School theatre is one aspect of school life that has stood the test of time. Those of us who took part in performing arts or theatre during school will fondly think back to rehearsals, vibrant costumes, singing, dancing and the overall fun and joy of taking part in high school plays. Working on a play, no matter what the role is, will develop or strengthen a wide range of abilities and skills in our students such as:
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Public speaking: Experience in various public circumstances (auditions, rehearsals, performances).
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Practicing public speaking skills (poise, volume, life, eye contact, gestures, speed, and more).
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Understanding character to the depth of embodying a persona well enough to be believable on stage. This includes character analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and application.
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Adapting narrative to stage is a key skill in Language Arts and communication. It shows your ability to take a story in one form, and change it into another form, while maintaining its integrity, and even enhancing its richness.
Dancing. Yes, students will learn how to dance. Why is this important? Dancing in front of people will give our students a pretty unshakable foundation of confidence as well as increased coordination.
Singing. Yes, they will learn some music theory and how to use their voice to sing on pitch (as much as possible). Voice lessons are available for FREE to anyone who asks (or requires as a lead). They’ll learn to control the volume of their voice so they can be heard in a performance hall.
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Cooperative skills. Students will learn to work together with their peers and a devoted staff at a level that requires sacrifice and support. This includes listening skills for taking direction, trial and error and revision for following stage direction, and helping each other while on stage if necessary.
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Math! The geometry of the stage is critical for stage blocking, understanding distance and proportional spatial relationships. Even the angles of their arms during certain dance movements are key in understanding the visual symmetry of dance numbers.
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Expands understanding of humanity and the world: By engaging students in lifelike learning contexts, the end goal of drama education is not just a beautiful performance, it is also the growth in confidence of the students and their understanding of this world and what it could be.
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Generates creativity and critical thinking skills: Performing can also enable students to generate creativity and critical skills that are transferable to a variety of artistic, social, and work-related contexts. Students learn how to think on your feet, to identify problems, evaluate a range of possible solutions, and figure out what to do.
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Develops empathy and understanding of self & others: Theatre education provides students an environment to safely explore challenging social scenarios. While playing roles and situations in drama, students gain new perspectives and develop empathy.
And so much more! Microphone technique, memorization, costume creation, etc.
