I remember my first play like it was yesterday. I was in seventh grade and was only twelve years old. I was acting in a community theatre performance of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Despite my nerves, I performed my part, and the satisfaction of doing well on stage was like nothing I had ever felt before. This began my love for theatre, and I became actively involved in the art for the next six years. During those years, I learned five important tools that I use in every aspect of my life. Everyone could benefit from these, and if you're wondering what you could possibly learn from theatre, here are five concepts that I learned from being on stage.

1. How to manage stress

I don't think anything was more stressful during my high school career than preparing for a show. There are many aspects of theatre that are stressful, such as memorizing lines and blocking, performing in front of a crowd, and working with my cast and crew. It was worth it of course, and it gave me a way to learn how to deal with stress. Theatre taught me how to work towards a goal efficiently, how to prioritize the tasks given to me, and how to accept help that was offered. I learned these things so that I would be ready to put on an awesome show.

2. How to manage time:

Whenever I was in high school, I had very little time to myself. From keeping up with school work, putting on shows for theatre, and working at a local restaurant, I had a lot on my plate. At times, it was difficult to keep up with it all, but I learned to do it so that I could stay involved in theatre. I wanted to participate in theatre as much as I could, so I learned how to manage my time so that I always had enough for theatre. For school, this meant finishing homework days before the deadline and studying any time that I was free. With work, this meant only working the hours that I needed and requesting off well in advance if I knew I had a theatre event coming up. My love for theatre pushed me to do well in ever aspect of my life, and without the drive theatre gave me, I don't know if I would have the same time management skills that I have today.

3. How to be confident:

High school was a confusing time for all of us, and like many, I struggled with confidence issues. I used to struggle with this so much, in fact, that I would never talk. I was so afraid of attention that I hardly participated in anything at all. This was mostly in the early stages of my high school career, and many that know me now know that I am not like this at all anymore. This change was because of theatre. It's hard to stay afraid of attention whenever you have to speak in front of large crowds, and I gradually became more confident with each word I said out loud. This influenced my confidence in other aspects of my life also, as I grew more comfortable in my own skin. Theatre taught me how to speak in front of others without being afraid of what they thought, which changed my life.

4. How to avoid conflict:

Theatre is a communal effort. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I think I have to agree, at least, when it comes to theatre. Putting on a quality show takes effort, and this effort must be shared with everyone involved. To do this, the cast and crew must get along. This is not always easy, as rehearsal schedules often put a group of people together for long periods of time. Being together for so long can lead to some toes being stepped on, especially whenever a show is stressful. I had to learn how to handle others in a way that would benefit the show, no matter my personal feelings. The show must go on, and must come first, no matter how the cast and crew feel about each other. Avoiding conflict was necessary, and theatre taught me how to do just that.

5. How to have fun:

Despite the stress that I felt during my time in theatre, I never had so much fun. Coming together with others to perform plays was always a wonderful experience, and I will cherish the memories I made forever. The most important factor I learned from theatre was how to have fun. How to enjoy the tasks I was given, and how to find joy in even the most stressful moments. I think that this is the most important factor because we all need to learn how to have fun sometimes, regardless of whatever tasks we face each day.