Planning for Declining Numbers

I’m never quite ready to run out the door at the end of the school year. Partly because I love my job, but also because I feel like so many things are unfinished at the end of the season. And I hate to leave things unfinished. That’s a paradoxical feeling in theater because at every post-mortem, we discuss what we would do differently in a never-ending circle of making it better, stronger, faster the next time around.

We all fall into patterns. Repeatable because they’re familiar, defended because they get us through, and so entrenched we don’t even realize we’ve been on that same path for… years? The last two weeks of regular classes this year brought me to a new place of reflection. And I was surprised when I looked deep into that mirror at exactly what I saw.

Why are we doing this?

If you’ve read previous blogs or follow along in the Facebook group, you may know we’ve been hit with a massive slash to our budget. Those hits will continue. I’ve been mad about it, but anger that doesn’t lead to action is both pointless and unhealthy. So, I’ve worked hard to steer that frustration into activities and steps that will benefit our program, and my sanity, in the long run.

In planning next season, I finally asked the question: Why are we doing all of this? It had been such a long time since I asked that question. Have we been clinging to five shows a season out of habit? Are we really serving the students this way? No, cutting back wasn’t our choice, but what lesson does driving forward teach if we’re stressed out and stretched too thin?

Why Are We Losing Students?

It’s important to look at the causes of program population decline. It’s also important that it not become a blame game. Reasons we’ve encountered:

• Students are coming in credit- or skills-deficient and must take additional academic classes or retake core classes to catch up, leaving less room for elective classes.

• Students are helping support their families, either by taking after-school jobs at higher rates than in the past or by providing after-school care for siblings at higher rates than in the past.

• Due to budget cuts, middle and elementary schools have eliminated or not replaced theater teachers as they leave, so students are not being exposed to theater at early grades.

Those are not new challenges, but the numbers are rising. A newer issue we’re dealing with is fear. Parents are fearful of having their students out of the house for more than an hour or two after school. Some of that is due to threats to immigrant communities. We also have a large number of students whose families relocated from higher-crime cities. Their reaction to keep their students safe by keeping them home is directly from lived experience.

What We Can Control

There are some aspects of the decline that are out of our control. We can’t control what classes the kids take before they get to high school. But we can advocate for reinstating theater at the lower levels in the schools where it has been removed. We can also support the programs in the schools that have managed to maintain it.

This coming year, we are partnering with one of our feeder schools (the one we can walk to) on a joint production. Our ITS group will also be working with their drama club to get the middle schoolers not only excited about theater but excited about high school and what it can offer them. That is a big transition, and we owe it to ourselves to help bridge that gap and support the success of those incoming students.

We also can’t control the fear parents have for their children. But we can offset that by providing clear communication and a safe space for both students and families. We start our season with a picnic to introduce everyone and start the season on a positive footing. We also make sure at least two of our staff are certified district drivers so we can assist with transportation. Yes, that does put us at a slightly elevated personal risk, but we mitigate that by joining the National Federation of High Schools. Membership provides limited insurance and legal assistance for faculty and staff who work after school with students. We can support our families and protect ourselves, which is important. If we feel safe as staff, it’s easier to offer our support to our families.

Choosing Shows That Let Our Smaller Groups Shine

While the discussion has come up, "Just do fewer shows", we don’t like that approach. Putting all of our students into one or two large-cast productions doesn’t give rising talents the opportunities to shine. Finding, and then funding, smaller-cast projects may mean more productions, but it also means more roles for more students, more individualized work with students and directors, choreographers, vocal coaches, and more involvement from families who see the effort being put into their child.

A New Kind of Strength

So, why are we doing all of this? Not because we always have. Not because we’re afraid to stop. But because theater changes lives and we owe it to our students to make sure it’s changing theirs for the better, in ways that matter to them now.

The decline in numbers isn’t just a budget problem or a scheduling conflict. It’s a mirror. And what I see in it is a chance to rebuild our program not just as a tradition, but as a necessity. A place where students who are stretched thin can find focus. Where kids who’ve never set foot on a stage can discover their voice. Where families who are afraid can trust that their children are safe, seen, and celebrated.

We’re not just planning for fewer students. We’re planning for the ones who need us most. And if that means rethinking everything, then let’s get to work.

Are you facing declining program numbers? Visit Backstage AIC on Facebook and tell us about your journey.