Photo Credit: Xtract187

As it was so eloquently put in High School Musical, We’re all in this together.

There is very little you can do in theatre all by yourself. Theatre can teach you the very fundamentals of teamwork. The entire cast and crew must be able to work together despite any conflicts among people within the cast. The students cannot let personal beliefs get in the way of a production. The cast comes together though the rehearsal process to create a team, there is always a production team supporting the actors. One thing that teachers should instill in their students that the off stage crew are just as important as the actors on stage. Working though issues and have problem solving as a group bring the sense of team work further then simply group work the classroom. It is even more important when you have others working with you to keep to deadlines, this is something that theatre teaches the students involved. [1]

This as everything else with theatre is extended to the theater classroom. “it takes a big ego and a lot of self-confidence to get up on stage. Sometimes (if not frequently) those personality traits turn into narcissism and an exaggerated sense of self-importance. But some actors (George Clooney comes to mind) make an effort to acknowledge that the show won’t go on without everyone’s help. Whether you are working the lights, taking tickets, or painting the set, your success is important to the success of the show (or project).”[2] Group project make up a lot of the curriculum through out the year. The students learn in the classroom how to work closely with a group of peers whom they may or may not like or have similar beliefs. This is an invaluable experience especially in today’s world. The students of this generation have a tendency to be over sensitive, and theatre can give them the benefit of being exposed to ideas and beliefs that challenge and are different from their own. Everyone is different and everyone has different talents, theatre can give all students the plethora of skills such as recognizing when teamwork is necessary and having the leadership skills to put the team to work.

[1] Stevens, Nancy H., Stan Foote, and Philip Wu. “Educational Theatre Program:    Promoting Health.” The Permanente Journal. The Permanente Journal, 2008.   Web. 15 Feb. 2016.

[2] Kalish, Douglas. “Everything I Needed to Know About Teamwork, I Learned in High School Theatre.” Everything I Needed to Know About Teamwork, I Learned in High School Theatre. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Feb. 2016