Bigger Than Us: A World With Theatre by Maya

Bigger Than Us: A World With Theatre by Maya - January 2023 Scholarship Essay

The rich velvet curtains part to reveal a full audience. Anticipation builds. Adrenaline courses through my body as I step onto the stage. Me and my fellow actors fall into a rhythm, our emotions ebbing and flowing to bring the audience into this world we’ve created. Realizations are made, laughter escapes, tears fall. Time stops in the silent moment right before the applause erupts. I can’t help but grin.
I have been involved in theater since the age of seven. It is my passion, and I feel that it should be a required class. You may argue that “art” is already required at most schools, and theater falls into that category, so no further changes are needed. Unfortunately, many schools don’t even have a drama program. If we were to change this and each school were to require a theater course, we would experience a world with more empathy and love.
The theater world has established a strong community that fosters empathy. Collaboration is essential in theater which teaches students valuable social and teamwork skills. With theater, collaboration morphs into a community. I have never visited a theater program and felt anything but welcomed. This sense of community is inevitable when you consider what theater teaches. In order to effectively portray new characters, an actor must find some aspect of that character to relate to, otherwise, the character won’t be believable to the audience. This process builds an ability to relate and empathize with others, especially people different from us. In a world that is increasingly polarized and quick to judge, empathy is an essential skill if we want to see change for the better.
I am beyond proud of the environment that theater establishes and the empathy it teaches, but my personal connection to theater goes further. Everyone comes to question who they are at some point in their lives and participating in theater has helped me work through that question. At times, my mind becomes too loud and it’s impossible to see who I am or where I am going. When I pick up a script, I leave that behind as I step into the shoes of someone else. As I learn about a new character, I am reminded of the qualities that I want, and connections I want to build – I find where I want to go. Those few hours in rehearsal often bring clarity and direction. However, it is not a fail-proof system, I still have days where I can’t escape my mind. Yet, even on those days, I am accepted with love by my theater family. Isn’t that what we all need, a little love?
I know that theater holds so much power to connect people and foster love and empathy. These qualities are increasingly important in our current tumultuous world. At the very least, establishing theater as a required class will build collaboration skills. For those of us who have experienced theater, we know that requiring theater would build something bigger than that, bigger than us.