Season 2, Episode 3 | April 23, 2025

Curtain Up: What’s Next for Theater Arts

What role should new technologies — such as robots, artificial intelligence and virtual reality — play in theatrical arts? And how are educators preparing their students for the future of this art form?

This episode explores the future of arts education, particularly in theater, focusing on how educators are preparing students for a tech-driven world. It discusses the importance of arts education for social-emotional learning, the challenges faced by theater programs and the innovative ways technology is being integrated into the arts.

The conversation features insights from theater educators Kyle Haden the Senior Associate Head at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama and Roshunda Jones-Koumba, Theatre Director at George Washington Carver Magnet School in Houston and the recipient of the 2022 Excellence in Theater Education Tony Award, sponsored by CMU, highlighting the significance of empathy, collaboration and the evolving landscape of theater education.