Why the Theatre? The benefits of participating for children and young people
It is well known that theatrical activities are fun for young people and that many children and adolescents love to participate in plays and drama workshops. They can hang out with their old friends, make new friends, and work on a project that culminates with their performing on stage and enjoying the applause. What could not be loved?
But what are the real cognitive, physical, emotional and social benefits for our youth who participate in theater arts activities? How does their participation help them become more responsible and responsive adults?
The opportunities for cognitive growth in theater are many. Just the amount of reading required to rehearse a play is a good argument for that claim! But it does not stop there. Students must memorize their lines. To do this, you must first organize your time to meet line memorization deadlines, and then keep practicing over and over again to make the words your own. This involves repetitive and diligent work and is sometimes the only job of its kind that a child is willing to do. Studying spelling lessons is one thing, but memorizing the lines for a play, while admittedly the most boring and tedious part of the job, is an unavoidable task. The toughest times table learner will have to work on those lines, strengthening their memorization skills as they prepare to shine on stage.
Imagination is also put to the test during rehearsals for the play, as the young actor is encouraged to try new and interesting ways of playing his part. As he plays his lines and develops his character, he will develop his problem-solving skills. The director of him will ask “Why does the character do that?” “What do the characters want?” and “How do you think the character came up with that answer?” “How could you say that to give us a different impression of what the character means?” These questions and more will run through his son’s mind as he rehearses, prompting him to use his powers of metacognition as he tries to uncover the mysteries behind the motives of the character he is playing.
Concentration skills are also exercised as your child actor has to learn to multitask on stage. He will have to have his lines flawlessly in his head as he remembers where and why he is supposed to move across the boards. He will also have to be on his guard because this is live theater performed by live human beings, and human beings make mistakes! Could someone write a line. It could be your own child. The quick-thinking power you have at his disposal through his razor-sharp focus will help you smooth out any stage flaws he or his fellow actors may experience and cover them up seamlessly.
Your communication skills will grow as you become ready to talk to other actors onstage and find that you have to turn and look at that other person for the line to sound real. And listening is often touted as the most important skill an actor can have. You must listen to the director, the other actors and the central action on stage. Listening even comes into play when the actor is offstage, as he must listen for his signal to turn it back on! As your listening comprehension improves, your observation skills are honed. And when he says his lines on stage, your child will be encouraged to project his voice clearly and pronounce well so that the audience can better understand what he is saying, thus increasing their verbal articulation skills.
Emotional development is also enhanced, as your child has no choice but to learn to cooperate with his fellow cast members and production staff. Unless your 7-year-old is doing a one-man show, she’s going to need the other people in the game to be on her side and be a good team member for them, too. The old saying, “there’s no ‘me’ in the team,” also applies to theatrical production teams. The catharsis provided by plays and improvisations, as well as rehearsal and performance, by their very nature, allow students to express a wide range of strong feelings. They provide a safe outlet for the relief of aggression and tension in a controlled environment.
Your child will develop a greater sense of empathy as they learn about and portray a wide variety of characters from different cultures and periods of history. He will also become more attuned to the feelings of his fellow actors as he carefully supervises and supports them throughout their performances, providing gentle encouragement to frustrated peers as well as praise for a job well done. And as the recipient of this type of reinsurance, your child will learn about trust. He will learn to trust his fellow actors and learn to trust himself and his responses.
Physically, your child will benefit because he will learn to trust his body’s sense of performance space and carefully control the movement required of him during his theater work. He will learn warm-up exercises that will help him stretch and release physical tension and improvisation exercises that will improve his physical coordination as he learns how his character moves through the world being created. It takes a lot of physical acuity to create a role, from the timing of the comedic bits to the staged combat that needs to be choreographed to the smallest movement, and it all contributes to the physical confidence your child will gain from participating. in a show
The social rewards your child will gain through participation in theater activities will be rich and numerous. The lasting friendships that so commonly form in a cast that works well together are a fabulous asset to the young actor, but they are only part of the development opportunities available during the making of a play. Whether or not your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability that makes social encounters particularly challenging for him or her, all young people can benefit from the myriad of social growth opportunities available to them in theater.
An actor has to learn to imitate real life and real conversations in order to represent human truths on stage. If maintaining eye contact is a problem for your child, he will be taught to do so. If your child has trouble understanding the give and take of the rhythm of conversation, scripted dialogue provides a template from which he can learn this skill. Physical movements must match the text on stage, providing training for your child in the nuances of human body language.
Finally, your child will be immersed in an art form that is ancient, knows no cultural boundaries, and will bring joy to themselves and those around them. You’ll learn to bring humor and poignancy into the lives of others, find joy in your work, and ultimately discover that we are all one community on this planet as you discover the similarities in tales told from the dawn of time and from all over the world. world. world.
From the smallest part of the choir to the most important singer and dancer in the show, you will learn that no role can be overlooked as important and that you must have respect for everyone involved, from backstage to center stage. For your child, these experiences will ultimately result in their growth into an adult who more clearly understands the value of collaborative work, the joy inherent in creating art, and the value of that precious human treasure: the ability to communicate through storytelling. .
