22 Jan Seeing the Unseen in High School Theatre
The Unseen Benefits of the Arts in Schools, An Op Ed by Univrsity of Georgia professor Peter Smagornisky. I’m glad to say I’ve known Peter for many years through our work together in AERA (American Educational Research Association). Peter’s co-author is Michelle Thorne. I like how they help us see a photo of a high school theatre production in so many new ways.
Here’s a preview:
This one chance snapshot, then, provides a glimpse of the community that evolves from the theatrical experience. This feeling of belonging is especially significant in high school when the trajectory of students’ lives is being set. Note that in this picture, neither the director nor the actors are visible. What you see is the coordinated, dedicated, focused effort of the offstage contributors. Theatre is so much more than what happens on stage during the ultimate performance; what happens offstage represents a great deal of the value of school theater programs.
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