In 2022, there are a few skills that students are lacking, and they are not academic. After spending 2+ years in a Pandemic and with many who did Virtual Learning for almost as long, we've forgotten how to communicate. How to read emotions based on facial expressions. Social Cues, body language, eye contact, and more. Students are also struggling to manage their own emotions, which can lead to stress and anxiety. All of these skills are taught in Theatre, and not just taught, but necessary for success.

I teach students that as performers they have 3 things in their "Actors Toolkit": Their Face, Voice & Body. They learn ALL about each of those 3 tools, how they work, how to use them properly, how to manage them, how to maintain them. Theatre not only helps them to be aware of their own emotions, but it also creates empathy and gives them the methods of identifying those cues in others.

Students should take Theatre for so many reasons, but the main being that there are identifiable skills that will be incredibly beneficial to their success in life as they continue on with their educational path as students, and as they enter the workforce as young adults.