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Beyond the realm of the stage, theatre and drama are the tools which shape an individual’s artistic skills. Be it working out a sad scene or a happy one, theatre and drama not only give students the opportunity to showcase their exclusive talents but also helps them overcome their stage-fear and instils in them confidence and acts as a medium for them to express themselves creatively, thus making them a confident and a strong individual able to face all the challenges that life hurls at them. I personally believe that ‘Drama and Theatre’ acts as a backbone for the whole nation.
Furthermore, it helps students- the future of the nation and the harbinger of hope and prosperity for the nation to be confident and express their cool abilities. It also helps students learn the advantages of brainstorming and team-work, helps students kill self-doubt(which according to me, is a terrible vice anybody can have) and stage fright. This article describes the merit of ‘Drama and Theatre’. Before going forward onto the advantages of ‘Drama and Theatre’, I would like to mention the history and evolution of Drama and Theatres in few sentences
EVOLUTION OF DRAMA AND THEATRES:
The Precursor:
In ancient Rome, plays from the “Bible” were staged in grand auditoriums. Many new and magnificent halls and auditoriums were built to stage those awe inspiring performances. The common folk barely understood the teachings and the gospels of the “Bible” as the Holy Book was written in Latin, this led to the gospels being enacted by expert artists with dialogues written in English by great authors.
The English Renaissance Era:
The English Renaissance Era is also known as the “Shakespearean Era” due to the advent of the prolific playwright William Shakespeare(born: 1564) who through his plays like Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado Nothing About, The Midsummer Night’s Dream, etc helped up-lift the craze of drama and theatre. Shakespearean plays manipulated the Elizabethan stages with intriguing knowledge and wisdom. Due to his prodigious work in the field of drama and theatre, he was known as the “Bard of Avon” and he still is one of the greatest playwrights the world has ever witnessed. Other notable playwrights of this period are Ben Jonson(born: 1572) who wrote “The Alchemist” and John Webster(born: 1578) who authored “The White Devil”. This era was also known as the “Golden era of theatre”.
The Victorian Era:
During the Victorian era, plays written by Shakespeare competed with operas. With the development of public transportation, the audience moved, and now it was possible to go to the theatre until late at night. As a result, performances in theatres began to become longer.
The Present Time:
In present days, every schools and colleges have drama programmes and theatre facilities. The Present Time is witnessing many talented theatre actors who work on new scripts as well as the evergreen plays of Shakespeare and others.
NEED FOR THEATRES IN SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES:
Acts as a tool for expressing oneself:
Self-expression is a quality which should be celebrated and a freedom which should be enjoyed. Expressing oneself artistically is a great art and its importance lies beyond words. Theatres and drama clubs in schools and colleges provide opportunities of self-expression and imagination to students. The students prepare new scripts or enact plays and stories which are present in their literature books, design sets and embody new characters. This helps them in sharpening their academics as well as their co-curricular talents and skills. The students are encouraged to unleash their unique levels of creativity. The schools and colleges provide students freedom to think out of the box and experiment with their ideas. In this manner, the students enjoy their school or college life to the fullest.
Acts as a guide for knowing human better:
Through different acts and plays, students get to know about the point of views of different people. Stepping into different characters, with different scenarios and wearing the masks of different emotions, the students get to delve into diverse perspectives and unique facets of human nature. This helps them know nature of people and can act as a guide for them in making decisions. In addition to that, plays also help students in their decision-making abilities.
Kills stage fright and self-doubt:
According to Wikipedia, “Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia that may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, real or imagined, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera).” Many of the teens suffer from stage fright or performance anxiety. Apart from stage fright, students suffer from other anxieties and phobias. As we all know the adverse effects of anxiety and depression, drama clubs and theatre help students, keeping them occupied with co-curricular activities. This way, theatres and drama clubs work on eradicating phobias and anxiety. Self-doubt refers to a condition when one thinks that he/she is useless and nothing good can be done or achieved by him/her. School theatres or drama clubs do not let such thoughts creep into the minds of students with their friendly and encouraging behaviour. Moreover, they congratulate students with awards and certificates for their outstanding acting and expressing skills.
Enhances Communication and Adjustment Skills:
Playing a character with conviction requires an artist to have a good communication skill. The skill which each and every student should adapt is effective communication skills. Communication skills provide the base or the foundation of confidence building and drama clubs and theatres provide an ideal environment for not only pondering but also practising effective communication skills. From theatre and drama clubs, students get to learn listening as well as speaking skills. They also learn discipline and since they have to work with a lot of co-actors, they unknowingly learn how to adjust with others in life. When students perform well on the stage in front of the audience or spectators, they gain confidence in their ability to engage in social and professional activities. In short, drama and theatres help make a person social. With its wide range of characters to be embodied and various emotions to be masked upon, it makes students active and disciplined with an advanced communication skill and a skill of adjustment which are the two most important skills of life.
Instils Management skills and Co-operation in Students:
In theatre plays, there is nothing called ‘SECOND TAKE’ unlike films, its once and for all. Therefore, there is a kind of pressure each actor faces before the show. All the actors co-operate with each other and even if their co-actor forget their dialogues, they help save the show by managing the scene. This way, theatre also helps instil co operation and management qualities- the quality to manage faults at times in individuals.
Instils Determination or Perseverance in Students:
Being a part of a theatre or a drama club is a tiresome or hectic task. One needs to memorise dialogues, remember the script and act accordingly. It is through these tiresome tasks that students learn to be determined and love the thing they do. Set-backs and failures make them stronger and more determined towards success. They become resilient and strong to overcome any difficulties with a smile on their faces.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, drama and theatre play a vital role in grooming an individual and making him/her successful. They instil confidence, determination, trust, co operation, creative and cognitive skills among students and enhances adjustment, communication, leadership and management skills. They further guide a student and protect him/her from addictions, anxiety, depressions or vices like self-doubt and self-affliction. Drama clubs and theatres empower students to recognise the voices unknown to them and help bringing out their voices to the public. Drama and Theatre play an enthralling role in the holistic growth and development of a student. The Earth can be a wonderful place if all the schools and colleges in the world consider drama and theatre classes equally important as academics.
By: ABIN BHATTACHARYA
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