<p>What makes young people care about themselves, others, their communities, and their futures? In <em>Why Theatre Matters</em>, Kathleen Gallagher uses the drama classroom as a window into the daily challenges of marginalized youth in Toronto, Boston, Taipei, and Lucknow. An ethnographic study which mixes quantitative and qualitative methodology in an international multi-site project, <em>Why Theatre Matters</em> ties together the issues of urban and arts education through the lens of student engagement. Gallagher’s research presents a framework for understanding student involvement at school in the context of students’ families and communities, as well as changing social, political, and economic realities around the world.</p><p>Taking the reader into the classroom through the voices of the students themselves, Gallagher illustrates how creative expression through theatre can act as a rehearsal space for real, material struggles and for democratic participation. <em>Why Theatre Matters</em> is an invigorating challenge to the myths that surround urban youth and an impressive study of theatre’s transformative potential.</p>