Had Enough Drama? It might be beneficial! by Kush

Had Enough Drama? It might be beneficial! by Kush - November 2021 Scholarship Essay

The lights were on me; numerous eyes in the crowd set the stage, the tons of people in their seats anxiously awaiting. Watching from behind the curtain felt like a nightmare for someone who had never performed before. The sheer number of eyes watching and waiting for the performance to start, the situations running through my head of the show not going well was getting to me. However, the group of friends who were in my skit were feeling the same way. When I finally got on stage with the rest of my three friends and performed my lines, I could feel the sweat dripping down my forehead. A couple of lines later, I heard the crowd burst into a hearty laugh which lessened my nervousness by a ton. As I looked into the sea of faces, I inserted a newfound confidence into my mind. After we bowed down to our performance and went to the back, we got into a group and rejoiced in our accomplishment. Theatre is a class I took, not knowing there would be a live show, yet this live show unlocked a new aspect of life for me. I was living without the fear of messing up.

Embarrassment is a part of life, and the only way to grow is through experience. Theatre encourages students who are often scared of failing in front of others to try, and this course will allow them to get out of their box. Communication and collaboration are critical components of any workforce, and presenting is another essential skill set. The weeks and weeks of planning, costume designing, script writing put into one show are tiring. Yet, it taught me an important lesson on the brilliance of collaboration and the work needed to create a masterpiece. Working with a group of classmates built my confidence to interact and hear everyone's ideas during this time.

Theatre was a class I could be myself without having to pull all-nighters studying for tests or having to cram for homework. While in the beginning, the idea of presenting and acting can seem like a burden, when everyone in the class is feeling the same way, you become closer as peers. While students might not prefer acting, many jobs behind the scenes can bolster real-life skills. Working on scripts, planning the props, and even preparing the microphones and audio can allow students to prepare for the real world creatively. I met some of my closest friends in my sophomore year of high school during theatre, and it taught me the valuable lessons of interacting with others. Theatre is a class that needs to be emphasized in school due to the various benefits: communication, confidence, and courage.