Students have been performing in high school theatre for decades. However, if some people are not ready to get up on stage and perform in front of an audience, there are other ways to join in on the excitement of theatre. In fact, theatre teacher and director David Hastings recommends that anyone who wants to audition for a play or musical should be in a theatre class. But even if people are not interested in performing, there are plenty of benefits for joining a theatre class.

1. Small Scale Performances / Small Performances: People may be intimidated to participate in a mainstream theatrical performance in the massive auditorium without prior experience. Theatre classes give you a chance to perform on a smaller scale. Such performances include reciting a monologue or a song in front of the class, and performing in a short play in the homey black box theatre. Students will work their way up until they are ready to perform on the auditorium’s stage.
2.  Confidence: It can be nerve racking to present a powerpoint in a history class, let alone to sing and dance in front of other students. Overcoming fears of what other people think of you is an important part of life, and a theatre class will help you break out of your shell. A newfound sense of self-worth can help you with many things throughout your life.
3.  Empathy: To play different characters is to play different types of people. By learning how to act, students also learn how to look through the eyes of others. This can help build a sense of awareness of the world around you and the people you pass in the hall everyday. Theatre classes can give you insight into a person’s struggles, happiness, and motivations.
4. The Easy Work: If you are not interested in the self-growth aspect of theatre classes, then the amount of busy work might catch your attention. Or rather, the lack of busy work. Aside from studying for a vocab quiz, which comprises only ten words, the main form of homework in a theatre class is memorizing lines for a performance. That is not to say a theatre class is effortless, but there are no worksheets or giant projects to bite into your time.
5. The Close Family: Ask anyone who has been in a theatre class for a long time and they are likely to tell you that the greatest thing about a theatre class is the close friendships you make. Throughout your journey of perseverance, personal growth, and overcoming your fears, your classmates have been there with you, experiencing the same things you have. Getting to improve yourself alongside other classmates who have grown closer with you over the years forms an incredible bond unique to high school theatre classes.