Theatre In Our Schools at West Potomac High School

The Many Benefits of Theatre Education

To the many students and faculty who take part in theatre arts in schools, the benefits of theatre education are quite evident, however, to those who are not involved, these benefits may not be as obvious. Theatre in schools is an integral part of the making of a well-rounded student, despite not always being seen as so. Theatre has been proven to increase the empathy and compassion, public speaking abilities, and academic performance of students involved.

Empathy and compassion are incredibly desirable human characteristics that, unfortunately, are not always present in students. Theatre education counteracts this by providing a safe space for students to express themselves, and sometimes difficult topics, through a creative outlet. In order to deliver a good performance, students need to truly get inside of their characters, and understand exactly how they’d feel in a given situation. This empathy carries over into everyday life as well, allowing students to better understand their peers, and therefore show more compassion towards others.

In our current age many students struggle with public speaking. They feel self-conscious and are worried about the judgement they may receive by putting themselves out in front of crowds. Theatre helps to combat this fear by providing students with a safe and judgement-free space to present themselves and their ideas. When students experience performing in front of a welcoming audience who supports them and what they are saying, they gain confidence and feel more comfortable in similar situations.

In regards to academics, theatre has been shown to improve the performance of participating students. Theatre allows teens to focus, not only on their work, but also on expressing themselves and provides an outlet where students can unwind before having to buckle back down to their school work. Theatre allows for expression and motivates students to do well in their classes. Many schools ban participation in extracurriculars, like theatre, when a student’s grades reach below a certain point, which means students have a reason to keep their grades up. Theatre also introduces proper time-management to students. The shows, long rehearsals, and many performances, are an incredibly large time commitment; and this vast an undertaking forces students to schedule their time properly in order to balance their workload.

In short, theatre education allows students to step outside of their comfort zones, in a safe and welcoming environment, which helps them to thrive both academically and socially.

Visit our FB page to read personal stories from our West Potomac HS theatre students on the importance of theatre education. https://www.facebook.com/Beyon...