A study examined the impact of high school sophomore students' mastery of public speaking skills through sociodrama. Student attitudes toward role-play was also surveyed to provide more background information on sociodrama's impact upon student learning. A class of 26 students in southern Cook County, Illinois, prepared role-play characterizations through face-to-face interviews with community members. Outcomes of the mastery of eye contact, gestures, and vocal rate and volume were studied. The comparison class of 26 students had the same role-play assignments; their role-play preparation, however, was created through student readings in the library. In addition, student attitudes on eight projects were traced. Four speech assignments were non-role; four speeches required students to assume a persona or character point of view other than their own. Results indicated that: (1) the role-play assignments created a deeper engagement in students; (2) an overwhelming number of students felt that physical delivery enhanced success later in life; (3) the affect of the student fared better in the role-play environment; (4) students felt they witnessed more improvement in vocal variety; (5) over 60% of the students felt that role-play should be required of all students in the district; and (6) many of the students were selected to be televised in a program entitled "Drugs: A Crisis in Our Schools" in which they voiced opinions about the issue in role. Future research is in order. (Eighteen references, 20 charts of data, and six tables of data are attached.) (RS)