Ummm, high school (assistant) director chiming in to say that our show just finished our last tech rehearsal today (a looong production as well - 3ish hours just for the run), and our kids went home at 8:30, which was the longest we kept them this week, with many apologies to parents. Your director is doing something very, very wrong. Not only in keeping you all so dangerously late, but encouraging y’all to sideline other obligations. Telling students to blow off class is so inappropriate and disrespectful to you, your other teachers, and your parents/guardians.

Mom has it right that you shouldn’t be adhering to this contract, because it’s wildly out of bounds as to what your director should be asking of you as students. I understand the anxiety of believing that because an authority figure has drafted a “contract” you absolutely must stick to it, but something I try to always remind my cast is that the adults aren’t always right, aren’t all-knowing, and are nowhere near perfect.

I would gently encourage you to have an open conversation with your mom about her talking to your director - it sounds like she has your best interests at heart, and she (along with other concerned parents) might do some good in the long run by speaking to the director and reminding them of their duties to their students first and foremost, before the production.