Top Ten Benefits of Theatre Education
1. Self-Confidence
Taking risks in class and performing for an audience teach students to trust their ideas and abilities. This confidence will apply in nearly every aspect of their future.
2. Imagination
In a world addicted to technology, theatre provides an outlet for making creative choices, developing new ideas, and interpreting the material in expressive ways.
3. Empathy and Tolerance
Acting in roles from different situations, time periods, and cultures promotes compassion and tolerance for others. Legends, myths, poems, stories, and plays used in drama teach students about social issues and conflicts from cultures past and present, all over the world.
4. Cooperation and Collaboration
Theatre combines creative ideas and abilities from all of its participants. Just as in group sports, teamwork is essential to creating a polished and successful product.
5. Concentration
Playing, practicing, and performing develop a sustained focus of mind, body, and voice which helps with other areas of life including school, work, and interpersonal relationships.
6. Communication Skills
Drama enhances verbal and nonverbal expression of ideas. It improves voice projection, articulation, fluency of language, and persuasive speech, which serves well in school, job interviews, career moves, and beyond.
7. Problem Solving
Students learn to communicate the who, what, where, when, and why of the story to the audience. Improvisation fosters quick-thinking solutions, which leads to greater adaptability in life.
8. Fun
Theatre brings play, humor, and laughter to learning; this increases motivation and reduces stress.
9. Trust
Social interaction and risk-taking in drama develop trust in self, others, and the creative process.
10. Memory
Rehearsing and performing the words, movements, and cues of the story from memory strengthen this skill like a muscle.
