Commitments

Katie, our 13 year old daughter tried out for a summer production of The Prince and The Pauper in May. She was cast in the Court Ensemble. Rehearsals started the first week of June, and they have practiced three hours a night, five nights a week since then.

Being part of an emsemble isn't where Katie thought she'd be cast. However, when she auditioned we knew she'd miss a mininum of 2 weeks of rehearsal. I'm sure the directors had to take that information into consideration when casting. She was a little disappointed when she first found out when they posted the cast list. However, she was happy that some of her friends were in the play as well, and she'd get to hang out with them for most of the summer.

Then, one friend quit before the rehearsals even started. So we were down to Katie and one other friend. Still, it was one of her best friends since first grade. I've spend several evenings picking up the girls after rehearsals. They are so silly together, it's been a lot of fun. They remind me of myself and a friend when we were in high school.

After several weeks of rehearsals the play is opening next Wednesday. Last night Katie came home and announced that she wanted to quit!

"Not an option." I told her. "You made this commitment and you can't back out now."

"It's so boring, Mom." She really thought she had a chance!

With a little bit of digging she finally came out with why she wanted to quit. See, there's a HUGE concert in the teen girl world here in Omaha on Monday night. The Jonas Brothers perform at the Qwest Center, and "ALL" her friends are going, or that's what she'd like me to believe.

See, Katie was actually invited to go, but not until this past Tuesday, and I said no without even telling her about the invite. I know my daughter, if it sounds like it would be more fun, she'd much rather drop the work and play. I really hoped and begged that she not find out about the invite. Of course, that didn't happen, and she found out on Thursday night.

My mom is the one who invited her. My neice had called and wanted Grandma to take her, and so she looked into getting tickets and they were actually still available. She offered to take the girls and I had to say no. So when Katie talked to Hannah on Thursday night, Hannah let it "slip" by asking Grandma, while Katie was on the other end of the phone, if Katie knew about the concert.

Sitting in the other room, I hear "What concert?" OH NO!!! I'm thinking. "Hannah, tell me, what concert. It's the Jonas Brothers isn't it?" DARN! She's a smart girl, I knew she'd figure it out.

I could have made it easy on me, and let her think that Grandma was the one who didn't invite her. I didn't though, no silly me, I told her. I figured that I had one daughter who wasn't even invited at all, so that was enough to be mad at Grandma, we need to spread the anger.

Poutting insued, in fact, I'm still waiting for it to end. That's one of Katie's many talents. She's mastered it, too.

Friday night when she went to rehearsal there were several girls who dropped it on the director that they wouldn't be there on Monday night because they were going to this concert. Not a shock, the director wasn't all that happy. After all, the concert had been announced around the same time as auditions. They asked for a list of dates that they couldn't be there at audition, and again the first week of rehearsals. This is a high school drama teacher, who is use to kids a little more committed to their performances.

These are junior high kids. Most could care less. It was something that they are doing to hang out with friends most of the summer. So, when you threaten that they'll be kicked out of the play if they don't show up for the remaining rehearsals, you get the wrong reaction.

This morning Katie started again. "I want to quit." What a lovely breakfast conversation. I tried to ignore it.

"I really want to quit," she said again.

"Didn't you like that movie last night?" I tried to change the subject.

"Courtney gets to choose." Her friend was one of the girls who told him last night.

"I really enjoyed the music. And who knew that one actor could sing?" Sometimes I feel like we're having two different conversations.

"I really want to quit." Fine, she wins, we'll talk again.

"Katie, you can't quit. You made this commitment and it's WAY to late to quit. People have bought tickets and are planning on seeing you on stage." Then Alycia, our 10 year old daughter jumped in to help.

"It would be like quiting on your cell phone." What? I didn't get the connection, but it broke the tension.

Somehow the subject was mostly dropped by that one statement. Why hadn't I thought of that? Of course, the cell phone is always the connection. It can somehow be linked to the total exsistance of the teenage girl. . . or so she thinks. Way to go Alycia!