All the World’s a Stage: 4 Life Skills Musical Theatre Can Teach

by Christian Anderson, Delores Barr Weaver Teaching Artist Fellow in Theatre

As my theatre classes begins preparing for our annual winter performances, I look back on the my journey with the arts. As a kid, I was immediately drawn to music and performance after watching The Sound of Music. It’s my mom’s favorite movie and she made sure my siblings and I watched it at a young age. As the story progressed, I didn’t notice my sister start to doze off or my brother try to leave the room, I was too engulfed in Maria’s journey and the dancing goats. This fascination led to me signing up for any and every music and drama class I could get into.

Fast forward to today and I’m working with students the same age I was when I first saw that movie. I see the excitement in their eyes when they talk about Wicked or sing along to music we are learning in class. For many students, theatre class is not only an opportunity to build on an interest, but a chance to be around like-minded students who also share a love for the arts. For others, I’m their introduction to theatre, a responsibility I take very seriously.

At the beginning of each year, I attend orientation to recruit students for my after-school musical theatre class. The parent/guardian reactions are always interesting. Some run straight to my table, eager to sign their student up, often reminiscing on their time spent in music and theatre classes. Others walk right past the table and head to activities they’re more familiar with. One parent asked me this year, “What will my kid get out of this class? What if they don’t want to be a singer?”

My theatre classes aren’t meant to produce the next Broadway star. I don’t pretend that time spent in my classroom will necessarily propel my students to stardom. But theatre does teach valuable life lessons that go beyond the classroom.

The benefits of a theatre class are numerous, but the four I’ve listed below are some of the most prominent:

Teamwork

Just like any team sport, theatre is collaborative. Theatre teaches young people how to work together and be a part of a team. The process of putting together a performance teaches young actors how to problem solve and work through conflicts. Putting on a show requires working with many different personalities, so students who engage in theatre learn first-hand how to effectively communicate with others, even when they might not get along. Through theatre, students learn to work toward a common goal and how to deal with the little things that might come up along the way.

Like many activities, theatre can also be competitive. After all, there is only one Maria or Elphaba. However, when done intentionally, theatre can bring individuals together. In my classes and performances, each student is a vital member of our ensemble. Theatre classes turn a group of individuals into a unified team.

Dedication & Perseverance

Being a part of a show from start to finish teaches students the joys of a job well done. The average rehearsal process can be anywhere from a few weeks to several months to year-long, requiring students to stay dedicated to an often-challenging project—an especially important skill to build in an age of shortened attention spans among kids as well as adults.

Seeing smiles as the curtain goes up and the performance begins reminds us that the hard work was worth it. The performance itself is often more rewarding than any trophy, ribbon or certificate.

Empathy

Learning to play someone else or reading a play about different experiences helps you to broaden your own perspective. Students who engage in musical theatre expand their horizons by stepping into the shoes of characters from different walks of life from their own, learning to embrace differences.

Self-Confidence

It is often assumed that students that participate in theatre are extroverts—that it requires a showy, out-there personality to be a part of it. While that is true with some students, I have found that often, the opposite is true.

As an introvert myself, I understand the appeal of theatre to an introverted student. After performing in front of hundreds of audience members, suddenly speaking up in class doesn’t seem so scary. And theatre allows you to step outside of yourself and play as another. It was somehow less scary for me to get on stage and play a detective or a prince or a cow than be myself. I see this same thing happen with many of my own students. When one particularly shy student signed up last year, their teacher was surprised, thinking it might be too much for them. That same student ended up having the big solo at Showcase, surprising everyone—even himself.

That confidence built in class is something that will serve theatre students well into the future. People who can perform in front of others can be successful in any career. Students who take drama/theatre classes can grow up to be teachers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, doctors—all professions that require speaking in front of others.

Overall, theatre can be incredibly beneficial to a student’s overall educational experience. It shouldn’t be an extra—it can be a vital part of their school experience that students will look back on for years to come.

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This story is part of a series of articles featuring CAP Teaching Artist Fellows. They’ll share monthly insights from their years of experience in arts education, personal stories that impacted their careers as artists and educators, and ideas for families to incorporate more creativity into their everyday lives.

In December 2025, we’ll learn from Priscilla Allen, Teaching Artist Fellow in Visual Arts. To be notified when the next story is live, sign up for our email list today.