There’s a moment many educators and parents recognize with a sense of dread: young girls who once eagerly raised their hands to answer or volunteered to help begin to hesitate. They second-guess their answers, start to feel self-conscious, shy away from attention, and become more cautious about taking risks. And it’s not because these girls lack the skills or answers; they’re simply losing confidence in a world that isn’t always kind to capable women.
While there are many ways to build up a girl’s confidence, theatre acts as a powerful counterbalance to insecurity and self-doubt in its many insidious forms. In the world of theatre, girls are encouraged to speak up, take creative risks, and proudly step into the spotlight – figuratively and literally.
Through the magic of theatre – storytelling, collaboration, performance – girls can rebuild confidence and hone crucial skills that can assist them long after they step off stage. As we close out Theatre In Our Schools Month and Women’s History Month, On The Stage explores just a few of the many ways theatre helps to build confidence in young women.
Theatre, by its very nature, demands participation. It asks students to speak clearly and confidently, project their voices, and communicate with their peers with intention. For young girls who may feel pressure to stay quiet, remain reserved, and blend in, this can be a transformative expectation.
When an actor is on stage, shrinking back, remaining passive, and staying quiet aren’t in the cards – whether someone is delivering a powerful monologue or participating in an ensemble dance. It is here that girls learn how to express themselves with clarity and confidence, and they begin to understand that their voice matters. In the theatre, people are truly listening.
In short, theatre teaches girls something many extra-curriculars and educational classes cannot: how to hold space for themselves. Over time, this incredibly important skill can carry into the classroom – where girls feel more comfortable participating in discussions – and into everyday life – where they’re more likely to advocate for themselves no matter the situation.
It’s hard to build confidence in an unsupportive environment, especially one where failure feels final. Instead, confidence grows in places where experimentation, taking risks, and sometimes even falling flat, is encouraged. Theatre creates that kind of space.
Auditions, rehearsals, and performances all require, at once, both confidence and vulnerability. Actors are asked to try new things on the spot, take creative risks, and make bold choices. They might play characters who are louder, braver, or more eccentric than they feel in real life, or they might participate in improvisation exercises that push them to think quickly and creatively in front of their peers.
At first, this type of expectation can feel scary, but over time, a perception shift occurs. Soon, they learn that taking risks and putting themselves “out there” doesn’t lead to embarrassment or punishment, but to growth.
And if a young girl takes a creative swing and misses, constructive criticism becomes much less about negative feedback and much more about improvement. By separating themselves from the work and learning to take notes with grace, girls also learn resilience and emotional strength along the way. In this supportive environment, young women develop the confidence to be seen as they are – creating a true safe space in a chaotic world.
We’ve spoken at length about the many transferable skills that students can learn from theatre, and it seems more important than ever that young girls get and stay involved in theatre programming for these skills. After all, theatre is much more than just performance; it’s also about collaboration. Every theatre production relies on a team – big or small – who are working towards a shared goal. This type of environment offers natural opportunities for leadership.
Girls can step into dozens of leading roles: stage managers, student directors, choreographers, designers, crew leaders, or on-stage leads. They can learn how to guide a team, communicate their goals effectively, and make decisions under pressure. These experiences often push them outside of their comfort zones, leading to growth on and off stage.
Leadership in theatre also teaches accountability. When others are relying on you, whether to know their cues, organize rehearsals, or support fellow cast members, you learn how to show up prepared and follow through on what you’ve promised.
The best part? These are skills that extend far beyond the stage. The confidence gained through leading a production in any capacity translates into stronger performance in school presentations, college interviews, and future careers.
During both Theatre in Our Schools Month and Women’s History Month, it’s worth recognizing that theatre is far more than an extracurricular activity – it’s a space where young girls learn to speak up, take risks, lead with confidence, and express themselves without fear of judgment or failure. It’s a place where girls can discover their voices and discover that they deserve to take up space. Even more, these aren’t just “theatre skills” – they’re life skills. And they’re essential in shaping a new generation of confident, capable women.
At On The Stage, we’ve always supported the educators and programs that make these experiences possible. By providing streamlined tools that simplify ticketing, marketing, fundraising, reporting, and so much more, OTS helps ease the burden on theatremakers and, consequently, create more opportunities for students to step into the spotlight and shine.
If you’re ready to elevate your program and spend more time developing your hardworking students, book a demo with On The Stage today.