Why Study Drama

I've lost track of the number of times people have flippantly answered, "Oh Acting" when they find out I'm involved in the subject of drama. Of course I answer, "No, Drama. Acting is only one element of the subject. " It's a shame so many people, especially parents, are so dismissive of the subject because it has so much to offer their children in regards to developing useful life skills. For myself, I was always quite confident within my home and family, but outside of that was quite a shy mite. It was drama and performance which allowed me to battle this shyness and overcome barriers to success in work,  life and relationships. I am, therefore, quite an advocate for the powerful transformative effects of the drama classroom.
In addition to my own sermons, I enjoy bringing a variety of articles, research etc. into the benefits of arts education as well as good education practice, to the attention of interested parents. In that spirit my first offering is a nice little article from the Washington Post on the Top Ten Skills Children Learn from The Arts. Enjoy