After two years of writing, spending a shed load of money, grovelling for a grant, working sometimes 16 hours a day, booking and paying for a theatre etc, etc. This morning I recieved an email from the acting academy I'm associated with, telling me that two main actors have pulled out because one of them has found a summer job and the other wants to spend more time revising for A levels. In addition I was told that more may pull out because of exams...they've known the show dates for seven months!

Do I want sympathy...NO! What I need is a whole theatre company...

I absolutely refuse to allow anyone to break my dream of staging a beautiful new musical!

Rant over

Keep your sense of humour and all that...

I wonder if Shakespeare had this problem

"Sorry will, we've had a parchment note from Will Kemp. Says he's spending the next nine days dancing to Norwich."
"What dost thou mean, Burbage, he's supposed to be playing Yorick in my new play"
"Ah, stuff that. Change his part to a skull. It'll be funnier anyway".

Nice one, Burb!
I do sympathise, namesake - I'd be ranting too!
As a teacher, I suspect that the one who "wants to concentrate on A levels" was genuinely very keen to do it, but has recently had a talking to by teachers and parents on the inadvisability (? I think that's a word!) of doing so many extra-curricular activities.
I would hope the said acting academy should be in a position to recommend some replacements?