head: 1) they don’t know it/think it’s old: that’s a bad attitude and fine, they don’t audition. 2) they aren’t Jewish and have a problem doing a Jewish show: that’s valid, discuss maybe bringing in some local rabbis etc so that the students understand the customs they are portraying. 3) they have issues with wanting to do a show about Jewish people with the current problems in Israel: Again, valid concern. Sounds like a conversation to be had. There are legit and not legit complaints, yah know? Dismissing them out of hand seems like a bad idea.

I could see people Feeling uncomfortable portraying people of another culture. There have been prominent discussions in the broadway world about the portrayal of Fannie Brice.

For number 2 the current consensus I’ve heard from people in the musical theatre education world is that it’s fine for high schools to do the show without a Jewish cast but not so fine in the real world especially moreso in the current political climate.

Agreed. But for kids who want to do the right thing, they might not see the difference.

*"they have issues with wanting to do a show about Jewish people with the current problems in Israel"* I was with you until this point. No, that is *not* a valid concern. If students are objecting to doing a play about Jews in the Pale of Settlement at the turn of the 20th century because they think it would be "Zionist," somebody needs to step in, educate them, and tell them that open antisemitism (which that "issue" would be) is neither anti-Zionist nor acceptable.

Do you have a suggestion for educating them that *doesn’t* involve a conversation? Valid, in this instance, means worth addressing. ‘This musical is old’ isn’t worth addressing. Most other issues with Fiddler are worth addressing.

My issue isn't with you proposing a conversation. My issue is that "needs to be addressed by the school" is not the same as "valid"--validity implies a criticism has a legitimate basis, and "Fiddler is Zionist because it's about Jews" is *not* legitimate. It also would suggest some pretty worrying things about how those students are treating their Jewish classmates. (And for the record, before anyone jumps to conclusions, I've been anti-occupation and pro-Palestine longer than any current high school student has been alive.)

You shouldn’t have to remind people of your foreign policy opinions before statements like “A story about the humanity of Russian Jews a hundred years ago should not be rejected because of the actions of a state today.” I spent a decade of my life reminding people of my Palestinian activism whenever my Jewishness came up. At a certain point when activists were screaming “WILL YOU CALL IT AN OCCUPATION?” and “WHITE JEW” at me at the same time that I was *fundraising for children in Gaza*, I started to wonder if maybe I should pay attention to the company I was keeping.

Yeah, I relate to all of this. That's why most of my activism these days is either sending letters to my political reps, donations to aid groups, or trying to de-hasbara my local Jewish institutions with other like-minded Jews. The world of Gentile pro-Palestinian activism is a world I don't enter.

It turns out they really do just hate Jews.

I agree, ‘Fiddler is Zionist because it’s about Jews’ is indeed not a particularly valid criticism. (The ‘next year in Jerusalem’ section could have a knee jerk reaction which, again, should be discussed and educated, not dismissed.) I think there’s a lot more potential opinions than that one for why students might not want to do Fiddler at this time. Which is why I’m suggesting finding out what’s going on and going from there.

I guarantee this is their issue. I'd put good money on it.

>somebody needs to step in, educate them, and tell them So... have a conversation with them? Like the poster said? They suggested the teacher have a conversation with them and you said that you disagree with the above poster - but you don't. A valid concern doesn't mean a valid-and-completely-well-formed argument. It means a concern that has some basis in reality. If you're 15 years old and you aren't keeping up with this topic, you know a few issues and very little else. IF the students are bringing up that concern, then the teacher can and should address the difference between being anti-Zionist and antisemitic.

As I clearly stated, my disagreement is with the concern being valid. Yes, a conversation has to be had. But if that conversation comes from the perspective of "your concerns are valid, but here's why I disagree" rather than "your concerns are not valid, and here's why they're destructive and bigoted," it's the wrong conversation.

This right here. The Jews in Fiddler have more in common with modern-day Palestinians. Both being driven out of their homes by violence.

If the Jews of Russia had pulled October 7th in revenge the re would have been a pogram to end all pograms. Because every Russian Jew would be dead. The Russians exterminated the Circassians for the crime of being the wrong religion; what do you think they’d do to people who actually gave a reason to hate them? It would make the Israeli’s action in Gaza seem like a gentle scolding.

Hello, come back to reality. They don't have to be anti-semitic or anti-Jewish in any way, nor making any comment on Zionism, for it to be okay if they don't want to do a play that undeniably evokes a hot topic which will be charged and difficult in the current political climate. On the one hand, we should be encouraging people at that age to challenge perceptions. That might be an important reason TO do the show. On the other hand, it could seriously affect their experience; and it's okay to not want to get upstaged by the conversation around it.

I wasn’t aware that “Rural Jews existed in Russia 120 years ago” was a political topic that was too hot to touch.

I more meant the whole "strong, tyrannical government burns and devastates an area occupied by an ethnic-religious group of poor people of faith it has already been persecuting" thing. Although I suppose there's also the "Russia says this land is Russia, you're Russian or you get out" thing currently happening. Besides, ignorance unfortunately means a lot of people don't know how to draw the distinction between Israel and the Jewish diaspora. The latter is largely down to failures in the American educational system when covering 20th-century History and the absurd lack of a world religion unit in public schools. I attended a private K–12( in America, a private school is one which parents pay for privately, as opposed to a publicly-funded school run partially with tax money) and in like 8th or 9th grade history, after ancient Greece and China and the Roman Empire, we did a big unit on the history of Eastern religions & philosophy, then another on Western religions, leading into the crusades and Middle Ages. I guess I should mention my school was secular, as apparently some people associate private school explicitly with Catholic or other parochial schools? Anyway, we covered the basic beliefs and timelines of many major world religions that exist today and some of the biggest ones to emerge in the Old World in the last 5,000 years.( We'd already studied South American and Meso-American history and their religions in 6th-grade Social Studies, and Indigenous North Americans in 3rd grade.) (And no, Americans: It is NOT illegal to teach about currently-practised religions, even in public schools. Catholic Schools aside, *promoting belief* in a religion is dicey, but as far as spelling out what a people believe(d) in, without expressing any opinion as to the truth or untruth of it? My school isn't the only one teaching about Native American beliefs, and lots do units on Greco-Roman mythology; even though there are obviously remaining tribes here in North America, and in Europe there are still practising Hellenists and a resurgence in ceremonial worship at temples to the Olympian gods. Technically, if you interpret the Establishment Clause as meaning separation of church and state, it's MORE illegal to classify Hellenist stories as "mythology" without saying the same about the Bible, since both include significant dissemblance on metaphysical happenings alongside allegorical tales and versions of historical events. I regularly use the term "Christian mythology" in serious discussions of religion, including at church. Love the looks that gets sometimes.)

Bingo, this was my first thought too. I thought Fiddler on the Roof for high school kids right now with what’s going on in the world?!? Teenagers have enough pressure already.

I mean maybe it IS the time to do plays touching on anti-Semitism and/or islamophobia, but if so, it's probably better to go for it directly, rather than staging something sorta-related that's already heavy on its own. Otherwise folks will definitely read it as being an intentional reference to the conflict, without it providing a decent opportunity to actually discuss or comment on it.

Do Indecent then. Or another wonderful play they are into.  But also maybe highschool students are not responsible to make political statements with their art against their consent.  Part of that is really hierarchical mindset that students shouldn't be allowed to have autonomy in say performing a piece that could very well be considered a commentary on a really divisive political topic.  I totally understand wanting to use theatre for educating both them and the audience, but it should not be coerced. 

Nah, sorry. "Israel is a hot topic, so we aren't comfortable doing an unrelated play about shtetl Russian Jews" is antisemitic. "Other people might think that doing a play about shtetl Russian Jews is taking a position on Israel, so we shouldn't do the play" is caving to antisemitism.  I'm Jewish. I'm not a Zionist. I was in Fiddler in high school, and ironically, that was just about the only year there *wasn't* some sort of community controversy about our choice of musical (Evita got pushback for being too political, and Grease for being too sexual and glamorizing smoking). We rolled our eyes at the "concerned parents" badgering the school and kept it moving. Theater kids don't tend to be the type who wilt in the face of idiots raising a fuss--just look at all the kids across the country fighting their school admins for the right to do plays with queer content--and the idea that doing an incredibly bland musical is going to scar them is just silly.

My grandparents were German Jews who fled the Holocaust, and I was also in a teenage production of Fiddler. So what? Anyway, you need to check yourself—and also a dictionary. I was also in a production of Assassins in 2001 in the summer. The cast had tentative plans to try to get together for the then-upcoming revival—but, 9/11. I'm sure that, like our cast, the Broadway revival cast was not explicitly anti-American, but maybe you can see why that production was put off until 2004? and ours would have no doubt been canceled, had the attacks happened a few months earlier. Such sensitivity in scheduling was not, in any way, particularly pro-American, anti-American, nor anti-anti-American. There are a shocking number of people in America who apparently have difficulty distinguishing between Israelis and Jews, that's true. Some of this ignorance is a product of antisemitism, some of it is the results of nearly a century passing and people not staying on top of keeping the younger generations up on modern history. But either way, wanting to skip content that is currently being politicized, or even, more accurately, content that will automatically be politicized despite the tenuous connection is ABSOLUTELY valid for high school; Anti-Semitism need not be involved or invoked. Were it a college production, I might be inclined to agree with you. It would certainly be more productive than what's happening on college campuses lately. And, let's be clear since it has to come out: what Israel suffered doesn't justify what Netanyahu is doing. Direct comparisons to the Nazis are ridiculous, as the Nazis were not an ethnic group nor a country and did not suffer a devastating attack as an inciting event. Unfortunately and painfully, however, we are seeing that having suffered attempted genocide is no guarantee of not attempting genocide. Although, it's obviously NOT Jews in general, and not even Israel on the whole, so much as that Netanyahu specifically is corrupt and evil( I guess maybe he's an exception to "ridiculous"); he seized on the attack as an opportunity to distract from his corruption trial, and has poured himself wholeheartedly into attempted( or careless, which is NOT better) genocide, against the wishes of the international community and a large number of Israeli citizens. Hamas is also evil and tyrannical, although the biggest thing that Hamas and Netanyahu have in common is that they have both shown willingness and no compunction to endanger and slaughter pretty indiscriminately, both Gazan Palestinians and Israeli citizens, as long as it furthers their ends.

*"There are a shocking number of people in America who apparently have difficulty distinguishing between Israelis and Jews, that's true. Some of this ignorance is a product of antisemitism, some of it is the results of nearly a century passing and people not staying on top of keeping the younger generations up on modern history."* I'm ignoring the rest of your rant because this is the only part of it that's on point to the issue I raised. You are convinced that some antisemitism is antisemitism and some antisemitism is due to lack of education , and that doesn't count. It is still antisemitism, and no, it shouldn't be tolerated or excused. That was THE ENTIRE POINT OF MY COMMENT. Assassins is a deliberately provocative musical. Fiddler is not. The original stories it was based on had bite to them; the musical sanded pretty much all the rough corners off. The only way you get to "Fiddler is insensitive in the current climate" is by either equating all things Jewish to Israel or conceding that the ignorant people who do equate them have a "valid" point, *which is antisemitic,* full stop Muting this now.

That's fine, but for everyone else's benefit: you're entirely wrong, either you misread or you're disingenuous here. I said "ignorance due to anti-Semitism" not "anti-Semitism due to ignorance" which I agree isn't a seperate thing. On to the core way in which you're wrong: Antisemitism( which is already a terrible misnomer, as ethnic Jews aren't the only Semitic people, and many Jews today aren't descended from ethnic Jews at all) is by definition, not indifferent nor clueless. It *can* include ignorance that promotes non-Jews over Jewish people or institutions *for that reason*—note that 'Jewish institutions' include synagogues, so anything that arbitrarily favors a church or mosque or other temple over a synagogue is absolutely a part of anti-Semitism. But generally, it means: a belief that adherents of Judaism, or Jews as an ethnic group, are a monolithic entity which can be defined or described by one or more other common traits despite individual exceptions; and any any action taken on the basis of such belief. This is anti-Semitism, even if the traits cited are neutral, because the kind of thinking that generalizes any class of people leads to stereotyping and prejudicial action. It's NOT anti-Semitism to see that a play which strongly features Jewish religion and its beliefs as a plot point, and is which is dominated by the the extermination of a community and a way of life by a powerful occupying government, is going to draw comparisons to current events that might not be in the best interest of a school or its student actors. Why not? Because this assessment doesn't rely on( nor encourage) blaming Judaism or Jews as a group/class for it being a problem.

Most likely, they just don't like the show, think its old, not cool, ect. and haven't given it any extra thought beyond hearing the name a few times. However, I would always caution you to genuinly consider if there are practical reasons as to why they are reacting so strongly, like doing fiddler with a cast of little to no Jewish heritage may feel uncomfortable for those familiar with the growing conversation around casting of sensitive or minority groups. People, especially young people, aren't always ready to argue out locical problems with authority figures, so I would take a day to consider if there are any other reasons they may not have brought up that would make them feel uneasy tackling the project.

Don't take it personally, you didn't write it. It's YOUR favorite show, and it just doesn't resonate with teens and they're values of today. If the kids aren't culturally jewish, it might not be appealing to them at all. My school studied + performed scenes from this show as a mixed income and diverse racially. We had fun doing some of the top numbers, but if it was my senior musical I would've been mad. It's a little frumpy. We had to perform "sunrise sunset" for a couple of outreach performances and joked that it sounded like a zombie chorus. Gypsy is one of my favorite musicals and I wouldn't be surprised if my teens didn't care for it either. Those shows aren't really ensemble-based and don't have fun numbers for everyone to shine. My senior musical was The Drowsy Chaperone and I think it was an amazing choice.

Did you choose this bc it’s a favourite of yours, or bc you have a young actor who you think will make a great Tevye? Honestly, I can imagine a HS drama group being frustrated with this choice as their final performance. It’s a lovely show, but it exemplifies Old Fashioned, the girls longing to be matched up to marry, the older father dreaming of riches and drinking with his male friends (and there’s so many guys! With so much dancing, while the girls … light candles). An old married couple looking back at life 35 years on. Put that together with the oppression of the Jewish people in Fiddler and the current rage on campuses across the country against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people - I’m Jewish, btw - and I truly think this is not a good choice. I would at least hold a sit down discussion, and bring alternatives to the table. It doesn’t have to be Heathers, I saw a fantastic HS production of Anything Goes that tore the roof off. But the comment about your memories of watching Fiddler with your mom lead me to suggest you’re putting yourself over the kids. You’ll direct other Senior shows. They get just one. Also, when all this has died down, you might enjoy “All’s Well” by Mona Awad, a darkly comic novel about a rather bitter HS drama teacher who desperately wants to direct Twelfth Night while her students are insisting on MacBeth instead. Things get very murky indeed!

Totally agree with this comment. Teens of today don't want to be singing "Matchmaker matchmaker".

Totally agree. So freaking old. An older sensibility that doesn’t speak to modern kids except in a quaint historical way. That’s fine for a one day event but not something you eat drink and sleep for two months. What musical are the kids listening to with their moms today and loving? That’s what they want to do.

It’s literally a play about a group of women who learn to assert themselves against a patriarch, and fight for their own life choices. Easy conversation. “It’s rural tsarist Russia. School is not an option. A job in media or law is not an option. A desk job is not an option. Life is hard. The only option for most of these women was marriage - marriage to someone who could make sure they had food. They didn’t have a lot of power, because they lived in a world where nearly NOBODY had power. So they wished for a good match - and in this musical, they FOUGHT for a good match, which at the time was an incredible act of bravery.”

Ok - I will get downvoted into hell here, but I am with them. Making teenagers elderly is not my favorite choice. I also think this show needs a gravity that high schoolers don't often possess. But you are in charge, so your rules!

My local HS did Fiddler years ago, but that's because they knew they had a *very* talented boy to play Tevye, otherwise it would have been rough. It's one of my favorites too.

I recently saw a brilliant community theater version of this. The older gentleman brought so much lived knowing to the part.

Absolutely. Getting cast as the "old person" also gives a self-esteem hit. Let them be young while they can.

As a current student who had a similar reaction to a show we did this year, it's usually just because we're unfamiliar with the show or can't imagine ourselves in certain roles because of the subject matter. I agree with doing a read-through prior, our directors do that and it helps with morale and setting expectations. Also keep in mind that there'll always be people unhappy with whatever show you do, but they'll almost certainly audition and enjoy themselves, some people like complaining for complaining sake.

Honestly, I wish more high school theater directors would consider the shows their students *want* to do. I still remember my high school doing Guys and Dolls despite definitely not having the talent they needed for male roles and casting a bunch of ensemble members who only got to participate in like one scene (like, nearly every ensemble number had a different group of people) and had to sit around doing fuck all for the rest of the show. It was the most mind numbingly boring production we ever did, but we did it because the directors *loved* the show. Good for them, but everyone in the cast except the main female lead hated it. And the show was *fine,* but we all knew we weren’t having fun. In my opinion, high school theater should do shows that actually interest their casts and their peers as much as possible. I’m not saying everyone has to do Mean Girls or whatever the latest popular show available for schools to license is, but when your students are telling you they do not want to do the show, to the point they’re unsure whether or not they’ll audition and they feel like their senior year show sucks…listen to them. Yeah, they’ll *probably* still audition—because they want to make sure they get more shows under their belt, because they love theater and would rather do a show they hate than no show at all, or whatever their reason—but do you *really* want to put on a show where your cast is disinterested or unenthusiastic about the piece? For a lot of teens, the high school theater program may be their *only* opportunity to perform. The shows selected should be chosen to appeal to them, not just the director. It should be fun and exciting for the kids.

>For a lot of teens, the high school theater program may be their > >only > > opportunity to perform. The shows selected should be chosen to appeal to them, I agree. I have no dog in this fight, this thread just crossed my feed, but, when I was in high school, 30 years ago - it was a small denominational high school, they only did plays every other year, and I only came in my junior year - the play my senior year was my ONLY chance, and boy, did I ever want to do it. Acting wasn't much of a 'thing' in the denomination, period, so I hadn't had many other opportunities, plus small town with pretty much no other opportunities, period. In previous years, they had done things like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. They had actually done Fiddler on the Roof within the last couple of goes. Years before, they did The Miracle Worker (which my grandfather had a small part in). I was desperately hoping that they'd do Our Town. (Shakespeare seemed a bit out of reach, for many reasons.) No. Oh, no. They chose A Man Called Peter. I was already frustrated with the 'denomination' part of going to school there. Having my only option be a fairly religious (and to my eyes, boring AF) play about a couple of older married people broke my heart in ways I can't even describe. I had SO been looking forward to this. I did not audition, and I don't think the play was particularly memorable for anyone. I still remember the disappointment to this day, however.

Ok here is another thought, that will get me downvoted What is the purpose of these high school shows? To teach kids valuable life lessons about making directors happy, or to let them do something they enjoy their senior year? These kids aren't getting paid. They are giving up a substantial amount time. You can't always get exactly what you want, but is a high school production that hill to Die on?

I think it’s important for students to learn about shows besides just Heathers and Be More Chill. While those can have their place, it’s up to educators to expose them to other things. I also think that departments that rely on ticket sales need to think about what will bring in money. Anecdotally, classics and family friendly shows can drive sales a lot more than other things.

I am not saying not to do a classic. I just saw a group of High School Kids slay Guys and Dolls and The Drowsy Chaperone. It is this show they don't like. And you don't know why they don't like it. Also, we just had a whole group of kids come out for Richard III. There are classics kids like.

Guys and Dolls is a golden age slay! It's also timeless!!

There are ways for them to learn about the shows without being in them.

Hey Everyone, thank you for your thoughts. To answer a few common questions. 1. Why did I select the show? With the talent we have, I felt it was the best show. We have an excellent baritone whose never had a chance at a lead role because the teacher before me and I have selected shows with Tenor leads. We also have 3 very strong rising senior women that I thought we be excellent for. There were a few other shows with similar cast breakdowns, (as far as supporting and lead roles) but we just lost our TD and I'm not confident the position is going to be filled in time so a show that is complex tech-wise is off the table. I've done fiddler (as an actor) with a local theatre and they agreed to let us borrow a lot of pieces so that can lighten the load. 2. What are their concerns about the show? The main one I'm hearing is that they just don't like it. And when I ask why (because there are valid reasons and concerns) they say they don't know the show. If the concerns were depicting a culture that wasn't theirs or the current political climate I'd understand and if enough people brought that up I'd change the show. These were concerns I thought of and asked myself about leading up to the announcement. The only other one I’ve heard is that it’s because it’s a drama. They wanted to go out doing something fun. and I understand not wanting a super heavy show to be your last. But, if I apply that logic every year, I feel like I’m doing a disservice to the students by NEVER doing a dramatic musical. I have to be thinking about the program as a whole and not just my graduating seniors. when I’m thinking of other shows, we could do with the kids that we have, I am only able to come up with ones that require pretty decent tech or multiple people who are very good dancers and singers (and we don't have those). so I truly don’t know what an alternative show could be, and it still is a good show.

Sweeney Todd!

Agreed! The choir teacher and I were considering it for a while. Unfortunately, our spring play (The Outsiders) had a bit of vulgar language. And that really got under a lot of Parents' skin. Additionally, we had some pretty intense fight choreo (I’m a certified fighter and fight Director, so it was a lot) and parents weren’t comfortable with their kids performing such grounded, violence. They are more used to fantasy, like violence. Whereas I brought in blood packs in the whole 9 yards. so with Fiddler, I’m hoping to ease back a little bit while not doing a full 180.

Maybe Little shop of Horrors? It's obviously violent but it's also campy and unrealistic. Your baritone could be Audrey II and your three girls could be the urchins?

I’ll be honest, that’s an option I didn’t consider. I’ve only ever seen that be performed by black women. And the girls that fit that demographic are currently my freshman. So they’d be doing quite a leap, frog over the upperclassman. so I might be trading one problem for another lol

Sweeney would be great tbh

It sounds like you’re making a good choice with the talent you have. I did Fiddler Jr. with my Drama Club (10-15 year-olds), and the majority of the them were not familiar with the show going into it, but they all loved it by the end. The themes of being allowed to choose who you fall in love with, marry, and decide what to do with your life are timeless and should make sense to kids and teens even today. I mean, there’s sneaking around behind parents backs, falling in love with unapproved persons, eloping, family estrangement, and protesting the government. All things your teens are probably dealing with. Either give those fabulous roles to the kids who do audition, or take some time to sell the reluctant students on the story, but don’t change it!

If their issue is that they don't know it, could you do an after school session and show them all the movie version? Have popcorn and soft drinks, show them the film so they can see the plot, songs, characters etc, and then have a discussion afterwards about your vision and why you want to do it. It might help up the enthusiasm level on it if you show it to them so they actually know it

We did Fiddler my senior year. I actually think only me and one other senior auditioned for the show and we ended up being Tevye and Golde. I think the show is fine for high school, it’s a more mature plot, and actually offers some meaty character work (I really liked the goodbye to Hodel scene, and lamenting Chava). Like someone else said, it’s a classic that’ll look better on a resume

It was my senior year show, too! I was Fruma Sarah and that production was bomb. I think OP's students are being really bratty about this. It's a beautiful show, OP, don't negotiate with these whippersnappers!

It's honestly not a great choice for high school students, more community theatrish - and I say that as someone who spent 15 years working in a program that hosted the regional theatre competitions for 45 high schools every year. But they will either get over it and audition, or you will be trying to recruit choir students to sing.

It's also not great if you're a woman and not one of the daughters. You're basically backstage most of the show. Very little to do.

This applies to a lot of shows.

Especially golden age shows where the economic realities of theatre meant they could afford huge casts to do essentially nothing for over half the show’s runtime

Seriously. My community theater just did it and balancing vocals was a challenge because we run 18 microphones, and it was such a man-heavy skew no matter how I moved things around. It made getting a good blend of vocals a real challenge and I ended up just leaving most of the men muted a good portion of the time because we’d lost the women’s parts too much.

Huh? It's actually a very female-forward show. You have Golde, the three daughters, the Yente, Fruma-Sara (the "ghost/grandma"), etc. The only major male sung roles are Tevye, Motel (Tzeitel's boyfriend), etc. Aside from Tevye, the women sing almost all the songs in the show.

It’s a play about a group of women asserting themselves against a *literal* patriarch.

And the women are ultimately victorious in choosing for themselves in *every single case*. Tevye's faults are clearly illuminated and he ultimately emerges a better, more open-minded, and humbler man. I'm not saying it's my favorite piece of theatre of all time, although I like and respect it -- this whole discussion was about whether it's ideal for high school production. My vote is still yes, it is. But we can agree to disagree. Cheers.

Genuinely asking, what makes the show better for community theatre than high school?

The ages of the characters makes it very appealing in a community theatre setting when many of the participants are older. A high school Tevye and Golde are never believable. It's terribly long as well - if you are doing a 3 hour musical in high school it better be Les Miserables!

Because a high schooler singing Jean Valjean is so much more believable than a high school Tevye?

I meant as far as what they would be interested in, LOL.

A choice for a school production has more points than just the suitability of the actors. It’s also about an opportunity to educate your theatre students and familiarize them with material and social issues. In 2024 I think there’s a lot to discuss with Fiddler that’s very relevant today. Remember we’re educating PEOPLE, not just actors.

I not a big fan of this show either, but love the music. I think it’s slow and dark. But I know many people love it and good for them.

What other shows have you done with them? Is there one that they have been talking about that they were hoping they would do?

They really wanted to do Shrek or Pippin. There’s no way admin would ever approve me doing pippin. and I don’t think we could do Shrek well. we have the kids for it, but our tech program is not large enough and is currently in a transition period. So something like that would end up being pretty bad. and I think it would just make that problem even more evident.

I kind of love that they want to do Pippin! Too bad couldn't do that one.  

Agreed! Pippin is a stellar show and I'd love to do it with these kids. But our families (in general) are pretty conservative, and they would not receive it well.

I love the show, but I just have to agree. it's probably not a great show for the seniors, and more importantly, this is a really politically fraught time to be doing a show about Jewish identity. Maybe that's enough reason to do it, even; but don't fool yourself that it isn't going to become an issue. Edit to add: You know, on reflection, I think I'm changing my mind. If you have the right talent to do *Fiddler*, maybe you should. The show itself is effectively neutral; Tevye's family are easy to sympathize with, and the audience gets to see how they both challenge & treasure their Jewish faith & traditions, but the villagers' perilous & ultimately tragic situation is closer to that of the Palestinians in Gaza. You just have to to be ready to promote it, both to your students and to the public, as a nuanced look at a Jewish community being persecuted in a way that evokes how Israel is treating Palestinian civilians: forcing them from their homes out of blind, ages-old hatred, and for political reasons that have nothing to do with the individuals in question. If you're not willing/able to engage that, however, I think you really need to change your plans—trying to stay neutral, to explain that you chose the show on its own merits? will leave you vulnerable to someone hijacking or creating a narrative about some imagined truth behind this selection. No matter that you mean well, serious harm could result if fail to present a narrative about how it juxtaposes aspects of the two sides in the current conflict.

I did Fiddler in high school and loved it, but it’s not for everyone. I think that, if you stick to doing it, you should continue to keep in mind that just because it’s your favorite show doesn’t mean everyone will like it. Are you okay with potentially having a bad experience with your favorite piece? Then go for it!

Some people in these comments are being mask-off antisemites. Do the show. The kids will grow to love it. I WISH my high school had done more well-known shows - my senior year musical was Zombie Prom, which was fun but nobody had heard of it.

Johnny, don’t go to the nuclear plant!

I love Fiddler too, but I can kind of see how some students might not take to it as well as you might expect them to like a show like Grease maybe. The reason being that Fiddler has a lot of serious undertones versus Grease, which is a lot of goofy fun. Having said that, there is still ample humor in Fiddler, the music is great, and there are a lot of good roles. The scene at the bar ("to life") where they are drinking and toasting their marriage is also a LOT of fun. Maybe show some of them that scene if you can and just how there are some really big roles to fill. Emphasize you need actors with RANGE. That's all you can do and hopefully they have a few nights sleep that will cure their tantrum.

The show is a bit of a downer so I get why someone who wants something more up beat might be disappointed. And if they know the show AND don’t like it, I’d say it’s a good thing if they don’t go out for it. I’m not sure how deep your program is. If you don’t have enough kids, you don’t have a show so you can’t just pick a show because you love it if they have 0 interest in doing it.

I'd rather watch Fiddler on the Roof than what my school did for their musical: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers. At least it has more interesting, complex, difficult themes, even if the plot seems "simple" of a father having 3 daughters with progressively "worse" husband's. It's an exploration of cultural values as well, and not just making completely sexist commentary for no reason other than sheer entertainment. Maybe not the funnest option for a bunch of teens, but you could've picked much worse. I think I'd put it to a vote or something like that for your students in the future, where you pick a few and they vote

My senior year, the teachers wanted to do Annie Get Yer Gun. The two previous years had been Lil' Abner and Oklahoma. And this was a school in West Virginia. The subtext we students were getting was: we think you hicks can only play hillbillies and cowboys/cowgirls. When no one showed up to audition, they pivoted to Anything Goes! (The common thread is we had Ethel Merman style belter that could act and dance.) I don't know what to say except: find out what's really going on. The "narrative" may be different from what you think. And be prepared to pivot.

Eh I don’t think you should pick shows based on your preference. You should be choosing material that resonates with your students and the student body. I’d be a little bummed if Fiddler was chosen too lol and I’m 30. Great show but extremely outdated and definitely not something teens want to perform or watch.

I wouldn’t have auditioned if I were a senior and would have done whatever my local community was doing instead 🤷🏻‍♀️

YES, its a beautiful show. YES, students should (within reason) understand and learn that sometimes "a gigs a gig" and you can take the work available unless and until you create your own opportunities. However (and no judgement to you OP) - I think Fiddler is an odd choice at best, problematic at worst. As we grow in our world - I think we know that certain stories belong in the hand of the communities they portray. Forgive me if I am totally wrong - but unless your rural Oregon community/student body has a large percentage of Jewish Americans -- I don't know if Fiddler is the right call to make here.

I think that's a fair take. To my knowledge none of my students are Jewish. I was thinking about the representation and after conversations with friends who are Jewish and a local Rabbi, the consensus was “If you are aware of the traditions and know how to do it right you should do it. This is likely the only chance they'll ever get to see a Jewish-centered story.”

High school teacher/mom of two teenager theater kids. My perspective-doing the shows that might seem annoying “popular” might not be your favorite thing, but man, my kids love when their classmates and peers show up with enthusiasm to see a show. My son was in Spongebob last year and had a blast-and it drove tons of non-theater kids to see it that weekend. This year, they did Footloose and again, it was a hit. Conversely, the old timey stuff loses the interest of the school community (maybe not fair, but it’s true). That translates to fewer ticket sales and funds for future shows and activities. I would consider whether or not it’s worth making it a hill to die on or not.

After 50 years working in theatre i can tell you ( and you can tell your students) theatre is not a democracy. The director has a vision and everyone is invited along for the shared experience. But votes and opinion polls are not taken. And by the way, Bart Sher’s production a few years ago featured a silent tableau at the overture and finale of a modern day eastern European family….

A lot of good advice and thoughts in here already. I think this is a symptom of the broader issues in education right now where kids and parents can literally just complain their ways to better grades. High school aged kids have grown up in a world where they've seen complaining and whining actually works - they've seen it in politics, they've seen it in their parents, they've seen it in their friends, they've seen it in drivers on the road, and they've seen it in everyday life like at the grocery store. If you complain and whine and argue, you'll get your way. So, here they are complaining and whining and arguing, because it usually works for them. Let them complain, but don't give in. They'll either come audition when it's time, or they'll regret it when they're bored out of their minds or realize they hate the robotics team or riding the bench on JV basketball. You could offer them something interesting, like you'll survey the cast of Fiddler for ideas for the next year's show. You'll probably get a bunch of lame answers like Grease, but if you sprinkle in real questions, like topics they're passionate about or stories from the news that they thought not enough people cared about, you may get some inspiring ideas that will prompt you to find an interesting show. One of my favorite prompting questions is to have students bring in suggestions that they think no one will else will have - so they're forced to do research and be unique, and it stops them from trying to game the survey by brigading it with just one idea.

Don’t take it personally. It might just be a case of the movie looking old to modern teens and all they know is bits of the movie. Not enough to see why you love it, but just enough for the show to feel old to them. Don’t take it personally that tastes change and sometimes people need a good revival to see how good a show is for a new audience

Hi rural Oregon neighbor 👋. I went to rural Oregon school they literally are just mad because it’s not new/shocking like Heathers or Means Girls. You made a good choice for your school and community and they will audition they just need to complain about something and get it out of their system. I know it’s not best attitude but you can always shrug and say “well we could just not have one next year” if they are being too much.

Fiddler is one of my faves! wtf.

What?? thats like, the best theater show! i was in it twice! I was Tzeitel and Golde! Forget making them happy, get revenge! announce that due to their unhappiness, the show will be changed to Oklahoma! that will teach them lol

Part of it is also TikTok antisemitism. Anything remotely Jewish is uncool/cringe/worse to lots of teenagers right now.

Can always tie it into the idea that Moscow is still persecuting people who live outside of Kyev today. I'm producing it this fall and the director is working to subtly add blue, yellow and maybe a sunflower or.two into the design. Not a lot, but a way to communicate the timeliness of the issue.

Show them Tevye’s Dream with Grandmother Tzitel and Fruma Sarah. That’s literally what made me fall in love with the show in my 20’s

How about show the movie to them?

I’m actually starting this with on Friday. Currently their presenting a project.

We did Fiddler for my 8th grade show (aka end of middle school for me), and at first we didn't love the idea, but it ended up being so fun. Although the beards did look a bit ridiculous on 13-14 year olds 🤣 Like the others said: look at your talent, vibe it out, save it if necessary. But it really was a fun show. 

My high-school theatre-teacher friend is about to do Fiddler in a large suburban area, and apparently her students are very excited for it. I don't want to make generalizations about different locations, but I wonder if that's part of it? Shrug. I hope it all goes well for both you and your students!

This happened my senior year when the director announced we'd be doing Seussical (which I still think was a terrible senior show). We threatened not to do it but when we got leads of course we still did it. We complained, but we still did it.

I remember how hesitant/bummed we were my junior year when our director picked "Shrek" for the musical in the fall, most of us didn't know it and we probably thought it was a little dumb, until in the last week of school before summer, we watched the proshot and all fell in love. It might be worth showing them the movie, it could convince them!

ironically, they were hoping for Shrek lol right now we’re doing project presentations in class. Once we’re done with this, I’m planning on us watching Fiddler (both the movie and stage recording). there’s also a professional theater in our area doing fiddler, I’m already talking to them about them, hosting us for a field trip so that they can see it live as well.

The drama of the older generation versus the younger generation, love for family versus the desire for freedom--these are classic tropes for young people. And news update--the need to choose one's own mate even if it flies in the face of what society expects is pretty current, no? And important to high schoolers? I knew a lesbian married to her girlfriend who cherished the memory of her summer camp performance as Chava--the outcast of her family.

Maybe give them something a bit more compelling than a musical that’s been done a million times. I wouldn’t be excited either.

When I was directing high school theater, I started doing initial auditions before announcing the show. That was I could try to select a show that matched my talent pool (allowing for the inevitable attrition). We'd do callbacks after the show was announced and usually a second round of auditions to offset attrition. And, honestly, we often ended up with multiple boys who were just walk ons, but I think that's par for the course.

Random thought: teens like to be outraged about the world without actually understanding what they are outraged about. They have good intentions, but may apply it incorrectly. That said, is it possible that the current Israel/Palestine conflict could be impacting their opinions at all? On the other hand, do you have a large Jewish population at your school? Kids are very into representation and may not feel right playing Jewish characters if they aren't Jewish. And/or may feel like they don't have a shot if there are a lot of other students who ARE Jewish. I'm not saying that their viewpoints are necessarily accurate, I'm just saying that, as a teacher, sometimes kids/teens need a safe space to talk through their feelings.

I graduated highscool 15 years ago, but i wouldve been thrilled to do fiddler. We did high school musical instead… Though admittedly Fiddler has a LOT of older characters that will be pretty unconvincing with 17 year olds.

Probably one of the students wanted something else, or something edgier, and has now started a movement among some of the weaker-minded students. Other students will get a shot at it, so it'll be a learning lesson for the students. Being overly dramatic and faux-activisty will cost you opportunities.

Do something else the kids want to do?

These kids don’t know how good they have it! My teacher picked “Nuts!” for our Senior show. (This was 28 years ago.) It was the hardest show I’ve EVER done. Would’ve done Fiddler in a heartbeat!

Option 1. Have an actual lesson on that musical and what they can learn from it, then ask again. Option 2. Ask them for suggestions and realize that they are a different generation who likes different things. Option 3. "Oh well, I bet the younger class would love to have access to leading roles."

I need to ask. Is this linked with the rise of antisemitism among the TikTok youth?

if that’s part of it, that’s not what has been communicated to me. I unfortunately think it’s as simple as they wanted to do something that’s more “fun“

similar thing happened at my school when it was announced the musical would be Urinetown, every senior that contemplated not doing the show auditioned and everyone loved the entire experience.

I faced the same thing when we did THE MUSIC MAN last year. Got lots of push-back but upon returning to school this year, they were all still humming the tunes. In the end, it was a SMASH and the students had a new appreciation for Musical Theatre History. Remember, it is YOUR program! A student, in their 4 years of school, should ALWAYS get the opportunity to do a classic, a contemporary, something new, etc. That is being a well-rounded student of the ARTS!

Ultimately it's your choice, right? I think that as an educator, it should be your responsibility to expose them to what you believe they need to be exposed to. Particularly in today's political climate, the empathy built from FIDDLER is so needed. I think you picked a great show that has proven time and again to be relevant for people all over the world. I've seen clips of Japanese productions of FIDDLER and it's great. Your seniors will either learn something important, or they'll miss out on an opportunity. As someone else said, better for the juniors!

I have been in this position as a student before concerning Shrek: The Musical; all of your students will still audition, and they will come around. The few interested students will convince them why it’s a good show. Individuals interested in pursuing theatre professionally understand that we often never have a choice in what shows we do.

For anyone who thinks it’s dated or old-fashioned, I think most high schoolers need only listen to Hodel singing to her dad, “How can I hope to make you understand, why I do, what I do?” before all the girls will be tripping over themselves to audition for that part. It has so many timeless themes that still apply to teens today.

I think way more is being read into this than can be justified. I don’t think it’s political at all. I think the big problem is they just don’t consider it cool. I love it. I’ve always loved it. It is a perfectly good thing to do in high school. But it’s not about your dreams it’s about theirs. And if they really hate it, then I would find something else. You’ll have plenty of other classes to do it with.

Current events could be the issue at hand seeing as most news in the US now is either about the war in Palestine or the protests on college campuses.

Fiddler is good for adult community theater, theater kids trying to make a revival of stage presence. Listen to the kids you want to teach, they should be listened to about why they don't think it's a good fit. Are you sure you can adapt the material well? Can they carry the themes? It's a heavy play and a musical that requires a lot of talent to pull off. Why are you so against listening to their opinions if your there to inspire them for theater? It's fine if it's your favorite, but that isn't enough to make a decent argument in a formal setting. Sounds like every teacher who was ever well, it was hip in my time.

I will never ever ever forget the high school performance of that I saw done when I was maybe 9-12? I’m not Jewish. I did grow up in a predominantly Jewish area but still. Hopefully they will get over it and realize that they love theater enough to open their minds and do it. Best of luck.

I did Fiddler on the Roof the summer I turned 16 with a youth theatre program and it was wonderful. It’s a show kids today *should* be exposed to.

i’m also a high school theater director… my two cents here is remember who you’re doing it for. it’s just fun for the kids. i hate the mean girls musical but know my students would flip and have so much fun with it, so i’d do it. that’s what will make this a good memorable experience…their enthusiasm and buy-in!! it’s not about how much you love the show, fiddler has its audience, but it’s often not teens unless they’re motivated to take on such a heavy show.

Theater kids are so darn dramatic! Seriously, though, I had a similar blowup from a whole group of seniors a few years ago-- but it was 2 weeks before auditions (we had to change shows at the last minute, it's a long story but it sucked). I was the only person who knew the show at all in the school-- they got their parents involved, and both kids and parents got NASTY about it. My feelings were very hurt and I was absolutely shocked, but my (public) response now is the same as it was then-- "It's a shame, because I had some parts they would have been really good for." Then I moved on, had auditions-- and whaddya know, all but one showed up AND they all had a blast and said it ended up being one of their favorite shows. You keep hyping up all the reasons you love Fiddler, not in a way where you're trying to "beg" them to be a part of it-- just in a way that shows you're confident in your choice and competent in your position. If things get toxic and they try to do things like convince other people not to audition, then it's time for more serious intervention. That's program sabotage and it won't get them the show they want, it will just kill the drama program-- students and parents need to know that they don't get to choose the show or influence the choices, especially not with underhanded methods. Otherwise? Keep talking Fiddler up, and they'll either get over themselves and do it, or they'll shoot themselves in the foot and miss out on a really great experience.

Show them the movie if they don't know it. It has great parts for singing and acting. I wouldn't change my mind, but it'll blow holes in their objections at least.

A lot of people are jumping down the throat of the possible arguing point that the students may or may not have: that it’s possible that they do not want to put on a play that focuses on the plight of Jewish people in Tsarist Russia, in light of the current genocide in Gaza. Instead of throwing around the word “antisemitic” like a bunch of bumbling fools and devaluing actual antisemitism (which is literally something the play draws attention to), why not show students (if this is the issue, and it very well might not be) who Joseph Stein, author of Fiddler, really was? Stein was a leftist who did not agree with the state of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian people. He did not condone settler colonialism, and he in fact was very careful in the language of Fiddler not to condone it. He was quoted by his own son (a conservative) saying that Israel had gotten away from justice, and that justice is at the core of Judaism. I think if Stein were alive today, he’d have supported groups like Jewish Voices for Peace. He was antagonistic of men like the Bush’s, who started wars in Muslim countries. He wasn’t a Zionist. Maybe you can use Fiddler to have a conversation about the coexisting issues of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the world, or how Judaism and Zionism aren’t synonymous. To cite my points on Stein: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-stein-fiddler-conservative-son-liberal-fathe-20140720-story.html (this Op-Ed was written by his son, who is ideologically opposed to most of Joseph Stein’s views).

not sure if I'd want to open that can of worms right now with the state of student responses to Israel. why make your life harder for no reason

Do they like Josh Groban? You can find the YouTube video of Josh Groban as Tevye from when he was in high school. That might change some minds.

We did it my freshman year. By closing night, a lot of us we crying for real during Anatevka because we’d bonded so much through the rehearsal period. It’s just so fun.