This qualitative study explores challenges and benefits of introducing theater techniques into Higher Education (HE) undergraduate intermediate Italian language classrooms. Drawing on student surveys and reflective essays, the study offers original insights into how collaborative, performance-based activities can result in greater student engagement, confidence and agency in foreign language settings. Data was analyzed comparatively between two cohorts of students: those who received instruction in a theater-enhanced classroom and those studying in a "traditional" textbook-based format. While data gathered from the latter cohort focused on technical aspects of their learning (e.g., concerns over mastering vocabulary and grammar, etc.), students in the theater-based classroom focused on their experiences with the theater components, expressing an overall higher level of confidence in their linguistic ability. Challenges of incorporating theater techniques into curriculum and assessment structure are also discussed.