All the world’s a stage, and kids must be prepared to play their parts. Theater builds skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, determination and empathy, which are critical in our world of Twitter, political divisiveness, and an innovation-driven global economy.
Beyond “soft” skills, studies show that students in underserved communities who are involved in theater had higher academic performance, higher college acceptance rates and grades, as well as higher job retention rates, illustrating that theater provides a transformative stage for young lives.
Like these I’ve witnessed:
? Zakhyra, who found her voice, and embraced school, when cast as a lead.
? English as a second language students, who sang their hearts out to tell the story of the “American Melting Pot” from the show “Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr.”
? Grace, confined to a wheelchair, who was boundless as she led her castmates in staging their big production number.
? And me. Initially devastated when not cast as Belle in my grade school’s production of “Beauty and the Beast,” I found joy in collaborating within the ensemble as the best darn Enchanted Cheese Grater that school cafetorium had ever seen.
From that humble but auspicious debut, to leads in mainstage collegiate and professional productions, I have enjoyed the benefit and privilege of theater education throughout my life. Much like team sports, where most participants are not going to be pros, there are lifelong benefits to theater arts training which are relevant to many career, community or personal pursuits.
But, even though 72% of CEOs cite creativity as the most important skill they seek in new employees, theater is not a given in many schools. Only 28% of public high schools in high poverty areas offer theater instruction, and only 33% of school districts provide financial support to theater programs beyond limited classroom instruction. While Central Florida is blessed with a strong arts and theater culture, these problematic trends exist here, too.
An emerging solution is privately funded programs like JumpStart Theatre, led by the non-profit Educational Theatre Association; and Disney Musicals in Schools, which provide resources, training and expert mentorship to build theater education programs from the ground up to sustain themselves financially.
Both programs are expanding nationwide — DMIS is in its fourth year of a partnership with Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, supporting theatre development in 18 public schools in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties.
However, the need is greater than these programs can quickly reach. My solution is “Swing Role Theatre.” A “swing” is a versatile actor who plays multiple roles within one show, and to be successful, one person must play multiple roles in advancing the sustainability of school theater programs, including identifying grant opportunities, marketing, and demonstrating the importance of theater education to schools and students.
March is recognized nationally and in the city of Orlando as Theatre in Our Schools Month, to raise awareness regarding the impact of theatre education and the need for more access to quality programs for all students. Together, our collective actions and voices can bring down the house!
The author, who serves as Miss Orlando 2020 and works in communications for Disney, lives in Winter Garden.
