Acting Locally

March is National Women's History Month, National Peanut Month, and National Frozen Foods Month. During the month of March we celebrate everything from St. Patrick's Day to National Pi Day to Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.

We're busy celebrating all sorts of things throughout March, so why not add one more? March is also Theatre in Our Schools Month!

At the Theatre of Western Springs and the Children's Theatre of Western Springs, we appreciate the value performing arts can have in our community. We've been bringing theatre to the Western Suburbs since 1929, so we have seen first hand the value of local arts and artists. 

While our actors, audiences, and designers might appreciate just how important theatre is in their own lives, not everyone out there knows the impact the performing arts can have. The American Alliance for Theatre and Education offers these facts about theatre education: 

• Speaking & performing before classmates cultivates speaking skills & increases self-confidence.
• Drama teaches interpretation, personal creativity, and new ways of looking at the same information.
• Students learn to trust and develop their creative imaginations by playing engaging drama games.
• Involvement in drama improves students’ self-esteem & confidence in academic abilities.
• Arts students are more likely to imagine different vantage points of a problem to work towards a solution.

Of course, not every student who participates in the performing arts will become a famous actor, dancer, or talk show host. That shouldn't be the goal (and it isn't for us over at TWS). However, all of us at the Theatre of Western Springs have learned time and time again throughout our 83 years of existence that theatre can be a terrific tool for kids and adults alike to learn new skills, to express themselves, and to find a group of people who appreciate them for who they really are.

We're so happy to be a resource for local schools who want to include theatre in their curricula and for civic organizations who appreciate the arts, too. We hope everyone finds a way to celebrate Theatre in Our Schools Month whether you're still in school or a student of the world.