GUILFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – Students at a high school in Guilford are setting the stage to develop life skills and see life from another perspective.

Guilford High School is giving students a lesson in international baccalaureate theater, which provides students with the opportunity to experience theater from different perspectives.

“There are five lenses to the study of theater. There’s the lense of the creator, the director, designer, performer and the spectator is another lense so we try to look at the art theater from those five lenses,” director of theater arts at Guilford High School, Cara Mulqueen-Teasdale explained.

This opportunity for performance is new for some.

“It’s really refreshing to actually be on the stage and learning about acting techniques because that’s just something I’ve never really have the opportunity to do. And frankly, I’ve been scared to do on-stage work, and as someone who’s been backstage a lot, it’s definitely scary to put yourself out there,” junior Sofia Welch said.

It’s not just learning to perform. It’s appreciating the lens of the spectator and what’s needed to communicate through art effectively. The student will then apply their research and theory in contextualized work.

“She encourages creativity so I can really flourish my writing style, and that’s going to help me a lot with college essays, I’m sure,” said Guilford High School Junior Quinn Iaccarino.

Students are researching, creating, presenting, and thinking critically about different aspects of the theater while also gaining a rich understanding of the arts and themselves.

“So it kind of teaches you about who you are in a sense. I feel if I can portray someone else, I can really convey my emotions well,” Quinn said.