Children learn conflict resolution and social-emotional learning through theater.
credit: NorCal Arts
Michele Hillen-Noufer describes herself at 13 as “the shyest kid in the world.” She always loved ballet but hated public speaking until her father persuaded her to try out for “Godspell.” She wanted to dance in the show, not sing. She was so scared out of her wits that she cried throughout the audition. But she made a breakthrough that day that shaped the course of her life.
“I didn’t start speaking up until I started doing theater,” said Hillen-Noufer, who now teaches children’s theater at Sacramento State University. “It broke me out of my shyness. As I say to the students, this is not just about projecting your voice on stage, it’s also about asserting your voice in the world.”
When she raised the curtain on NorCal Arts, a Sacramento-based arts education organization in 2020, Hillen-Noufer was hoping to bring that kind of transformative emotional power to young people, to enrich students’ lives with the magic of theater. The organization works with roughly 10,400 students in the Sacramento region, including the Sacramento City Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District, the Elk Grove Unified School District and the Washington Unified School District.
“We think arts is important for all students, not just those that can afford it,” said Hillen-Noufer, executive director of NorCal Arts.
She never had an inkling that those acting classes might also help prevent acts of violence in our bruising age of school shootings and CEO assassinations. Then she landed a $600,000 grant from the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to teach the kind of conflict resolution skills that can de-escalate a violent atmosphere. Now her theater arts program goes beyond song and dance to teach social-emotional learning at a time when student misbehavior has skyrocketed in schools and what are sometimes called deaths of despair are rising among young adults.
“Though it may seem surprising to consider theater education as a means of preventing violence,” said William Braniff, director of the Department of Homeland Security Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, in a statement, “this creative, multidisciplinary strategy utilizing theater arts to teach conflict resolution skills effectively tackles the underlying systemic issues that contribute to violence, all while enhancing the safety and resilience of local communities.”
Many sociologists have argued that fraying social connections, often spurred by rapid technological change, have undermined civic participation and community bonding. Robert D. Putnam’s influential 2000 book “Bowling Alone” traces the decline of social connectedness in America, from unions to bowling leagues, and how this trend might breed polarization and undermine the workings of participatory democracy. Trusting in your neighbors, experts say, may be key to building back trust in the electoral process.
“Theater is a profound tool for violence prevention because it fosters empathy, emotional literacy and healing,” said Allison Gamlen, visual and performing arts coordinator for the San Mateo County Office of Education. “Through storytelling and role-playing, students activate their mirror neurons, the part of the brain that helps us feel what others feel, allowing them to truly step into another person’s shoes. Theater gives young people a safe space to explore challenging situations, process emotions, and even experiment with different outcomes. By embodying characters and committing to their circumstances, students learn to understand and navigate complex emotions — both their own and others’.”
Drama can be an antidote to alienation, some say. At its core, theater is about baring your soul and making connections with others. It’s about being vulnerable and tapping into a sense of shared humanity. Creating a sense of community is one way to combat hostility before it hardens into hate and violence.
“You’ll never know if somehow the work we’re doing prevented a school shooter, but to do theater you have to collaborate, to express emotions,” said Hillen-Noufer. “You have to step into someone else’s shoes, connect with your peers, make eye contact.”
Combating the sense of disaffection that has pervaded much of American society is key to teaching theater as a form of conflict resolution. Hillen-Noufer’s group has brought this program to roughly 400 classrooms across the Sacramento region. Students tap into theater skills to build empathy and manage disagreements, something many adults struggle with in our polarized world.
“Think about a student in the classroom who feels rejected,” said Hillen-Noufer. “They don’t feel a sense of belonging. And they go online, and then they start to feel more isolated. And then they get radicalized to violence. The next thing you know, you’ve got your school shooter.”
Dramatic arts exercises create a safe space to explore dark feelings, what triggers them, and how to disarm them, without fear of judgment.
Sparking a sense of calm also defuses tension before it builds. Sometimes children just need to slow their roll, experts say, and take a deep breath.
Learning how to control their emotions through mindfulness techniques can help children avoid the brain fog built into our innate fight or flight response, experts say. Critical thinking skills often abandon us when emotions run high.
“We are all boiling kettles right now, so it’s easy to fly off the handle,” said Hillen-Noufer. “Theater can help give kids tools to calm down and look inward.”
Like sports, the arts can also create a focal point that students can rally around, inoculating them from alienation. Buoyed by the exhilaration of social interaction, something anxious children all too often miss out on, experts say, bonding becomes easier. Classmates begin to feel more like they are all on the same team.
“The dopamine released during the creative play of theater also plays a critical role in healing trauma, as it creates a sense of joy, safety and reward, rewiring the brain toward resilience,” said Gamlen. “This process not only supports individual healing but also strengthens the capacity for compassion and connection, building a foundation for healthier, more empathetic communities.”
