Theatre Professor to Receive Kennedy Center Medallion

Assistant Professor of Theatre Kaja Dunn will receive a Kennedy Center Medallion from the National Committee of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) in a ceremony on May 22. A project of the Education Division of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., KCACTF is one of the leading theatre education organizations in the United States. The Kennedy Center Medallion is the organization’s most prestigious award.

Dunn will be honored for her work addressing issues of race in theatre education.

“For your commitment to revolutionizing rehearsal rooms and classroom spaces by implementing systems that center the most vulnerable, for your practical wisdom that empowers students to take charge of their education and push for safer, healthier, and more equitable learning environments, and for your commitment to bringing critical race theory scholarship to theatre; highlighting the impact of race on teaching, directing, intimacy direction, and the relationships held at institutions of higher education, we are recognizing the revolutionary impact you’ve had on Theatre Education and on the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival,” KCACTF artistic director Gregg Henry wrote in the award letter.

Dunn has presented her work on anti-racism, decolonization, and equity, diversity, and inclusion in theatre practice and education at the University of London Goldsmiths, Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) and SETC Theatre Symposium, KCATF, and The Association of Theatre in Higher Education, among others. She is an affiliate faculty member for Theatre Intimacy Education, a consulting group specializing in researching, developing, and teaching best practices for staging theatrical intimacy, and serves on the executive board of the Black Theatre Network.

Dunn recently co-authored the article, “Training theatre students of color in the United States,” for the journal Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, and the essay “Pedagogy: Decolonizing Shakespeare on Stage,” which addresses issues of race in the performance of Shakespeare’s works. She and professors Chris Berry (Theatre), Sequina DuBose (Music), and Tamara Williams (Dance) are currently leading an effort to establish a Black Arts Initiative in the College of Arts + Architecture.

“This high honor recognizing Professor Dunn’s contributions to the national discourse surrounding the impact of race on teaching, stage directing, and theatrical intimacy in higher education highlights not only her work but also the critical and fundamental importance of this necessary conversation in our field,” said Dr. Lynne Conner, chair of the Department of Theatre. “Kaja’s efforts and contributions shine an important light, and we are very proud to have her as a colleague and teacher here in the Department of Theatre.”