Daughter got a non-speaking part in the annual day play and is crushed

cedar_river_68324 Oct 2026

My daughter is 9. Her class is doing a play for the annual day in December and the roles came out this week. She tried for one of the speaking parts and has been given a tree. Her words, not mine. She practised lines at home for two weeks, so I understand the disappointment. What I am unsure about is whether to say anything to the school at all. I don't want to be the parent who asks for a bigger role. At the same time I would like to know whether parts are rotated across years, so I can tell her something more useful than "next year". Is it reasonable to ask the class teacher how roles were decided, or is that already crossing a line?

1 comment

violet_veranda_64954 Oct 2026
I work on the administration side of a school, so this is how it usually looks from there, not how your school necessarily does it. Asking how roles were decided is reasonable, as long as it is a question and not a request for a change. Most schools try to spread speaking parts across the years, and teachers often keep track of who had one last time. The reason may also be practical: voices that carry on a big stage, or children already in two other items. I would ask once, briefly, and then help her find something in the tree she can own. Children who do a small part well do get noticed for the next one.