Watching and participating in theatre-based activities offers students tremendous opportunities for personal growth. In this fall’s edition of SRSS Innovation Week, I invited comedian Matt Falk to perform for our ELA students with a focus on storytelling. Mr. Falk relies on the openness and vulnerability of his audience in order to experience a successful set. Mr. Falk commented that his job is to earn the trust of his audience, which allows for laughter and the opportunity to be vulnerable. Once a comedian establishes this trust, they are able to create what Mr. Falk calls a ‘dance’ of jokes followed by engaged laughter in response.
I had never considered the vulnerability of an audience in a comedy set – I immediately think of how much bravery it takes for the actual performer, not for those who are watching from the seats. After the show, Mr. Falk discussed with me that laughing is one of the most vulnerable things that a human being can do. You invite others to witness what you find humorous while releasing a loud physical response – this can be quite intimidating to young people who care about experiencing the same reaction as their peers. Allowing themselves to let go, laugh, and engage with Mr. Falk meant that he had successfully earned their trust.
Students can connect even deeper to the positive experiences associated with comedy and theatre once they let go of their own insecurities as an audience. This trust developed as Matt shared his insecurities, his stories of professional rejection, and the role failure has played in his personal growth. Peppered with humour and jokes, Mr. Falk invited his audience to remove him from the pedestal of the stage and embrace his relatable stories, seeing themselves in his vulnerabilities.
I think this idea relates fundamentally to our role as teachers, which Mr. Falk touched on when he led a professional development day with staff a few years ago. Our students can learn from us, but once they fully trust us and allow themselves to be open and vulnerable, a much richer learning experience is the result. Once students can trust us with their ideas and stories, the possibilities for personal growth becomes a constellation of opportunities.
In my own teaching experience, I have seen similar growth, vulnerability, and trust exist while coaching Improv. The most successful Improv players walk away from the stage and our schools with a developed sense of empathy, a strong interest in stories, and resiliency to the thing most adults still fear – public speaking resulting in embarrassment. Once you’ve “faced the monster” of going on stage (in some cases in front of many hundreds of people) without having a plan or knowing what is going to happen next is the ultimate test of self-reliance and trust in your team. High-school theatre played a fundamental role in Matt Falk’s growth as a learner, and while not all of our students will go on to be professional comedians or actors, the world past graduation may not seem as scary once they are used to vulnerable scenarios.
Whether memorizing lines for a show or making up stories on the spot, the theatre is a unique way to learn and appreciate courage and vulnerability, as a performer or an audience member. I was encouraged when witnessing how many students asked Mr. Falk for advice on how to get into comedy and acting. If students are seeing themselves represented on stage and thinking, I can do that too, then they have power over their learning and have benefited from a rich learning experience.
Author: Megan Turnley, SRSS Staff