Stage Parents, Beware Of The Munchkin

I’ve got a kid that loves to be the center of attention, as do many of us, I’m sure. But so far, anyway, that hasn’t translated to dance classes or music or acting save a memorable role as a member of the angel chorus in our church Christmas pageant. Unless she expresses an interest in taking classes, that will be that, although I admit to being tempted when I see the occasional open casting call for local touring productions in the paper.

Or at least I was, until I saw this in the Chicago Tribune. Parents of kids who appeared as Munchkins in a touring production of The Wizard of Oz complained that their children were forced to perform three shows in a day, didn’t get enough rehearsal time, and had to buy their own food even while adult performers were served catered meals.

The best part? The kids performed for free.

Of course, more kids in a production means more proud family members and friends buying tickets, and if they can get those kids for no money than so much the better for the producers.

The reaction from the columnist who wrote about this was a little weird, to say the east. His take was pretty much that these are touring, non-union shows so the parents somehow should have known that their kids were going to be treated like scenery, and that they should get the rules of the game when it comes to figuring out what counts as “professional” experience and what should be just fun. But most parents, especially who themselves are not theater-savvy, wouldn’t know the difference between an Equity show and one that isn’t, nor would they know what’s fair game and what isn’t as far as how their kid is treated.

I guess the best answer, if you really think you’ve got the next Idina Menzel in your house, is to find a locally reputable agent and have them find jobs for your stage struck kid. Or realize that something that sounds too good to be true probably is.