Here at the Academy, we offer Senior Drama and, in previous years, the Junior Senior play, and as of last year, these were the only two drama productions offered at school. The sad part is, with the loss of this year’s Junior Senior play, the drama department has dwindled to an even smaller role within school culture. Once upon a time many years ago, there used to be even more productions than the two we are used to today, and they gave casting opportunities to the whole school, not just juniors and seniors. It is the opinion of your humble narrator that drama is for anyone and everyone, and that the scope of the drama department should be increased to fulfill that role.
Drama is the act of performing literature in which you become something you are not for the purpose of entertainment through the evocation of emotion. In short, the soul of drama is learning to be something outside yourself. For many people, drama serves as a way to break out of the shells and masks we form as we interact with people in our day to day lives. Drama forces an actor to work outside of his comfort zone, and that is exactly the kind of thing we need more of at this school.
On a broader level, drama itself serves many purposes. Many only think of drama as a means of entertainment, but drama can also cause the audience to reflect on themselves and ask questions people may be reluctant to even think about. It’s through this that drama can be a great method of outreach, ministry, and even evangelism. We can perform works that will draw people in with the entertainment value but also spread God’s message through our own testimonies or the message of the drama itself.
In its current state, the drama department withers to an even smaller shadow of its former state, and I believe that is quite a shame. Drama is a wonderful tool for ministry that has near endless possibilities and applications, but, as it stands, the drama department needs to grow in order to use that tool to the fullest capabilities. What it would take to do so, I do not quite know. But, I can assure you, dear reader, that the rewards of sowing the seeds for a better, brighter future for the drama department will be something truly worth reaping.
