Facing the Storm: Reimagining Dorothy Heathcote in the University Theatre Classroom

Abstract

This practice-based article explores how Dorothy Heathcote’s work might be reclaimed in university theatre classrooms. Drawing on an example activity from a Theatre History course, I reflect on how my professional practice rooted in theatre education has shaped my pedagogical approaches. Teaching Theatre History provided me with the opportunity to support a broader population of theatre majors and minors, primarily theatre education students, before taking this course. While I often model strategies informed by Heathcote’s work in preparing future theatre educators and teaching artists, I had not previously examined how those principles might function within an expanded academic theatre context. Through a play-based learning experience in which students co-constructed key moments from Twelfth Night, I revisited a 1983 interview with Dorothy Heathcote as a catalyst for my reflection. This article considers how reimaging Heathcote’s work in university theatre classrooms invites an opportunity to honor her legacy and reinforce the importance of presence, co-constructed meaning making, and embodied inquiry as an integral contribution to an ever-evolving educational landscape.