When you get involved with performing students at the middle school or high school level, sooner or later it's going to hit. You're going to be faced with the student whose talent and experience exceeds everyone, including yours, it seems! This could be the student who got to perform for the nearest municipality's professional theater group, or the student who was in commercials, or the student whose dad was a groupie musician in the 60's, or the kid whose dad is the mayor or the superintendent........doesn't matter from where the attitude came. The problem is the attitude and how to keep it in check while making your other students feel appreciated and special, too.

The most important thing to remember is this: catering to this child's every whim is NOT doing him or her any favors. It doesn't mean you can't take the student's suggestions into advisement. It means making sure the student understands the difference between "suggesting" and "demanding". It also means making sure the student understands that not everyone can be Number One all the time. Finally, it means running the risk of having this student get upset and walk off, especially if they are truly talented. It's a fine line to walk in diplomacy, and you might have to lose the captain to win the war.

First of all, in an audition situation, it's probably best to have more than one teacher helping you do the placement. Also, use a rubric system in making your selections. I videotape my auditions, too, just so I can go back and preview the try-outs two or three times. Finally, it doesn't hurt to get character references, especially if you're going to be working with kids you don't work with too much during the rest of the year. The more means you can come up with the sustantiate your decisions, the better. Keep in mind that the most talented is not necessarily going to be the best for the entire program.

What if your prima donna insists on either getting the lead or refusing to do anything? Don't let a teenager set an ultimatum for you! Keep your dignity, stay out of politics, and base your decision on what's best for your program. If the student does threaten to walk and throws a fit, tell him or her "I will discuss this matter with you when you're a little calmer". Sometimes, they will come back. A lot of a prima donna's attitude in many cases is an extreme case of no self-confidence. You might be the adult here, and later, offer to talk to the student about your reasonings, especially if there is a maturity or responsibility situation here. But, if they refuse to listen, make it clear that you're sorry he or she feels that way, but you and the other judge(s) feel it was in the best interest of the program to do the casting the way you did, and continue. Don't go back, beg, offer to compromise, or do anything to jeopardize your professionalism.

In the extreme case the parent comes back to haunt you about this, the rubric scoring and the extra judge or two will come in very handy. This is also where the referrals and recommendations come in handy. In many cases, a parent will believe you might have a personal vendetta against his or her child, but it's more difficult to argue recommendations that suggest the child needs to grow up a little.

Another scenario: working with a prima donna already cast who disagrees with your every approach: It might help at the very beginning to talk to the entire group about working together, setting guidelines, and how you would like them to make suggestions, and the tone in which they are made. That will probably deter most of them. However, if you have a student who is insistent on doing things his or her own way, you need to take that student aside. There is a time and place for improvisation, and you don't want to dampen that, but you can't allow a student to override your authority, either. This needs to be explained to the student: again, how to make suggestions, the necessity for compromise and cooperation, and the best way to approach you about ways of doing things differently. Please make sure, though, that you are carefully interpreting the student's attitude. If the student has a constructive idea, don't get defensive about the fact that other ideas besides yours might work if the student is broaching it in the right manner.

If the student is insistent on having his way on a method of performance, even if it doesn't fit with what is being done, it might be appropriate to allow him to have his way for one rehearsal, but to let him know that you will be videotaping or recording that session so that he can listen or watch it later and see how his ideas work. Often, these students aren't really aware of how they are coming across to an audience. The tape doesn't lie! (If,after watching the video, he still can't see or hear why his way doesn't work, you did some miscasting!)

What if it gets to the point where a student needs to be replaced? First of all, make sure, like in the rubric, you document what is going on, and have the backing and witnessing of another adult. Give the student a chance to save face and discuss the problem with him or her. Make sure you outline exactly what the consequences will be if the problem persists, and when these consequences will take place. If you think there will be a prospective parental problem, it would be advisable to also talk with the parents and let them in on what your concerns are. It would be better than dropping their child in a manner in which, to them, would be sudden.

Take heart, though. In most cases, a good dose of reality or two is all it takes for most kids like this to face the truth and shape up, especially if they have supportive, realistic parents. In many cases, these kids have faced "fame" quickly, some of them having never been noticed much before. Your disciplined concern will do wonders for their maturity level as well as nurturing their knowledge of ALL aspects of performance, not just getting the notes down.

What has been YOUR experience with prima donnas? How did you handle difficult situations? Let us know! We'll post updates at a later time.