Wassan Nasreddin, Grade 12
UWC Li Po Chun
After one week of being at LPCUWC, we finally reached the first day of classes. I packed my stuff and headed to my first class. I was thrilled, excited, yet quite nervous as I had to adjust to a completely new system and a few subjects that I had never studied before. Coming from a traditional educational background of taking three sciences, mathematics, and no humanities, I was eager to have a say in what I wanted to study. The process of choosing my subjects was not as easy as I thought it would be. However, I wanted to make the most out of my UWC experience, so I ended up challenging myself and taking new courses. Among the new classes, I chose theatre. Having no experience in the performing arts, and having had barely any creative classes in my old school, I wondered whether theatre was a subject I would enjoy. But again, I was excited to explore new horizons.
My first theatre class was fun, although quite different from any classes I had before. I went to the drama room, which was to be our classroom for the following two years. There were no desks and all chairs were stacked up near the wall. The sunlight did not really reach that room, so it was a bit dark and had a funny smell. We all stood in a circle, awkwardly staring at each other until our teacher spoke and told us that we’d be starting with a simple ball game. We were a group of 16 people with one simple task to do: keep the ball off the ground. Then, we had a brief introduction to the course before the class wrapped up. I left the class wondering: is this for me? Will I learn anything of value from this? I decided to stick to it for a few more lessons before deciding whether I should leave or not.
In around the fourth or fifth class, we started doing trust exercises. According to our teacher, trust exercises are crucial for a performance, as they help the actors bond and act better around each other on stage. In the exercise we did, we had to be grouped in pairs. In each pair, one would close their eyes and walk, and the other would have to lead them and help them avoid colliding with someone or hitting a wall. Typically, I did not like the idea for two reasons: I hated group work, and I am a bit of a control freak. But I had to do it anyway. So, I picked a partner, and I volunteered to be the one who shut their eyes first. I close my eyes, and I start walking, with my classmate’s arms on my shoulders, slowly guiding me: “Left, no, no! Turn right!”. It was hard at first, and I felt a bit tense, but by the end of the exercise, I felt more relaxed. I was able to depend on another person, and she managed to prevent collisions. That was when I realized I had to keep theatre as one of my courses.
Theatre was not very “academic” like all my subjects used to be, and the teaching style was not conventional. But that is what theatre is supposed to be. It is supposed to teach you life-skills, things mathematics or physics may not teach you. You learn how to work with others and collaborate, even if you don’t like them or don’t get along with them, and how to be creative, spontaneous, and not overthink every move you make.
Although I still question my decision to stay in theatre sometimes, I remind myself that it is a learning opportunity I may never have again and that, at the end of the day, outside our comfort zone is where we learn the most.
My first theatre class was fun, although quite different from any classes I had before. I went to the drama room, which was to be our classroom for the following two years. There were no desks and all chairs were stacked up near the wall. The sunlight did not really reach that room, so it was a bit dark and had a funny smell. We all stood in a circle, awkwardly staring at each other until our teacher spoke and told us that we’d be starting with a simple ball game. We were a group of 16 people with one simple task to do: keep the ball off the ground. Then, we had a brief introduction to the course before the class wrapped up. I left the class wondering: is this for me? Will I learn anything of value from this? I decided to stick to it for a few more lessons before deciding whether I should leave or not.
In around the fourth or fifth class, we started doing trust exercises. According to our teacher, trust exercises are crucial for a performance, as they help the actors bond and act better around each other on stage. In the exercise we did, we had to be grouped in pairs. In each pair, one would close their eyes and walk, and the other would have to lead them and help them avoid colliding with someone or hitting a wall. Typically, I did not like the idea for two reasons: I hated group work, and I am a bit of a control freak. But I had to do it anyway. So, I picked a partner, and I volunteered to be the one who shut their eyes first. I close my eyes, and I start walking, with my classmate’s arms on my shoulders, slowly guiding me: “Left, no, no! Turn right!”. It was hard at first, and I felt a bit tense, but by the end of the exercise, I felt more relaxed. I was able to depend on another person, and she managed to prevent collisions. That was when I realized I had to keep theatre as one of my courses.
Theatre was not very “academic” like all my subjects used to be, and the teaching style was not conventional. But that is what theatre is supposed to be. It is supposed to teach you life-skills, things mathematics or physics may not teach you. You learn how to work with others and collaborate, even if you don’t like them or don’t get along with them, and how to be creative, spontaneous, and not overthink every move you make.
Although I still question my decision to stay in theatre sometimes, I remind myself that it is a learning opportunity I may never have again and that, at the end of the day, outside our comfort zone is where we learn the most.
Image Citation: https://www.hkcec.com/en/theatre-1
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