The Power of Performance: The Lasting Impact of Theater in Education

According to a recent Forbes article – Research has found students who participate in theater programs exhibit higher scores on standardized critical thinking tests than those who do not – Not to mention it’s just fun to step into the shoes of different characters and worlds.

As all of Canyons School District’s five traditional high schools prepare for their fall musicals, on the latest episode of Connect Canyons we sit down with Alta High Theater Director Linze Struiksma, and two senior thespians, Kaylee Cannon and Taylor Fairbourn, as they prepare for the Hawk’s production of “Hadestown: Teen Edition”.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by
Canyon School District.
This is a show about what weteach, how we teach, and why we
get up close and personal withsome of the people who make our
schools great.
Students, teachers, principals,parents, and more.
We meet national experts too.

(00:21):
Learning is about makingconnections.
So connect with us.

SPEAKER_03 (00:26):
According to a recent Forbes article, research
has found students whoparticipate in theater programs
exhibit higher scores onstandardized critical thinking
tests than those who do not.
Not to mention, it's just fun tostep into the shoes of different
characters and to experiencedifferent worlds.
Welcome to Connect Campus.

(00:47):
I'm your host, Francis Co.
Joining me today is LindsayStruxma, director of the Alpha
High Theater Department, andsome of her thespians from the
Hawks All production of HadesTown Teen Edition.
Thank you for joining us.
Why don't you two introduceyourselves?

SPEAKER_04 (01:05):
Hi, I'm Taylor Fairborne.
I'm a senior and I've been doingtheater all four years, and it's
awesome.

SPEAKER_02 (01:11):
I'm Kaylee Cannon.
I'm also a senior and I've alsobeen doing theater all four
years.

SPEAKER_01 (01:17):
They seem to like what you're doing in my
undergrad and then had beendoing theater, like did the
musicals in high school and didsome other little theater things
on the side, but really kind ofnailed down it was my freshman
year of college that I didn'tthink I wanted to teach music
specifically, even though thatis like what was my gateway.

(01:39):
Really, really loved being onthe stage and creating
character.
And I felt like with opera, itdidn't allow for as much
character work.
It was more melodrama.
So I wanted to go deeper in withthat and started to take acting
classes and really get into theacting center at the university
and quickly switched my majorover to theater and acting, but

(02:01):
still was dating and singingstuff.
And then realized that beingreal honest, I wanted to make
money and I wanted to havestability, and that I really,
really loved doing theater andbeing on stage myself, but I
liked guiding people.
And I liked the idea of having aset job where I wasn't trying to
audition for something or tryfor something else.

(02:23):
I switched over to theatereducation, and that kind of
guided my path.
I have two parents who areeducators.
My dad was a superintendent, mymom is still a teacher today.
And so I was always kind of likethe education in the blood, but
I think I also thought it alittle bit because I was like, I
don't want to be like myparents, I'm different.
And I mean, neither of themteach theater.

(02:45):
So that's my difference.
But I started subbing in mymom's classroom, realizing I
really loved teaching and Ireally liked youth and working
with youths.
And so it just kind of led meinto how do I bring together my
love for theater, my love formusic, and now my love for
working with youth and beinglike a mentor.
And that led me to teachingtheater for a living.

(03:07):
That's fantastic.
How long have you been teaching?

SPEAKER_03 (03:10):
This is into your 14.
Welcome.
I have to admit, I'm veryimpressed.
And especially with your humblebrag.
You know, my dad was a concertpianist.
I studied opera, hair toss, hairtask, hair toss toss toss.
That's fantastic.
How about you guys?
What got you into theater?

SPEAKER_04 (03:27):
I also come from a musical family, and my sister
really loves musical theater.
And I remember, I think it wasfifth grade.
I went to go see for a fieldtrip Matilda at Hale, and I
wouldn't let anyone know it, butI really liked it.
I remember we were on a trip toVegas, and in the car, I had my
monster on and I was playing theMatilda soundtrack, and my

(03:50):
sister caught me and she waslike, I'm not gonna judge you
for this, and it's like allthese things.
And when we got home, she showedme the Pro Shot of Newsies on
Broadway, and I was like, Okay,this is awesome.
So I just started like going tosee shows with my family, and I
just I loved it so much.
And finally I got to middleschool where they had a theater

(04:11):
department, and that's actuallywhere I met Gayley.

SPEAKER_03 (04:14):
Yeah, yeah.
Wow, you guys go way back.

SPEAKER_04 (04:16):
I don't know.
It was it was really fun.
We did Duty and the Beast, butthat year was COVID, so it got
shut down.
But the next year, it was thefirst show that I've ever
actually gotten to do.
It was Matilda.
Full circle.
Yeah, and I played Nigel, whichis a really fun part.
I just loved it.
The next year we did Lion Kingand I was Timon.
And then I got here, and it'sjust such an accepting place,

(04:39):
you know.
I I love telling stories, ofcourse.
I love telling stories andmaking a difference through like
music and acting, but also ascrazy as it sounds, it really is
a family, you know?
Yeah.
I can have a bad day at schooland I walk into the to the
theater and it's like, okay, I'mfinally home.
Yeah.
So it's just it's a place that Ican have fun and I can be with
peers, but it's also just areally warm and safe place for

(05:02):
me.

SPEAKER_02 (05:02):
I wouldn't say I come from a musical family, but
my parents would sing a lot, youknow, and my mom can play the
piano.
So I grew up singing, and when Igot to middle school, I took
choir.
And I remember like I lovesinging so much.
I was also in debate, so I wasdoing choir and debate, and I
liked them both, but there waslike something missing from both

(05:26):
of them because I liked singing,I liked performing.
And then I was auditioning forthe advanced choir class at my
middle school.
My teacher asked me, he's like,Well, why aren't you in theater?
And I was like, Um, theater'skind of the weird people.
This seems like nerdy, and hewas like, Oh, okay.
And then he enrolled me in thetheater class anyway.

(05:47):
And I was trying to convince mymommy to get me out of the
class, and she's like, just tryit out, it'll help you come out
of your shell a little bit.
And I ended up really liking it.
I auditioned for Beauty and theBeast in sixth grade, and then
Matilda Jr.
in seventh grade, and then whenwe did Lang King, I was Rafiki,
and that was my first like bigpart too.

(06:08):
And I like opened the show.
I was the first person to sing,I was by myself on the stage.
No pressure.
Just like the rush from it, andI got off to the show and like
you did so great.
I'm like, oh, so I continued todo it through high school, and
it's just it's really great toportray a character and to step

(06:30):
on a stage and get to feelsomebody else's emotions and
what they're going through, andit's really beautiful.
I love it.
And I love singing too, so it'sa great look at it.

SPEAKER_03 (06:40):
You know, I think once you enter the theater
realm, you do realize, not onlyrealize, but embrace that it's
for weirdos and it's for nerds.
And we're okay with that.
We we're like, yeah, I'm a nerdand I am proud of it.
My coworkers pick on me all thetime because I'm always geeking
out about musicals.
I can just at the drop of aword, I'll start singing a song

(07:03):
and it'll be from somethingobscure like White Christmas.
Tell me, why do you all feelthat theater and the arts in
general, a lot you all seem toget your start with music and
then transition that intotheater?
Why is that so important as partof your education?

SPEAKER_01 (07:21):
I think the arts are a great place.
Most of life, if you understandit, is just storytelling.
That's all we're, I mean, youlook at English and you look at
history and all these othersubjects, and they all tied back
to telling stories andunderstanding other people's
perspectives.
And that's all that theater is.
We talk about how theater isjust like living honestly under

(07:44):
imaginary circumstances.
And so you're getting tounderstand the perspectives of
somebody else who's not youknow.
And that to me is really, reallybeautiful.
I just think theater, it can bejust fun and spectacle and all
of that.
And that is valid.
I think it tells messages andmeanings and it teaches us
lessons.

(08:04):
But I think that's why it's theeducational side of what it is.
Education is all about uslearning and growing and
becoming our best selves.
And I think that theater allowsus to do that by learning who we
are and learning from themistakes and the successes of
other people.
And that's kind of what drew meto it always is there's some

(08:25):
message I can gain.
There's some way I could be alittle bit better after watching
a show and learning how to be alittle bit better for myself.
And I think that's something Ireally strive to do here at Alta
is make sure that they know,hey, this show is awesome, but
we're gonna teach a message.
We're gonna look at what we wantthe audience to walk away
feeling better about themselvesor about a situation or learning

(08:47):
from something.
And so the learning aspect ofwhat theater is is probably my
biggest driving factor.
And I don't think it's justbecause I'm an educator.
I just think that's the natureof the thespian I am or a
theater lover that I am.

SPEAKER_03 (08:59):
Well, I feel like it's there's so much that goes
into a production.
It doesn't matter if you'redoing a play, if you're doing a
musical, you're analyzingscript, right?
You're trying to figure out whatyour character means when they
say something.
Never mind working with someoneacross from you.
And when I say this, how arethey gonna respond?

(09:20):
And how am I gonna send thatback to them?
You're doing choreography.
I mean, there's so many elementsto learn that you're learning
different skills while you'reportraying somebody else too.
Yeah.
What about you too?
How have you felt that theaterhas changed your education?
I think that it's taught me alot about myself, to be honest.

SPEAKER_04 (09:41):
I mean, first of all, there's something I think
we learned about it in theatertwo or theater three, where you
try to think about where yourcharacter would be holding
tension in their body.
And through that, you learnwhere you hold tension in your
own body.
So whenever I'm feelingstressed, I now know I hold a
lot of tension in my face, youknow?
And then I can apply that to acharacter, like this character

(10:02):
would hold tension in hisshoulders or like whatever.
So it's just like learning stuffabout myself and even, I mean,
conversational skills, I thinkalso can be up to Yeah.
I mean, there's just so manythings, but really just learning
about yourself and othersthrough storytelling, I think
it's just really important, andit's the most fun way to do

(10:22):
that, you know?
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (10:24):
Yeah, theater has absolutely helped me with my
social skills and first of all,just getting rid of stage right
a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 (10:31):
So you're saying your mom was right.

SPEAKER_02 (10:32):
Yeah, yeah.
It's a forgotten for shell.
It's true, yeah.
But it also has taught melessons, like structures saying,
like, there are there's timeswhere I've come out of a show
and I like cried during theshow.
And over the next few weeks, I'mlike, I shouldn't say that mean
thing because I watched thatshow and I need to choose
kindness.
Like it really does, like themessages stick with you.
And it's helped me just likestudying a character and how

(10:56):
they interact with people andhow they move through, you know,
the fictional world.
It's I don't know, it's almostsort of helped me to like think
about when I interact withpeople.
I don't I feel like I'm almoststudying like human interaction
a little bit and how people getalong, and so it's helped me in
the real world.

SPEAKER_03 (11:14):
You're mindful of how each interaction.

SPEAKER_02 (11:16):
Yeah, yeah.
And like how other charactersare human characters, but
they're real.

SPEAKER_03 (11:20):
Listen, we all play characters now and then, right?
You got a bad day, you want totry them.
Sometimes you bottle that up,but then sometimes you gotta let
it out.
Like in theater, you know youhave the people that you can go
to and say, you know what, Ijust gotta be weird and nerdy
for a minute, and I need you toappreciate that.
And I'll be like, I got you.
Yeah, yeah.
So let's talk about the show.
This fall season, you guys aredoing Hades Town.

(11:43):
So for those who haven't seenit, tell me what is Hades Town
about?

SPEAKER_04 (11:47):
You attacked him to you.

SPEAKER_01 (11:50):
I told him right before, I was like, they're
gonna ask for a synopsis, TaylorG.
And you he's I mean, I obviouslyknow the show, I chose it.
Sure.
He's just the king of havingstudied his character and the
show so in-depthly, more thanI've seen most students do.
It's pretty impressive.
And so I was like, I feel likeyou know the show better than
Nathan.
And I have read this 83 times.

(12:11):
Like, it's nice at acting.

SPEAKER_04 (12:13):
It's so unique.
I just can't help but learnabout all the cool things about
it.
The story, it starts, it's astory of Orpheus and Eurydice
from Greek mythology, and it'stied into the story of Hades and
Persephone and both of theirrelationships and how they
mirror each other through theshow, even though they're so
different.
I'm trying to think of the best.

SPEAKER_01 (12:33):
No, but you say that that's said so well is the
mirroring of what it is, becausewe see through Orpheus and
Eurydice, which is this new loveand this new story that's being
told, this other more ancientand established love of Hades
and Persephone, that has kind ofgone a little rotten and has
kind of just not as happy andlike healthy as it used to be.
Like you kind of see the waythat they're paralleled and like

(12:56):
the path that you could go on ifyou make certain choices to how
your love will end up.
I think that's one of like theunderlying like themes of it.
Yeah.
But it's also then this story,Hermes is one of the other
central characters and is thestoryteller of the whole entire
play and brings us backconstantly to remind us this is
a story.

(13:16):
This is a story, and it opensand closes with we're gonna tell
it again.
We're gonna tell it again andagain and again, even though it
happens the same way, we do itwith the hope that one day
things might be slightlydifferent.
We're gonna tell it again, thatwe might learn a little bit
different this time and thingsmight be a little bit better or
a little bit brighter.
And so it's like those twostories in a snow globe.

(13:39):
I don't know if that makes sensethat you just keep shaking and
hoping you'll see somethingslightly a little bit different
so that you can learn and grow alittle bit more.

SPEAKER_04 (13:47):
I think with that theme, there's also the theme of
we're gonna sing it again.
We're gonna, if somethinghappens to you, you can learn
from that.
You can accept experiences asthey are.
If something happens, it's inthe past, but you don't have to
block it out, you know?
And I think even though it'ssuch a sad story, learning from
that is the important part.
And that's why we sing it again.
I think that's one of theunderlying themes too.

SPEAKER_01 (14:07):
I think storytelling, something that I
think it makes me so passionateabout theater in general, is it
doesn't have to be pretty and itdoesn't have to be polished, and
it doesn't, I mean, we do thatas a theater practitioners,
right?
Like we're like, get this danceright, whatever.
But in general, the story isjust what it is.
And that's like our lives.

(14:27):
We're just paralleling our livesas we tell things.
And it's okay to talk about hardthings.
It is okay to talk about thingsthat aren't pretty, and because
that's how we learn and that'show we grow, and we can't just
only talk about happy two-stepdance and done.
Like that that's not everythingthat the world has to offer.

SPEAKER_03 (14:46):
Not every story is a fairy tale ending.

SPEAKER_01 (14:48):
Yeah.
And I think that the more peoplecan learn that and go, but
what's the brilliance you canfind?
Yeah, then they know how to dealwith the hard things in life
because life is not always easy.
There's gonna be beautifulvistas and it's gonna be awesome
at times, but it's also gonna behard sometimes.
And there needs to have both, weneed to hold space for both
stories.

SPEAKER_03 (15:07):
And like you said, learning from maybe the darker
times and finding the light inthem.
Like you said, Hades Town is nota fairies and sugar plums kind
of story.
And I agree, I think that's oneof the great parts about
theater, is you can find the joyfrom the messy bits of life.
So I'm curious, what are yourcharacters that you're

(15:28):
portraying and what have youtaken from them and how they've
handled their stories?

SPEAKER_04 (15:34):
That's an interesting question.
I'm playing Orpheus, who is kindof like the lover boy a poet.
Yeah, he's the poet.
He's a fish, and he's not shy byany means, but he's very inward.
And I would say that I can betoo, you know.
He's a very relatable characterto me.

(15:55):
I think the way he's written isjust so genius because he makes
mistakes, but those mistakesdon't define him.
And I don't know, I I think he'sa really beautiful character,
and I've learned so much with ascringy as this sounds, the power
of music, you know.

(16:15):
I know that that theme is inlike every Disney channel, but I
really think that like he's amusician who is working on a
song that will change the world,and I think that that power that
he holds in that, I have nowkind of taken to because I don't

(16:38):
know, I have always loved music,of course, but I've never
thought of it as something thatcan really, unless you're like
Beethoven, you're not gonnawrite something that's gonna
change someone's life.
But maybe you can, right?
And I think that's somethingthat I've taken from it is
really just like how powerfulart can be and how powerful your
art can be.

(16:58):
Something that you make canreally make a difference, and
you shouldn't stop tryingbecause you think it might not,
you know?

SPEAKER_03 (17:06):
It doesn't have to be Beethoven.
Exactly.
It can still make a difference.
That's a beautiful message.

SPEAKER_02 (17:11):
I play Persephone, she's the goddess of springtime,
white with Hades, Lady of theUnderworld, and it's she's
definitely the saddest characterI've played because she's very
fun-loving, you know, and sheloves to dance and party when
she's in the overworld.
But I mean, she's she's deeplysad when she's with Hades.

(17:34):
And so one of the messages Ithink I've learned from her is
when she's in the overworld,she's she's really happy, but
she's almost kind of ignoringthe sadness in her and the
problems she knows that's goingon.
And Hades is obviously thevillain of the story, but what's
almost worse about Persephone isthat she's an accomplice when

(17:54):
she's just sitting back and sortof letting this happen, and she
wants to do something, but shefeels powerless about it.
I think something I've learnedas I'm developing the character
is using the voice that you haveone and standing up for what you
believe in when not just sittingback and letting problems

(18:17):
happen.

SPEAKER_03 (18:18):
That's one of the main messages I've taken away.
What an interesting character tothink of.
She's the goddess of springtime,and springtime makes people
happy, right?
So she I imagine she feels likeshe has to put on this mask of
joy and happiness.
But then, I mean, you're marriedto a guy like Haiti.
Yeah.
That's there's gotta bedifficulty in that.

(18:39):
It's very cool to hear both ofyou taking such deep
understanding of your charactersand not only applying it on the
stage, but to your lives aswell.
You're in rehearsals now.
Hades town is coming up.
What dates?

SPEAKER_01 (18:56):
Give your plug.
What are we looking for?
Our show opens on November 19th.
We have shows the 19th, 20th,21st, 22nd, and 24th.
Obviously, not Sunday.
And each of those shows startsat 7 p.m.
We do something cool at Altahere where we have understudies
for each of the main characters,and we give them an evening that

(19:17):
is dedicated to them because ofall their hard work.
So Thursday night, the 20th, isour understudy night, where
specifically they will beperforming.
And I tell you, these two aretwo of our leads, and they are
incredible, but our understudiesalso are they're amazing.
They're putting someone and it'sjob.
It's really, I just get to seetwo beautiful, awesome casts.
And so I would encourageeverybody to come to see both

(19:39):
casts.
Either way, the 19th to the24th, 7 p.m.
here outside in our beautifulperforming arts center.
We're very lucky to have thespace and we know that.
And uh yeah, we're just reallyexcited for the show to open.
It's still got weeks.
We've got tech to do, we've gotstuff.
Yeah, and we are finishingblocking it actually today, and
it feels really, reallyexciting.

SPEAKER_03 (19:57):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (19:58):
And when do tickets go on sand?
Tickets go on sale November 5th.
I think at 9 a.m.
I don't know.
Um go ahead and cue at 9 a.m.
It's November 5th.
We do something called theopening night gala that people
can come and mingle an hourbefore the show with the
characters in character.
Oh they get like refreshmentsand treats, and it's a special

(20:19):
like opening night traditionthat we do.
Those tickets go on sale on the27th to the Totterwich and are a
little more expensive, but it'sbecause it's like a big fun
beiser.
And it's so fun for the studentsto be able to interact as
characters and be introduced astheir characters and so
themselves.
It's super fun.
So that's another option ifpeople want something fun to do

(20:40):
the hour before 6 p.m.
on opening night the 19th.
Very cool.

SPEAKER_03 (20:46):
As we wrap things up, we've talked a lot about the
impact of theater on your ownlives and you know, your hopes
for what it will bring toothers.
What overall message would youlike to leave when it comes to
just it's to theater, to theart?
You name it.
What do you want people to walkaway from this thinking about?

SPEAKER_01 (21:10):
I think every single show has a message.
So I've definitely got likemessages for specifically Hades
Town that I want people to walkaway with like love and
redemption arc and like standingup for what you believe and
having a voice.
But I think a lot of thosethings actually apply to most of
theater in general.
Sure.
My biggest thing when peopleleave any of my shows is
understanding a little bit moreabout self, gaining a little

(21:32):
more confidence in who they are,and knowing how to use their
voice more, like finding theirsource that allows them to speak
on things they believe in, theyare passionate about, they care
about.
Everyone should know how to usetheir voice and be able to feel
like they have the tools to doso.
And that's probably my biggestthing for theater in general.

(21:54):
I think you have two successstories right here.

SPEAKER_02 (21:57):
I think one of the biggest messages that should be
taught from theater is just tohave fun, you know, in a way of
telling important stories andmessages.
But I mean, theater is a fun wayto tell those messages.
Theater, although I think aboutlike you know, the characters

(22:18):
and the story and the messageand whatever, but also it's just
a great way to meet people andhave fun, and I hope that
anybody who comes to see a showlike leaves a song stuck in
their head, you know, and danceand have a good time.

SPEAKER_04 (22:32):
I think the arts in general, this applies to like
theater, music, dance, likeeverything.
I think it can I mean if you ifit's not for you, it's not for
you, obviously.
But I think everybody can getsomething out of it.
And I think everybody should tryto.

(22:52):
You know, it even if it's like Iknow, like, even my dad has like
gone he's seen some of my showsand he's like, I didn't love
that one as much, but that otherone, it's like it's it's not
like a one and done deal.
Like, you know, find find whatyou love.
And like, I mean, even me, thereare some shows I see, and I'm
like, that wasn't my favorite.
You know, I admire it for whatit is, but I think there's

(23:14):
beauty in everything, especiallyin the arts, and you should try
to find that.

SPEAKER_03 (23:19):
And it's beautiful to see how you, as students, are
not only passionate about whatyou're doing, but you're, you
know, you're learning from yourexperiences, you're having fun
with it.
I know for me, theater was oneof the best parts of growing up,
and I to this day am a thespiannerd and proud of it.
So I want to thank you all forjoining us.

(23:40):
I want to thank you for leadingthese young thespians.
And I can't wait to see HadesTown break away.
Thank you.
And thank you for listening.
If there's a topic you'd like tohear discussed on the podcast,
send us an email tocommunications at
CanyonsDistrict.org.

SPEAKER_00 (23:57):
Thanks for listening to this episode of Connect
Canyons.
Connect with us on Twitter,Facebook, or Instagram at
Canyons District, or on ourwebsite, CanyonsDistrict.org.