Theatre is the systematic analysis of human behavior across timelines. It is the science of humanity. In a theatrical script the data of the unchanging action points and conclusion are calculated with the changing variables of time and character. The goal is to find the moral justifications for the results. It asks the questions: 1. what had to happen in the characters’ minds for them to believe that their course of actions were appropriate to the situation and 2. why did end of the play have to happen that way.
In theatre we analyze the whys through dissecting emotions. In life, emotions play a stronger role than what we give them credit for having. Emotions make up a majority of decisions – decisions made out of desire and want. Emotions leads someone to choose one product over the other or one candidate over the other. The elements of timing, color, line, proportion, and volume affect the emotions. Being able to operate with these emotions in order to create a desired response provides a good basis for many other occupational fields.
The skills developed in theatrical training are powerful in life. It provides a way to see beyond the chaos of the emotion in order to analyze the action. It shows that if patterns of actions do not change, then the result will be the same even if the justification of those actions are vastly different across timelines and geographical boundaries. This is why the same play can be produced a thousand times and be completely different each time.
Theatre teaches strategic planning and cause and effect analysis. Two coveted skills in today’s workforce. It teaches data analyzation by giving the production team only a script and a world of research to work from. It teaches cooperation, collaboration, and deadline discipline by punishing with the full weight of responsibility anyone who does not hold up their end of the collaboration agreement.
Teaching school kids theatrical skills in a fun and creative environment gives them analytical skills and prepares them for adapting to change. It will give them a voice of expression to coney the complexities they face when words do not seem to be enough. It will teach them how to communicate clearly and effectively. Analyzing a script and finding the parallels of relevancy that links modern to past while experimenting with moral justification provides the critical thinking skills our country needs. This is what shapes a mind for innovation and invention.