Unfortunately, in many schools, Drama is still undervalued and under appreciated and students are not taught to understand nor really appreciate the wonderful power theatre possesses as an educational tool. At most times when the TIE team performs, the enthusiasm and participation from the students are very minimal and at most times, there are not enough interaction between the performer and the audience. .
After the performance ends, students are more likely to comment or ask questions about the actor and his or her life instead of asking questions that are based on techniques or themes and core of the performance. This clearly shows that the actual performance was not the focus of the students" interest. .
As seen in my peer's TIE performance for junior school, during the post performance discussion about the plays, the pupils were much more interested in talking about their skills in doing the cart wheel or how one particular actress was very pretty. We even ended up playing a game that had no relation whatsoever to the performance. .
The audience is also usually diverse in age, interest, views, ethnicity and beliefs, presenting TIE groups with a challenge to perform a play that concerns and invites everybody, making sure that all the audience can relate to the issues addressed in the play. Even though when my peers performed their plays as TIE groups the audience was roughly the same age and all the same gender, some of the issues addressed were too complicated and mature for them to understand or even to grasp the surface let alone the essence of it. .
Very few of the actors that are a part of a TIE group also have teaching skills as well as performing skills. Their ability to address the issues and relate to the students during post-performance discussions may be limited. Their skill to bring focus back to the show may also be not as sharp as one that has teaching skills. Likewise in the post-show discussion with the junior school pupils, teaching skills are essential to lead a worthwhile discussion.
