ShareWIK.com

I had one of the most amazing nights of my life last week.  No, my husband didn’t bring me flowers or take me out on a date; nor did my children surprise me by cleaning their bedrooms without being asked.  No, what I experienced was an achievement of dramatic proportions:  My middle school students presented their first full-length theatrical performance.

It was the first time in five years the middle schoolers had done this.  So, the idea of doing one now seemed daunting.  Not so much for the students, who were really excited for the opportunity, but to me.

To pull it off, 51 children and five adults needed to be involved.  And to further complicate my task at hand, I felt strongly the production should feature each child and the final product had to be entertaining.   Though I am often accused of being overly dramatic, I am certainly not a drama expert!

I felt overwhelmed. 

Our production started out slowly as each child was assigned a part.  Practices were scheduled daily on a rotating basis so that no one class period was impacted more than another.  Students read their lines (or should I say mumbled) and followed along like cattle. 

Then one day, something magical happened.  Two of my eighth grade boys made that transition into “getting into character.”  They were acting.  Really acting!  The change came unexpectedly and brought a whole new element to practices.  These two class clowns became directors, giving their school mates directions on how to speak their lines, where to stand and how to move.  Their enthusiasm was contagious. 

Soon, all of the students became actors.  They questioned how they could better their performance.  “Can I use this kind of an accent, Mrs. Andersen?”  “What about if I stand here when it is my turn to speak?”  “Can I wear wings with my costume?”  These were just some of the ideas that these formally reluctant public speakers came up with as they too made the transformation into thespians.

All of their ideas, creativity, team work, and hours of practice made for a night they will never forget.  Though the impetus to step out of their comfort zones came as a large push from the teachers, the final product came from within them.

I would love to tell you that all of the parents were thrilled with the play.  But I can’t.  There was one, very vocal parent who had some concerns.   This parent was unhappy that we had taken structured class time to practice for the play.  He felt that it would have been a better use of our school day to remain in regularly scheduled classes and to hold practices after school.  He felt the students weren’t learning anything while they were preparing for the play.

I feel sorry for him.

The benefits of the fine arts come in so many forms.  Children learn to be creative in problem solving – i.e. how can we make Tyler look like Humpty Dumpty?  They learn cooperation and tolerance.  Placing 51 students together in one classroom and asking for complete silence while others are speaking is quite a feat!  They grow in self-confidence as they learn to present themselves in front of a large group of spectators.  The kinesthetic nature of play acting also helps to differentiate learning to those who best learn in this manner.              

They learn self-control, discipline, and how to work together as a team.  And the list goes on and on . . . 

The most lasting expression of any culture is the statement it leaves in the arts.  This legacy is found in its painting, drawing, sculpting, dancing, singing, and dramatizing.  Our little middle school play is going to leave a lasting mark on these children for the remainder of their lives.  For some, it might be the only time they will ever get up in front of a couple hundred people and speak.  For others, it is the first step towards a high school career of acting.  And for many, it is the first step in a lifetime of public speaking.  For all, it was an infusion of confidence that they are capable of accomplishing anything with hard work and determination.

As for the concerned parent, I say ENCORE!  Raise the curtain and break a leg and I will see you next year when we hit the stage once more.

Margaret Andersen is the mother of three teenagers and is a middle school teacher somewhere in the Midwest.  She is a regular ShareWIK.com columnist. For more Margaret Anderson articles, click here.