I have a cultural question. In your country, do elementary schools have a theatre stage and a curtain? Do the teachers have students put on plays and "shows" as part of the educational curriculum?

This seems to be a "universal" in the United States. But a Brazilian language companion says it isn't in Brazil.

I am curious if any US natives have any idea _how_ theatre became part of public school education.

Question

I have a cultural question. In your country, do elementary schools have a theatre stage and a curtain? Do the teachers have students put on plays and "shows" as part of the educational curriculum?

This seems to be a "universal" in the United States. But a Brazilian language companion says it isn't in Brazil.

I am curious if any US natives have any idea _how_ theatre became part of public school education.

Answer

Actually, I have lived in multiple places in the US and many schools do not have a theater as you describe although most have some kind of elevated “stage” somewhere in the school for presentations and assemblies. Sometimes this is in a “multi-purpose” room that serves as a gym, a cafeteria and an assembly place—but does not always have a curtain.

Not all schools do theater/plays, either. That stage is used for many other things—so its existence is not tied to theater activities.