Wenger | J.R. Clancy: March is Theatre in Our Schools Month! For the next four weeks, we will discuss the
importance and impact of theatre education. Performing arts in education play a critical role in developing well-rounded and fully equipped individuals. The Educational Theatre Association (EdTA) recognizes four national theatre standards for artistic processes: creating, performing, responding, and connecting. To read more about the standards, click here.
3 comments:
These brief explanations of the theatrical disciplines is the most succinct and accurate description of the areas that I have ever read. It deftly explains the key points and responsibilities of each area, the skills that they require, and what traits they develop. I think it gives a clear overview of the process and benefits of theatre that is understandable and of value even to people who do not know much about theatre. I wish every school administration that is thinking of cutting their theatre program or that is unsure about starting one could read this. The value that theatre brings to an education is immense, and I think often undervalued by people who have not experienced it. The one thing that I wish this article conveyed is the joy and sense of community that school theatre programs can create for their student participants. Overall, I think this article does a great job communicating its points in a succinct and effective way.
I think youth theatre, particularly in elementary schools, is one of the most amazing communities for children to be a part of. What I love most about this article is how it promotes multiple facets of theatre for children. Traditionally, acting, singing, and dancing are the most advertised for children to take part in, but there are few opportunities for them to involve themselves elsewhere. In this article, Rylee Vogel discusses not only performance, but also how kids can play a role in dramaturgy, designing, producing/directing, and writing. Performance can help children develop a lot of important skills (confidence, public speaking, etc.) but the other areas of theatre can encourage critical thinking, teamwork, time management, and more. Vogel explains that dramaturgy, for example, “helps students become invested in the world they are creating and builds a deeper understanding of history and the humanities”. I think there’s a lot to be learned from trying different roles in theatre and I love how Vogel touches on that!
I am very glad that theater in schools and education is getting the recognition it deserves, as it is how I got into theater. I started theater at my school briefly which led to me looking into theater at my local community theater and from there I was hooked. I am so grateful to my arts instructors for providing me with such opportunities! I also believe that theater in school gets a bad rep. People undervalue and underfund it, when it is probably one of the most engaging and character-building activities kids can get involved in, just like a sport. You learn to work as a team to get a project that is bigger than any individual done. You learn communication and interpersonal skills, and confidence and improv. Improv is just life. It's a great skill to have, I feel like practicing improv has made me better at talking to strangers, because it's just like improv! I am happy this article is raising awareness, as I didn;t even know March was Theaeter in our Schools month.
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