Learning through theatre

Drama and theatre education are important pedagogical tools which provide an opportunity for students and teachers to explore realms and realities outside of the classroom, without having to travel. 

Apart from learning vital life skills, we learn many important lessons when we work with the scripts and start the rehearsal process. Working with theatre  provides us with many insights into the human condition and the many cultures and arenas that humans inhabit.

Theatre in education

Drama is an important teaching and learning tool, that can be used in different ways, for example in Paulo Freire’s “theatre of the oppressed”, where the participants use drama to express their feelings, problems, and possible solutions. Also, creating a theatre play together can be an opportunity for a group of youngsters to communicate issues that are important to them, to a wider audience.

However, reading, rehearsing, and producing a theatre play written by a playwright also has its distinct merits. When we delve into a story, a theatre play, we get to explore a universe that someone different from ourselves has created. As we put ourselves in the shoes of the characters that we play, we soon realise that we need to know more about the background and the societal context that these characters are part of. Our curiosity is irked, and through discussion, research, and reflection we learn a lot about worlds we haven’t encountered before – be it the realities of the First World War in “Oh What a Lovely War” or the goings-on in ancient Greece and power relations in a peace-promoting classic like “Lysistrata”.

An excellent pedagogical tool

In addition to learning important life skills such as communication, teamwork, precision, and perseverance, producing a theatre play also enhances our personal development, like creativity, confidence, improved vocabulary, performative experience… The list goes on, depending on who we are, of course.

And on top of that – when we work with theatre production we learn about regular school subjects like history, psychology, and social science – even geography, mathematics and science, depending on the subject matter of the play.

As such, done in a serious and reflective way – theatre is an excellent pedagogical tool.

Example: “A Thousand Cranes for Peace”

STU College at Lindersvold in Denmark has a strong drama tradition and the school participates in a theatre festival every spring. This year, the group decided to study and produce a dramatised version of the tale about a Japanese young woman who has inspired generations – Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.

“The message of world peace is universal, of course. We chose to do this particular play because it gave us the opportunity to reflect on how all of us can contribute to a world without wars” explains the leader of the project, Federica Caporale.

“I had heard a little bit about atomic bombs but had never understood how dangerous they are, and I hadn’t thought about the long-term effects at all,” says one young actor. “We learned so much about Japan and Japanese culture while we were rehearsing.”

The production of “A Thousand Cranes for Peace” was a good example of how people with different backgrounds and skill sets can collaborate in an integral process towards a common goal: A memorable performance. Against a backdrop with an animated film to illustrate the story, the performers took on different dramatic roles. To include the audience in an interactive ending, the team had folded 1000 cranes, which were present on the stage, as well as on the seats of the audience. At the end of the play, everyone raised a crane in a manifestation of peace.