Embracing Failure in the Drama Classroom

Abstract

Inspired by Valerie Curtis-Newton’s keynote address at the 2023 AATE conference, this piece explores the necessity of creating failure-friendly drama classrooms. In a time when students are experiencing unprecedented rates of anxiety and other mental health challenges, I argue that explicit instruction about and opportunities for failure are necessary for the social, emotional, and academic success of students. Furthermore, I address why drama educators and theatre classrooms are uniquely positioned to facilitate healthy relationships with failure. I end the piece with suggestions for ways to incorporate more failure-learning opportunities into drama and theatre education spaces.