The Addams Family, Mamma Mia! and Into the Woods. If these titles sound familiar, it may be because they are, according to Playbill, the top three most-produced shows at high schools around the country.
But what do these seemingly opposite musicals all have in common? The students who participate in these shows are exposed to daily, moderate exercise, gain a sense of community and are at a lower risk of mental health issues.
In 2023, The Columbus School for Girls (CSG) was one of 16 recipients in the first round of winners of The Unsinkable Molly Brown Grant, receiving $10,000 to perform an updated revival of the musical.
“The music is the same, but the plot is different. It’s much more historically accurate and it ties in all of those themes that Molly Brown was really passionate about: the rights of workers, and the rights of people and the rights of women to vote. She was a suffragette,” says CSG theater faculty member Elizabeth Bishara.
CSG students are no strangers to theater, as drama classes are incorporated into the curriculum as early as middle school. Exposing younger students to musical theater helps enhance the creative foundations and builds healthy vocal practices not just for performances but daily speaking and projecting as well.
A normal rehearsal schedule for CSG students in the theater program is about 15 hours a week. On top of their normal school schedules and any other extracurricular activities, students rehearse after school, taking precautions as needed.
“I have students who take one day off a week that they’ve decided, ‘This is my mental health day.’ And they’re allowed to do that,” Bishara says. “I have students who sometimes just come to me and say, ‘I’m really overwhelmed and I need to work on this other stuff.’ And then, I let them have a pass for the day.”
A survey published by the Mental Health Foundation found that 31 percent of teenagers suffered with issues in relation to body image. Forty percent of teenagers were responded that images on social media were the root of their insecurities.
Middle and high school years are when young adults are most susceptible to unrealistic standards, both in body and mind. Although most activities have stressors, theater can offer an escape and supportive place.
“The theater can be scary. It can even be stressful sometimes, like if you keep messing up your lines. So, it’s great to have your friends with you, especially when you’re messing up. You’ve got that extra support system. It’s really great,” CSG junior Gabby Clarke says.
Theater is not only an outlet that engages students creatively and actively, but socially as well. Like any other club or sport, students have the opportunity to create bonds with their peers in the hours of rehearsal and beyond. The shared interest of theater helps harbor a welcoming and fun community for students at an age where it can be especially difficult to put themselves out there.
According to a WHO Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report by Daisy Fancourt and Saoirse Finn, “(a)rts engagement can also help to reduce the risk of developing mental illness such as depression in adolescence and in older age. Participating in arts activities can build self-esteem, self-acceptance, confidence and self-worth, which all help to protect against mental illness.”
Arts activities uplift students, encouraging them to explore the ways in which they are unique and can best express themselves. An act as simple as getting cast in their school’s musical can reassure students that they are worth more than their anxieties.
“Sometimes I get intimidated because the kids that are older than me have more experience,” CSG freshman Gaby Papadakis says. “It’s a challenge figuring out where I stand. I think just telling myself that there’s a reason why I’m here and that I got the part for a reason.”
And while it may be a time commitment, rehearsal might be the perfect activity to end the school day with. After hours of diligence, students can take advantage of the creative space that is theater to create characters, learn to tell stories and end the day with like-minded individuals.
“Mentally, it gives me a really good creative outlet,” Clarke says. “It’s nice to have something to focus on that’s productive and I love doing.”
Mary Nader is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mnader@cityscenemediagroup.com.
