With the extensive group work and performances done throughout Theatre in IB, I have developed immensely in my presentation skills, which assisted me during my term as chair of a global concern service in High School. Furthermore, it helped me learn how to effectively manage simultaneous projects, and still be able to deliver on all our aims. Theatre also taught me how to build a strong team and network of people around you, so that all parties are content and able to contribute towards a common goal. Managing people with different ideas can often be overwhelming, but theatre demonstrated to me ways in which to overcome this challenge.

‘Behind the Beautiful Forevers’ was a production that truly helped shape my priorities and goals in life. It reminded me of what’s actually important in this world, and what I should be working towards. I now believe that I need to live my life by making a difference before it’s too late, no matter how small. In a way, Theatre is one part of my life that serves as a constant reminder of this goal, and to always try to do the right thing.

Theatre was the most fun I had throughout the IB. It always served as a beautiful escape for the part of my brain that yearns to play and explore, but was holed up during subjects like Maths and Physics. 

The well-designed curriculum has something in store for everyone; whether it was researching and enacting Japanese styles of theatre, or directing part of our own Grade 11 production, I truly enjoyed it all. 

Underlining all the projects and tasks I did were two valuable skills that I greatly improved: communication, be it through writing, acting, or simply talking, and collaboration with your peers to get things done. Though we UWC students may roll our eyes upon hearing those terms, they are hugely important, as I've come to find during my time in National Service. 

If you are even slightly interested in Theatre, just take it. Your interest will blossom into love and you will not regret it. 

Theatre is not just about the performance or end product. It is about the process and discoveries that are made along the way. There is a great deal of time, work, and energy that go into performance and dramatic analysis. We are encouraged to ask innovative and inquisitive questions in order to understand artistic intentions. In doing so, we practice creating our own intentions, and how we can present these effectively. Just as we ask questions in social sciences to better understand the human condition, theatre prepares us for similarly thorough analytical processes, and equips us with the same set of skills. Understanding how and why people act the way they do, or feel the way they feel, will always be an important asset in any field. 

In university, I’ve found that a lot of the skills and knowledge I gained from theatre classes in high school set a foundation for the learning I did more recently! I’ve loved being able to apply the knowledge of the practitioners and various theatre cultures from around the world in my university classes because it made my work more unique and comprehensive of more worldly experiences. I think that because theatre students are constantly asked to consider the circumstances and context of a play or practitioner, such as their culture or the socio-political climate of a certain time and place, we foster a more well-rounded knowledge scope that makes it easier to assimilate in any academic or social climate. 

Most importantly, I truly believe that being in theatre has provided me with a community of like-minded, considerate, worldly, and diverse people. The wonderful thing about theatre is that people with skills in any academic area and with any and all interests can find a passion for the art form. Consequently, the community that is created consists of people from various and diverse backgrounds, both in culture and knowledge, that overall contribute to a wealth of rich and complex work. One’s interests are channeled in their pieces, so often I found that I learned a great deal about other subjects, from history to physics, when in theatre, because that’s what my peers would bring to their pieces. It was fascinating to learn about and watch. Being able to learn about the world in such an engaging environment made my experience at UWC all the more memorable!

How does IBDP theatre prepare you for university and work?

It teaches you how to command a space, which is a skill that will forever be used to your advantage. Not only can you learn to hold someone's attention and present in an engaging manner, but you also feel more confident when placed in leadership positions and working in groups. This is a skill that you will need for the rest of your life, and can’t be obtained in any other subject.

You also challenge your creative side, you push yourself in a different way to what you're used to. You become someone who is all rounded with strong skills in every area. Additionally, the understanding of humans and their point-of-view allows you to become more empathetic, to better connect with the people around you. The ability to connect with people in this age is a skill that is looked for in every university and every job because having charisma and being able to build relationships is such a valuable and powerful skill. 

What are the best moments you remember from IBDP?

Where do I even begin… The g11 production was more fun than I could have ever imagined, it was a crazy process but was so worth it. I remember the dress rehearsal so distinctly, all the theatre classes got ready together and watched each other's production for the first time. Hearing all the stories of the process leading up to it, then seeing the final product brought so much laughter and content. Then learning about traditional asian theatre and being able to work with different artists in the various artist-in-residence programs broadened my view of what theatre can be, and the weight it holds in different cultures. Then came the Solo, it was the time to really challenge myself and I tried something very different and I loved it. It was creating a piece purposefully that will forever be yours. In IB theatre, there is no such thing as a ‘good or bad’ piece, the focus lies on being intentional and captivating, so the freedom and individuality you can portray is the most empowering and memorable part of theatre. 

What did you discover about building technology skills in IBDP theatre?

In the process of compiling sources and evidence for my report, I was able to begin to develop the skills on how to find where reliable resources are, and how to find the best evidence and accurate sources possible. These are technological skills that are touched on in other subjects but the level of detail and specificity needed in the reports allows you to refine and perfect these skills which are especially useful in university. 

Other than finding great credible pieces of evidence both online and in books, the reporting process made me become a pages expert. Structuring a report with embedded evidence with accurate citing, with images in an eye-catching, easy to read, interesting report is something that will prove a useful skill for years to come. From experience, trying to format and cite an essay without these skills can cause you to waste hours, but with them can make your work stand out.

One of my biggest takeaways from IBDP theatre is the skill to be proactive and practice. In this class, we don’t just contemplate and discuss our ideas, we execute them. Course work in theatre is a combination of individual and collaborative work. I have found that working in this group environment has helped me become better at asking for help when I need it, inside and outside the context of theatre. 

One of the many unintended consequences of this collaborative environment, is the beautiful sense of community. The theatre family are probably the sweetest and most supportive people I have met on campus. There was never a moment where I felt alone in my struggle to finish papers or devise performance work.

Choosing to take IB Theatre was an incredibly liberating decision in my high school experience, one that felt like the perfect balance between a personal passion and an academic refresh. Across the numerous diverse projects and performances we completed, there wasn’t a moment that our effort wasn’t at 100%, or that we were looking at theatre as a subject in a vacuum. 

Interdisciplinary conversations around social harmony, economic suppression, epic historical events, and cultural understanding were a constant both in the curriculum and in productions. In my Grade 12 Production Proposal, I designed a theoretical production of Polar Bears by Mark Haddon, a play that explored bipolar disorder, familial and romantic relationships, and the fickleness of reality in an artistic, often extremely confusing way. In order to understand the play, I did close readings of the text and applied knowledge of abnormal psychology. Different branches of knowledge layered on top of each other throughout my exploration, culminating in a complex and thorough actualisation of Haddon’s writing. 

Throughout my Solo, my Collaborative Project, and my Research Project, I found that purely ‘drama’ was never the only avenue I was looking down. Theatre in IB was an opportunity for me to take the spheres of knowledge I nurtured elsewhere and realise them in an artistic, creative way. For that, I am always grateful.