Life Lesson from Theatre by Princess

Life Lesson from Theatre by Princess - August 2013 Scholarship Essay

Everyone has a passion they love, embracing it to the fullest intent of their hearts. Their passion can be Music, Literature, Art, or Theatre. The love for Theatre can be the greatest blessing in the world. Becoming an actor is not the only thing Theatre prepares you for; Theatre prepares you for the future. Sometimes the most simple actions, happens to be the most hardest. In almost every profession, everyone has to master the skill of presentation. In Theatre, actors present the characters in the play to the audience. No one knows the struggle actors have to go through to present these characters.
Actors not only have to become the characters, they have to understand why they say their lines. They have to discover the intention behind the characters' actions. They have to project their voice so that their lines can be heard from the theatre doors. In addition, articulating every syllable of their lines for those in the last row can hear the lines clearly without confusion. These skills of projection and articulation are the key to a great presentation.
In order to achieve this key you must earn another key. This other key is called experience. After some experience you start to get the hang of it. At the beginning, actors speak in their normal voice which in Theatre is considered a Stage Whisper.
Occasionally, the actor's "normal" voice is too low for fellow actors to understand. This is where Projection comes in. With the use of the actor's diaphragm, the actors can project their voice so loudly that anyone sitting in the last row can hear. Of course in this case, practice makes perfect with breathing exercises.
Same goes for Articulation, which happens to be one of the hardest skill for anyone to achieve; especially non-actors. It can take a long time for someone to master this skill. At times projection and articulation go hand-in-hand. If you are using your diaphragm and not your lungs to project, the articulation comes along in a beautiful package (it has for myself). Although sometimes that is not the case, you have to use your whole mouth and all your teeth to pronounce every single syllable. If not, it will sound all munched up together.
Similar to projection, there are articulation warm-ups such as "Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot. We will be together whatever the weather, whether we like it or not." Another example is "The big black bug bled bad blood on the barn floor."; this example took my troupe a few tries to master. It helps to picture a "big black bug" on the floor. These exercises are simply examples of alliteration like "Sally sells seashells on the seashore."
Once I mastered these skills, I became a better actor and a better presenter. It is not uncommon to present in class. Since Elementary School, we have been forced to present. Presenting is probably one of the most dreadful activities students try to avoid. In certain occasions, students would prefer to fail than to present in class. In High School, the presentation itself is a separate grade; an extra grade for those brave enough to stand in front of the class. I, myself, have witnessed fellow students choosing the alternative: receiving an immediate 'F' to get out of presenting. However in College, it is a whole different ball game. The presentation can be 50% of your grade; maybe even 25% of your final grade. However, once you get into the real world, that presentation can make you lose or gain a customer or benefactor. This is extremely important in Business; especially in Law, where how well you presented your case can take a dangerous felon off the streets.
In my final year in High School, I had to present countless times in my English class; all of them being a separate grade to the project. In that class, the presentation was the easiest 'A' you can receive. My teacher made it that way, to empower us to improve ourselves; not only in English but in LIFE. Similarly, my Theatre teacher did the same thing. It was not until you wanted to nail that audition so bad, you would do anything to impress. Presenting yourself and your piece beautifully can mean losing or nailing this role, you so cravenly want.
This past year, a month before we went to the second part of district competition: IE's, where Thespians perform individual pieces from published plays/musicals such as monologues, solos, costuming, and many more. The number one thing my Theatre teacher always told us to do was present our piece with confidence. This 'confidence' can make or break your performance. If you are confident as an actor, everything will turn out great it in the end. However, if you doubt yourself, this doubt can lead you to messing up and not performing to your fullest potential.
After learning and realizing this, I improved in my presentations; both in Theatre and outside of Theatre, in real life. I believe anyone who has experienced Theatre has been grateful for this life lesson. It does not only improve you academically, but also prepares you for the future. Mastering these skills of presentation: projection and articulation; can lead you down a successful path.