As it is done commonly with sports teams, school theater programs must make cuts when it comes to the cast of a musical or play. Allowing someone to be a part of a group or team just because they auditioned may have a negative impact on this person’s mindset in the future.

Those who audition prepare themselves to the best of their ability- all in the hopes of making the cut. It can be rough for those that didn’t get in. However, they can learn from their mistakes and try to improve for the next opportunity.

If people are let in purely because they auditioned, they can develop an attitude that parallels that singular audition with every audition or tryout for anything else in life. Since the truth is that they shouldn’t have been let on, these people are filled with false confidence.

“Parents don’t like knowing that their children might not be good enough; and coaches HATE having to tell students who are motivated and excited about playing that they aren’t good enough.” said Mark Rerick of the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Even though Rerick is discussing making cuts in sports in this article, what he said is true of any activity in school that requires some sort of tryout.

In a perfect world, directors would love to include every student. Unfortunately, directors want to have the best group of students involved for the best performance possible. Even though somebody may be enthusiastic about theatre, they might not meet the requirements to be a part of the show.

In order to grow as a person, students auditioning need to face failure. Failure challenges one to bring out their full potential, so when they do reach their goal, it is fulfilling and inspires them to work even harder.

“According to a recent article in BusinessWeek, many companies are deliberately seeking out those with track records reflecting both failures and successes, believing that those who have been in the trenches, survived battle and come out on the other side have irreplaceable experience and perseverance.” said Pauline Estrem of Success.

Inclusion is always a good thing, but there is a point where tough decisions will have to be made. It’s better for someone to fail at auditioning for a musical now, so they can learn how to cope and learn from it for the future.

Danai Gurira spoke to Elle about rejection, “I’m an actress, I’ve dealt with tons of rejection. There’s some sermon a friend told me about where they said ‘rejection is not rejection, it’s redirection.’ It’s the idea that the doors that are open for you and are yours. If you keep working, if you keep doing your thing, know that people at the right time will see the light and it will be allowed to shine.”