SEL Steps Into the Spotlight: Theater as the Perfect Setting for Social and Emotional Growth

Key Points

• A theater director and educator explains how theater and SEL are complementary and mutually reinforcing fields of study for students’ social and emotional development. 
• She describes the innovative and engaging programs at her theater that help support students’ development both as artists and as people. 
• Theater education also offers an avenue for community-building and community engagement, yet more ways to support overall student well-being and growth.

Anyone who’s done student theater knows the worst part: that fateful moment when the cast list goes up, and you have to walk up—in public —to see if you got your dream role. Or any role. There, in front of everyone, for all to see, and for all to see you seeing it. 

That was me in school, like Rachel Berry in Glee or Sharpay in High School Musical, fighting to see if my dreams were fulfilled or dashed. And having to process all those complicated feelings in the open, with an audience, never knowing why I did or didn’t get the role. 

Now, as a director and the artistic producer at Mudlark Theater in Evanston, Ill., I want something better for our actors. A better casting process and a more supportive and caring learning environment overall. For me, that means bringing social and emotional learning (SEL) into every aspect of theater education, from auditions to rehearsals to the relationships I build with them over time. 

Why SEL in Theater? 

SEL offers a way to create a safe, welcoming, and empowering place for anyone to learn, explore, and grow. SEL capabilities like communication, empathy, and collaboration are critical to a creative setting. Inversely, theater offers a rich context for practicing the core SEL competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship-building, and responsible decision-making.

This focus on SEL is central to the way we educate young actors and produce theater at Mudlark. We see social and emotional development as a critical component of our work. Here’s how we describe the goal for our students: “Actors and students learn empathy, listening skills, public speaking, critical thinking, and collaboration—strengths that enhance their academic and personal growth and will also prepare them to make a difference in any field they choose to enter.”

SEL Takes Centerstage

Here are some of the ways we connect SEL and theater education at Mudlark:

• We inject SEL into the casting process. At Mudlark, we don’t post a public castlist, at least not as the first step. Instead, in my practice I privately send my cast members home with a physical note letting them know which character they will bring to life and what I think they’ll personally bring to the role. I express how excited I am to work with them and see how they grow through the role and the process of creating the play. For me, this is much more than a “nice” thing to do. It’s central to how I think theater education, as all education needs to be done: with SEL at its heart. 

• We call them what they are and treat them accordingly. We always refer to our participants as “youth actors,” not “kids.” I give them a lot of autonomy and expect them to take responsibility for attendance, participation, and bringing the right attitude (and their scripts!) to the rehearsal space. It’s a chance for them to practice important skills like self-management and responsible decision-making.

• We build long-term relationships with our actors. Our goal is to take our actors from their first engagement with us through high school graduation. We often first encounter our actors through our afterschool programs in local districts, then in our classes and programs, and then (once they’re 10 or older) in our mainstage shows. It’s really important for us that the relationship is maintained, and that our ongoing programming allows them to practice their own relationship-building skills with the other actors they may be on stage with over the years. 

• We give them the power to create. One of my favorite things about Mudlark is that we focus on many original productions, and some of our scripts are developed from the youth actors themselves. We also have an annual Mudlark production called “Mudpie,” in which we do a call-out and submission process throughout the wider community so any youth authors can submit their work: short stories, letters, rants, raves, funny jokes, any kind of writing. Then the entire ensemble works together to turn it into a show, a process that activates self-awareness, social awareness, and collaboration skills.

• We actively welcome “first-timers.” With our “First-Time Auditioner Slot,” we create a welcoming, brave environment for actors who are new to Mudlark or making the jump from classes to our mainstage. Meeting the young actors where they are, we break down the process a bit and offer them a chance to shine in their current artistic state. The younger, first-time auditioners don’t have to audition back-to-back against 13-year-olds who have done this many times before. They get an audition room that is designed to help them thrive with directors who want to see them succeed! 

• We engage with families. I strive to bring our Mudlark practice farther than the stage and into the homes of our actors. This happens in multiple ways of engagement. One of my favorite Mudlark moments was when we hosted a potluck event for my production Love, Loss, & What I Ate, where actors and their families all came together to celebrate and indulge in their traditional family recipes. Another was during Six Pointed Starlight, where each family was invited to submit a photograph of a female ancestor or loved one to be represented during a show focused on sisterhood and migration. This connection strengthens relationships with our young actors, learning more about who they are inside and outside our doors; allowing us to more specifically create art for them and their community. 

• We give families a voice in the audition process. During the audition process, we welcome parents and guardians to give us notes about the actor before auditions so they have the chance to tell us, “My actor is really looking for this type of experience.” Sometimes families tell us, “We’re new to the community and want to find a place here and outside the building.” These insights allow us to deepen our knowledge of the young actor and know more about which production might fit them best. 

Sometimes I’m asked, “What are the different social and emotional capabilities students learn in theater vs. outside theater?” I reply, “Aren’t they the same?” Being an artist means discovering things about your characters, other people, and yourself. We create stories and find ways to bring our own stories to the table. Through these stories, we understand ourselves on a deeper level and recognize the ways in which other people use their own social and emotional competencies as they navigate life. What makes the best artists is when they’re able to recognize and understand their own social and emotional ability, because it makes them stronger and more powerful.

For students in the Chicago area, Mudlark has announced the audition dates of the fall season: Aug. 19, 20, and 21. Check the website for information. 

The views in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of CASEL.

Rebecca Rose Schilsky (she/her/hers) is a child at heart. She loves to get curious and explore, to question and question further, and to seek joy in everything she does. These descriptions could also paint you a picture of who she is as an artist! Originally from New York, Rebecca is a Chicago-based director, production manager, and educator, directing for Mudlark Theater, Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, Second City, Whiskey Radio Hour, and First Kiss Theatre and production managing for Jackalope Theatre, The New Coordinates, and The Moulin Rouge! Tour. She is also Mudlark’s artistic producer. Her theatrical mission includes creating brave spaces by generating productions that entertain and educate audiences of ages 0-101! She attended Skidmore College and has studied at Second City in Chicago.  www.rebeccabackstage.com

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