THEATER ARTS IS FOR EVERYONE!

  The value of theater in education is greater today than at any other time since its inclusion in educational curriculums.

   Through the study of theater, students can examine contemporary, emotionally charged topics such as sexuality, violence, racism, and family values; but unlike passively watching these in today’s media, they have a teacher or director at hand to explore these topics with them using dramatic literature as a catalyst.

   Of all the arts, theater is the most concerned with the study of human personality. The process of acting requires an ability to step outside of oneself and value the perspective of another human being. This single skill is perhaps the most important reason for educational theater.

   Theater is a highly collaborative art. It must be created by and for groups of people working together without gender or ethnic discrimination.

   Theater also validates individual self-expression. Participation in theater projects encourages students to better understand and express their full range of feelings.

   Studying theater provides the student with a concrete experience in language, psychology, history, sociology, and many other disciplines that are played out on stage or behind the scene. The theater artist does not simply study theory in an abstract forum, he actualizes it, breathes life into it as a visual, tactile, aural experience.

   Theater often provides the bridge between the theoretical and the actual and provides the student with a wide base of knowledge that allows for the type of intellectual improvisation needed to face the new century.

   There are a tremendous number of jobs in the entertainment industry - especially in the Los Angeles area - that are less visible than acting, but more widely available. This includes agents, casting directors, producers, production assistants, and publicists. Colleges and universities do not generally offer training for many of these jobs, but virtually anyone working in any phase of "the business" has a solid background in theater. There are far more jobs in these areas than for actors, and far fewer people clamoring to break in. There are even areas where the demand for talent exceeds the supply! Studying theater arts is an essential first step that will help open many doorways in your professional and personal life!

A FEW OF THE MANY SKILLS LEARNED IN STUDYING THEATER ARTS:

SELF DISCIPLINE
The ability to work independently.

TEAMWORK
The ability to work congenially with a group-
putting the group above oneself.

RESPONSIBILITY
Meeting deadlines on time.

SENSE OF SELF WORTH AND CONFIDENCE
The realization of one’s importance
within a group.

PROMPTNESS
Working in theater is a team effort that can’t
be accomplished unless everyone is present.

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Communication is one of the fundamentals of
all theater activities.

DEDICATION
Commitment to an activity and its completion
is an essential part of working in theater arts.

RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY AND PEERS
Learning to take direction and sharing a goal
with the director and fellow
actors/technicians.

CONCENTRATION
The ability to focus on and finish a job without
distractions.

BUDGETING TIME
Fulfilling other obligations while remaining
committed to the project at hand.

NON-ACCEPTANCE OF DISAPPOINTMENT
Realization that you can only make it if you never give up.