The "¡Por mis bigotes!" effect by Fernando

The "¡Por mis bigotes!" effect by Fernando - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

How can someone come to esteem himself or herself? How can someone learn how to puncture a bubble of insecurities and truly become one’s self? How does someone develop critical abilities for future life such as memory, improvisation, teamwork, communication, confidence, creativity, and time management? Drama.

Either because of the social expectations it generally comes with, or simply because people are not exposed to it, I see many people discarding and disregarding drama, especially male teenagers.
I find it preposterous that something with the capability of launching someone’s imagination and confidence to the stratosphere, is seen as a simple extracurricular activity. In my opinion, there is no other discipline that englobes so much of what it means to be human, and therefore the development of said human, as much as drama. While other disciplines such as sports and arts focus on the interpersonal and intrapersonal qualities separately, drama addresses both.

It is interesting to analyze the human being as a social self, and somewhat amusing to see it all play out. Stern looking, importantly walking down the hall of his office, my father commands respect, it is clear to any coworker that he is not a man to be crossed. But then, when he gets home from work, why does he sing in the shower? What is it about those rubber-duck-covered curtains that trick him into believing that they function as a sound barrier?

The reality is that, there are certain spaces and contexts in which people who are less keen on showing the world their true colors, feel safe and confident enough to let them shine. Like a mask of sorts.
“Oh, the tears of laughter coming out of their eyes as my shorts fell to the ground and I was left in my “Mariah Carrey limited edition” boxers!!!! It is something that I will never forget!!!! And the best thing of all, they will never know it was me!!!!” - Antonio “Toño” Balderas (Colegio Williams student, playing “El gaucho” in my school´s comedy “!Por mis bigotes!”)

“Toño” is a friend of mine, an underperformer. He is quite intelligent but lazy. After knowing him for more than 3 years, I have come to realize that it is because of his low self-esteem that he fears failure and the reactions that it comes with. He has found shelter in not even trying, to protect himself from the title waves of disappointment that effort may bring.
After several of my attempts to get him out of his comfort zone, he reluctantly agreed to join me on a play and perform several actions that would expose him to some reaction to failure, but with a mask on.
Needless to say, he performed outstandingly, and the fact of being in the spotlight, in that specific way, became the first step of a long process that has taken him from not caring, out of fright, to embracing the challenge and its possible outcomes, all because of drama.

This example encapsulates the very essence of drama, addressing the social aspects of my friend’s fears, as well as the personal and interior ones. It is no surprise then to find that “Dramatherapy is such a compelling new phenomenon as our society becomes ever more concerned with the mental health of individuals.

Drama is not only a great way to form connections with people, learn valuable lessons and skills for the future, and of course, have fun, but it also has the capacity to enhance the very essence of life, catapulting individuals to new heights, or outstretching a hand towards someone sinking in the quicksands of everyday life and pulling them out.