Student Blog: Theatre as a tool for difficult conversations

My final unit in my Creative Drama class this year surrounds using theatre as a way to discuss hard topics, especially in classrooms. Although just starting, it has made me think about shows I’ve worked on in the past, and although loving theatre for catharsis, I rarely spend time reflecting or teaching based on the methods. One of the biggest reasons I love theatre is due to the fact that I love how it can act as a creative outlet to process big emotions. I know, I’ve talked about this in previous blogs, but I’d like to elaborate on what I’ve learned since then. 

In a course last semester, I read and analyzed a short play titled Light Years Away. This was a piece written for young audiences, and although performed by professionals, it included a talkback that many people of all ages were excited to participate in. This piece centered around 3 young children from different backgrounds and identities. One was the overly ambitious overachiever trying to make history. One was a kid who had no idea what he wanted to do in life, so he was being pushed into trying everything he could. And finally was Calliope, aka “Cal”, who was a technical genius who had a private familial life that restricts what she could do. In class, we discussed how students could see themselves in the kids, often fighting societal expectations and/or feeling behind in life. Some could relate to being embarrassed by one’s family situation, or being seen as too ambitious for one’s own good (especially as a young girl). 

Now, on the other hand, I starred in a production in high school called She Kills Monsters. I know I’ve mentioned this show multiple times before – just stay with me here. This show deals with Queer identity, grief, imagination as a coping mechanism, and sisterly love. After the show, people would tell me how much the show meant to them, and how it was one of the best shows my school had done. That show sold out so much that we did 6 performances instead of our usual 4, and we were able to raise money for a Queer prom, where I know many people were donating purely to help the cause. 

There was a scene in the show that hurt to watch, but I loved rehearsing, mainly because I trusted my scene partners so much. Without spoiling the show too much, my character gets severely bullied. Although I was uber-focused on the scene, I swear there was a silence in the air the whole time. The scene starts with my character kissing her girlfriend and coming out to her sister. The scene ends with her holding back tears and running away. Both before and after that scene, I shook my whole body, and reminded myself that it was fake, but it depicted real situations.​​ It was even more real when I was cast as a homophobe the following year in The Prom, and one of my best friends, who was playing the lead, got called slurs at our local Portillo’s after opening night. 

Every night during the SKM run, my castmates told me they cried for me. The people who rehearsed with me, knew me, quite literally fought with me, broke down every night. People got the message, and a whole lecture about serious topics wasn’t needed. Instead, there was a humorous, action-packed show that was able to teach.

Photo includes: Olivia Russell + Penelope Roewe