As most colleges and universities do, Shippensburg offers an Introduction to Theater course as a general education class. Unfortunately, many take it as an “easy” A and as a theater minor, I use the word “easy” lightly. While reading the description of the class, one may be thinking, “All I have to do is perform, right? Memorize some lines, yada yada.” I’m going to be honest and confess something, those very same thoughts crossed my mind as well at one point in time. But after taking 9 credits in theater courses (and 9 more to go), I can tell you my beliefs and thought processes about the theater and the people involved have completely changed. Theater goes much more into depth than simply just knowing your lines and putting on a show for the audience. It goes beyond just one course that you are taking. The skills that you learn in this class will help you outside in the real world.
Most people when they hear that they have to do a presentation in front of the class for 10 to 15 minutes, their hands start to get sweaty and their hearts start to pound. A presentation? In front of 20+ people? Then their minds start to race! “What if I’m so bad they start to throw tomatoes at me!?” I’m kidding of course. I would hope no one thinks their classmates would do that. But my point is, in a theater course the main theme is getting up in front of people and the possibility of embarrassing yourself is inevitable. But you know what, it’s OK. Everyone in that class is there for the same thing. They also have the same thoughts. What if I screw it up? What if I trip and fall? What if I forget a line? It happens. We’re all human. While taking this course it teaches you that it’s ok to mess up. No one is going to penalize you for missing a word. And you know what? They probably didn’t even notice and most likely too worried about messing up their own presentation to even care.
Another major skill acquired from taking a theater course is becoming closer to your community. When I say community, I’m referring to the campus, your class and the people in it, your dorm building, etc. It really allows you to show a side of yourself that you rarely reveal to the people around you. While doing this, you relate to others and find out that you have a lot more in common with others than you thought. You build friendships that you wouldn’t have been able to without the course. As someone who suffers greatly from social anxiety, I learned that everyone has the same fears: public speaking. You bond through these fears and experiences.
Paris Peet, a theater professor here at Shippensburg University, stated, “Very few, perhaps no other academic subject offers students such a diversity of skills. These skill sets are intellectual, practical and emotionally and spiritually fulfilling for many of its practitioners. The collaborative process of making theater depends on organizational planning and involves very rigorous work. The rewards of making something from nothing and achieving that goal alongside other people is indescribable.”
The skills and qualities that students obtain from these courses are extremely vast and I could go on for hours about how it’ll benefit you as a person. Theater helps your confidence level and teaches you that as a person you will make mistakes, whether it be lines for a show or a presentation you prepared weeks ahead of time. It gives you the confidence you need to get through your day to lives. It helps you grow as a mature adult, and I guarantee you will use it every day in the real world after college.