Theatre Professor’s Article Addresses Training Students of Color

An article co-authored by Assistant Professor of Acting Kaja Dunn appears in the current issue of Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, a peer-reviewed journal that provides a forum for research by practitioners, academics, creative artists and pedagogues. The article, “Training theatre students of colour in the United States,” is presented as an extended curated conversation among three theatre professors: Dunn, Sharrell D. Luckett, and Daphnie Sicre. Luckett, who teaches at the University of Cincinnati, is the founder of Black Acting Method Studio. Sicre teaches at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

In their discussion, Dunn, Luckett, and Sicre explore methodologies and considerations when training theatre students from different cultural backgrounds. They address diverse approaches to actor training, highlighting considerations and barriers that exist in current training models and presenting underutilized methods.

Dunn’s research targets reshaping pedagogy for theatre students of color as well as decolonization and issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in theatre and their application in academic, professional, and corporate settings. She has presented her work on “Training Theatre Students of Color” at the University of London Goldsmiths, Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) and SETC Theatre Symposium, Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, and The Association of Theatre in Higher Education, among other places.