My high school theater director had a poster in his office that said "Theater Skills are Skills for Life" Well, those words of wisdom are correct. You learn a lot more in musical theatre than just how to sing, act and dance and here are 8 life skills that you learn.
1. Perseverance
One of the most important skills that I gain through theater is the ability to persevere. You cannot give up in the middle of the scene or a song because you messed up a line, you have to keep going. When you are learning a dance that you do not understand, you keep doing it until you get it right. Heard the saying " How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice Practice
Pictured above: Carnegie Hall with my H.S a cappella group and the boys from St Joseph Regional choir ( our brother school) 2014
2. You Adjust Easily to Change
Sometimes, unforeseen events happen and the understudy has to step in. You may have to adjust to performing with someone else or you may even have to learn an entire new dance the week before a show. The ability to adjust to change is essential in life.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 2013
3. Confidence
One of the best traits to have in life is confidence. In theater you are often given instructions on how to audition. When you walk into the room, you make a statement. Through dance you learn your body's limits and where you strengths and weaknesses are. Having confidence in yourself is important in order to be successful in life.
Cabaret 2012
4. You Learn How to Memorize Things Quickly
In theater, memorization is key to success. At an audition, you are often given only 30 minutes to learn a 2 minute dance combination or a day to memorize an entire song. During the summers, I was in full length productions that were put up in only seven 5 hour rehearsals.
5. Empathy
Empathy means to understand how another person feels. When choosing a monologue or a song you should have some kind of personal connection to it. For example, maybe the character has to overcome some kind of adversity that you yourself have experienced.
Drowsy Chaperone 2015
6. Teamwork
You know the saying that there is no I in team? Well there is no I in cast either. In theater, actors have to constantly help each other out. When working in an ensemble you all have to be engaged in what is going on and share the spotlight. When an actor is struggling with their lines, their scene partner helps them out.
Miss Saigon 2015- The Photoshoppe
7. Trust
One of the things that makes a cast become so close is when they trust each other. When an actor forgets a line, they trust that their partner will be there to help them and can turn the scene around. When an actor is looking for a prop they trust that stage crew will help them out. Having people in your life that you can trust in hard times makes them a lot easier.
Fiddler on the Roof- The Photo Shoppe
8. Time Management
Being in a show takes up a lot of time especially in the weeks leading up to the opening. In high school, my tech week was always the same week as midterms. I had to learn to use all the downtime I had to study and get work done while still getting at least 6 hours of sleep. This is essential in college and throughout life
Pictured above: Seniors in Drowsy Chaperone 2015
