The Top Five Benefits of Theatre by Kajsa

The Top Five Benefits of Theatre by Kajsa - December 2019 Scholarship Essay

Throughout my high school career, I have had the wonderful opportunity of participating in many different extracurricular activities. I have been a middle blocker in volleyball, a post in basketball, and a discus thrower in track, but by far, my favorite activity has been an actress in my school’s spring musicals.
The first and most obvious impact that theatre has had on me is that acting has always made me really happy. I think it’s partially because I’ve always loved fantasy and fiction, and when I act, it is like I get to escape the real world for an hour or two and become enveloped in the play.
The second impact that theatre has had on me is that it helped me learn to deal with disappointment. In my junior year, I participated in the musical Willy Wonka. I hadn’t done plays in a while, but nonetheless, my hopes were high. I had my eye on Veruca Salt, the bratty, spoiled child, and if I couldn’t get her, I would settle for the excessive gum-chewer, Violet Beauregard. When the cast list was made, I ran my finger down the list of names and found that I was not either of those characters, I was Mrs. Bucket, Charlie’s mom. That hurt more than it probably should have, I believed that I was a better actress than that, a fact made more painful by two of my best friends receiving the roles that I had wanted. It hurt for a while, but eventually, I was able to work through it, to find joy in playing Charlie’s mom, and to even have fun as an Oompa Loompa. What helped that transition was the decision that I had made before auditions. I had promised myself that no matter what, I would play my role to the best of my ability regardless of the role I received. This situation allowed me to practice that; I had to work at being the best Ms. Bucket that I could be. I showed up on time for every rehearsal that I was required to be at, and I helped with set construction, something that I’d never done before. I practiced my song at my house and listened to that rehearsal track over and over to get it just right, and I quickly memorized my lines. Even though Mrs. Bucket still isn’t my favorite character that I’ve ever played, that play, Willy Wonka, was my favorite play that I’ve ever been a part of, in part because I was willing to have fun despite not receiving the role that I had wanted.
Another significant impact was that I made a lot of good, lasting friends from that play. It was wonderful for me to expand my friend group with kids that shared my same interests, kids that I would never have met otherwise. I felt like I had a place there, that I was one of them, something I haven’t ever felt with my teammates in sports.
I have always felt pretty comfortable talking and presenting in front of people; I’m not known for being shy. That being said, I do get nervous singing in front of an audience. Although I often volunteer for solos and I’ve sung the National Anthem multiple times, there is something about singing in front of a large group of people that’s unsettling. Although singing didn’t stop being nerve-wracking, theatre enabled me to continue to practice my singing and performance skills in front of a large audience.
Lastly, theatre has given me many wonderful memories that I can look back on and remember through the years: the people, the acting, and the inside jokes that cast members share. Being able to look back on my life and remember the happy times I had is probably the most significant thing that I have been blessed with by being in theatre.