The UofL Board of Trustees established the $5,000 award in 1989 to honor faculty who individually impact the future of UofL students. The University of Louisville Employee Success Center presented the award to Burton at the 2023 Presidential Excellence Awards reception, which took place April 13. Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Cherie Dawson-Edwards noted several of Burton’s qualities and accomplishments as a member of UofL’s faculty.

“Dr. Burton is a dedicated and gracious teacher and artist and a highly regarded scholar-practitioner in her field,” said Dawson-Edwards. “She has been recognized with prestigious grants and awards for both herself and her students. Further, she is a consummate teacher and committed builder of the African American Theatre Program, the first and only accredited graduate program of its kind in the nation.”

Dawson-Edwards added that Burton, who joined the university in 1999 as an assistant professor, is also a dedicated interdisciplinarian, finding innovative ways to bring theater into conversation with other disciplines and other areas of expertise, for example, with the Anne Braden Institute for Social Justice Research. Burton is one of the institute’s most active faculty affiliates and supporters, regularly encouraging her students to apply for the social justice research awards offered annually and often bringing students into the institute’s reading room to learn little-known aspects of their shared local history.

“It is the greatest honor of my academic career to be chosen by my peers as the recipient of the 2023 Trustees Award,” said Burton, who will retire at the conclusion of the academic year. “This acknowledgement humbles me and fuels my commitment to uphold the Cardinal Principles and be an ally who fights for the well-being of our students, alums, colleagues and community.”

“In Louisville, I came into my own as a Black artist, learning about my history and people through wonderful resources connected to the AATP like the Kentucky Center for African American Heritage,” Edwards said.

During her graduate studies, Edwards also earned a graduate certificate in African American Theatre — the first and only certificate like it in the United States.

Edwards began her new role in August after working in Northeast Ohio as a performer, director’s assistant and dramaturg. She is passionate about arts education, having served as a teaching artist for Kentucky Shakespeare, Cleveland Play House, Baldwin Wallace University and the legendary Karamu House Theater, the oldest producing Black theatre in the country.

Her goal is to build a strong presence for the UofL African American Theatre Program, and expand the certificate program beyond UofL students to other members of the community and globally through online courses. She hopes eventually there will be scholarships available for individuals who want to pursue the certificate.

AATP raised approximately $1,000 from 10 donors during Raise Some L, the university’s annual day of giving held in October. The amount is significant because it shows that a highly focused program can inspire donors to support it. Plans are to build on this beginning and work to increase the support as graduates from the program increase.

“Black theatre artists and Black people in America could not always see ourselves truthfully represented, but Black theatre gives us a chance to see ourselves in the bigger picture, helping to validate and recognize us as important,” Edwards said. “When I see our stories being told, I have hope, and I hope others will see our humanity the same way I do.”

The AATP program stages works by new and established African American dramatists, developing a broad audience for African American theatre, and offering an in-depth curriculum that focuses on the theory and craft of acting, directing and designing for Black Theatre.

Like other disciplines, the COVID-19 pandemic has required Edwards to adapt, including the creation of virtual courses and recorded performances. She’s also applying theatre arts to address racial tension in the United States.

This semester, Edwards took AATP students to the Breonna Taylor memorial in downtown Louisville to read poetry. The expression was sent out to the community through Instagram Live. Additionally, Edwards says several students have been involved in protests and will express their thoughts and feelings through sketch writing and performance in a Spring 2021 production titled “#Hashtag.”

In an effort to further involve the community, AATP is hosting a MLK Day Artist Contest around the Martin Luther King, Jr., quote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Edwards hopes to receive a variety of submissions ranging from poetry and dance to performance art and music. Cash awards will be given to first, second and third-place winners.

The arts, Edwards says, allow people to see themselves and others around them in an objective way, and understand that people have more in common than the things that keep them apart.

“At our core, we all feel sadness, happiness, joy – these are universal to our humanity,” she said. “If we can get to these truths, understand how to empathize and act accordingly, then we can make real change in the world.”

In ’ new production, “Detroit ’67,” by Dominique Morisseau, main characters Chelle and her brother, Lank, are running an unlicensed after-hours juke joint out of their basement. It’s a risky business, especially during a brutal police crackdown that sets off riots throughout the city. When Lank offers refuge to a mysterious stranger, he and Chelle clash. Pent-up emotions erupt, and they navigate the chaos both outside and within.

“Detroit ’67” is directed by Johnny Jones and runs Thursday, Jan. 26 through Sunday, Feb. 2 in Thrust Theatre, with a community night on Thursday, Jan. 30, which features a talk back and all tickets are discounted to $10. for specific dates and times.

The play is a part of Morisseau’s “Detroit Project,” which explores the complicated yet hopeful history of her hometown. While her other plays, “Pipeline” and “Skeleton Crews,” have been staged in Louisville, “Detroit ‘67” has not. This is its Louisville debut.  

Jones, who also directs UofL’s , said the play touches on universal themes of family, love and survival. Detroit, the quintessential American city, falls apart, but the people there live on.

“Detroit is never the same after the riot, that neighborhood is never the same, but you still have the people survive it. What we all want to believe is that we can all overcome situations and challenges,” he said.  

, a graduate Theatre Arts student, is playing Chelle for her thesis role. She recently corresponded with UofL News about her experience.

UofL News: What made you choose UofL’s Theatre Arts program?

Tia Ade-Salu: I was extremely attracted to the Graduate and its inclusion of African theatrical practices. Based on my past experience as an actor, I knew that it was important for me to receive advanced training that included techniques and theories related to my cultural heritage.

UofL News: What do you like about the role you’re playing? What attracts you to it?

Tia Ade-Salu: One thing I love is that Chelle and I have so many similarities. We’re both the eldest siblings in our families, stern, sentimental, afraid to let go of people and objects that are familiar to us, and careful planners. Another thing I love is that the playwright (whose also a fellow Michigan alumna) made sure the character had complexity. Even though Chelle is wise and able to judge people, she still has a few blind spots of her own.

UofL News: What do you think audiences will take from the show?

Tia Ade-Salu: There’s nothing wrong with dreamin’! I believe that’s the biggest message from the play. No matter how many deaths, disappointments, or destruction occur in one’s life, dreams are necessary for renewal and growth. Without them, there is no reason for living. For Chelle, in particular, the dream of undying love, is what will keep her going.

UofL News: What do you plan to do when you graduate?

Tia Ade-Salu:��I plan to continue exploring new theatrical works and film that illuminate my heritage. As a first-generation Yoruba-American I’ve had a long road towards discovering my true identity and how to use it in my artistry. With my own acting studio, The WAY, I will help other actors specify their identities and use them to deepen their craft as well.

to purchase tickets to “Detroit ’67,” which runs Jan. 26-Feb. 2 in Thrust Theatre.�� 

to see pictures of the show.��

Kala Ross, a graduate student earning her MFA in performance in UofL’s Department of Theatre Arts, scored a highly competitive and coveted . She’s playing the characters of Belle and Mrs. Fred, as well as a member of the ensemble.

Belle is the love interest of Ebenezer before he evolves into the infamous Scrooge and Mrs. Fred is the wife of Scrooge’s nephew.��

“I get to see two dynamics of love through these characters,” Ross said.

Ross, who is also the recipient of the prestigious , said the role is an excellent opportunity to prepare for her post-graduation career. She’s enjoyed getting to know fellow cast members who work and live across the country. Actors’ sterling reputation in the theater world attracts some of the best and brightest to star in its productions.

“I’m honored to be in the room with working professionals who are doing what I want to do,” she said. “It’s very affirming. I’ve had conversations with them about their journeys.”

Baron Kelly, Theatre Arts’ director of graduate studies and head of acting, directed Ross in several UofL productions and helped coach her for her current role at Actors. She’s a tremendous talent, he said.��  

“It has been evident that Kala is ready to work professionally,” he said. “This Actors Theatre opportunity validates everything she has exhibited as a graduate student and what’s in store for her professionally.”

For her thesis role, Ross played the role of Tonya in Theatre Arts’ fall production of “King Hedley II” by August Wilson. The show kicked off Theatre Arts’ that picks up again .

If you can’t make it to see Ross in “A Christmas Carol,” she’ll be singing on New Year’s Eve with the Jerry Tolson Quintet at Brendon’s Catch 23. Tolson is professor of music education and Jazz Studies at UofL’s School of Music.

If all that is still not enough holiday performance pizzazz, Theatre Arts Professor Russell Vandenbroucke has yet another opportunity. He adapted Truman Capote’s short stories “A Christmas Memory” and “A Thanksgiving Visitor” into the play Vandenbroucke directs a cast that includes many UofL students and alumni.

“A Christmas Carol” runs through Dec. 23 in the Pamela Brown Auditorium.��

The play, which explores perspectives on the 1991 riots in New York City, is written as a one-woman show.��But director Ariadne Calvano has cast eight actors to portray two-to-three roles each, which are both similar to and different from how they identify, whether by race, gender, ethnicity, class, religion, etc.��

“I began the process with a question: Can we ever truly understand something from another person’s point of view?” she said. “The production will challenge the audience to try to shift their perspective, experience and identity, rather than passively sitting in judgment.” 

The play is based on riots that occurred in the Crown Heights after a Hasidic man’s car jumped a curb, killing Gavin Cato, a black 7-year-old. Later, in what appeared to be an act of retaliation, Yankel Rosenbaum, a Hasidic rabbinical student, was stabbed to death.��

The play will contain an interactive element. The app “Poll Everywhere” will gauge audience perspective on complex issues throughout the performance.   

“This show remains relevant in many ways,” Calvano said. “Communication between folks from different backgrounds continues to polarize America today. It would be simplistic to boil down the show to tensions between the black and Jewish communities in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, or to believe that there is a single Jewish or Black perspective. Part of the challenge of this play is to unpack the levels of connection between the people represented while also marking their individualism.”

There also will be two post-show panel discussions led by UofL dramaturg Janna Segal:

Nov. 8: Theater artists will share how Smith’s work has influenced them. Panelists include: Calvano; Janelle R. Dunn, learning and creative engagement associate at Actors Theatre; Diana Grisanti, co-artistic director of Theatre 502 and Keith McGill, comedian, actor and Actors Theatre teaching artist.

Nov. 14: Conversation will address how the play resonates with Louisville today. Panelists include Rabbi David Ariel-Joel from The Temple; Cathy Hinko, executive director of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition and Marian Vasser, UofL director of Diversity ����ֱ�� and Inclusive Excellence.

This is the second production in Theatre Arts’ “” which kicked off in August with “King Hedley II.” 

Thrust Theatre is on UofL’s Belknap Campus, 2314 S. Floyd St. All plays start at 8 p.m. with 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees. Tickets are $20 for general admission, $15 for UofL faculty and staff and $10 for UofL students. To order tickets or for more information, call the box office at (502) 852-6814 or click .��

“Fires in the Mirror” Cast

Undergraduate students:��Chasidy Moore – Anonymous Lubavitcher woman, Rabbi Joseph Spielman and Sonny Carson; Junaid Shazad – Robert Sherman, Anonymous Young Man #1 and Rueven Ostrov; Megan Meyer – Scenic Designer; Lionel Nasty – Technical Director; Cece Phillips – Props Designer; Tyler Hieb – Lighting Designer; Steven York – Sound Designer

First Year MFA Students:��Lamar Hardy – Reverend Al Sharpton, Angela Davis and Micheal S. Miller; Candace Spencer – Ntozake Shange, Rivkah Siegal and Norman Rosenbaum; Brandi Threatt –  Anonymous Girl, Leonard Jeffries and Carmel Cato

Second Year MFA Students:��Alex Gordon – Aaron Bernstein, Henry Rice and Rosalyn Malamud; Tyler Tate – George C. Wolfe, Letty Cottin Pogrebin and Reverend Cannon Doctor Heron Sam; Jordan Tudor – Assistant Director

Third Year MFA Student:��Manuel Viveros – Minister Conrad Mohammed and Anonymous Young Man #2            

“King Hedley II,” the ninth play in August Wilson’s 10-play cycle that examines African American life in the 20th Century, tells the story of an ex-con trying to rebuild his life in 1985.

Hedley, the main character, wants to support himself by selling refrigerators and to start a family in Pittsburgh. Set during the Reagan administration, the play critically questions whether trickle-down economics benefited urban African Americans.

Baron Kelly, the play’s director and head of graduate acting at UofL, sees the relevance of the play into today’s society.

“All of the themes of inequality, zero opportunities and no sense of history or spirit left in the corners of Reagan’s America still reverberate today in communities across this country,” said Kelly. “Poverty and police killings of black people still blight African American communities across America with pervasive inequality and rage.”

“King Hedley II” is an appropriate start to Theatre Arts’ “Season of Black Plays,” said Johnny Jones, director of the African American Theatre Program for the department.��

Wilson’s 1996 speech, “The Ground on which I Stand,” was one of the inspirations for the season’s theme. Wilson’s speech called for American theaters to tell more stories about the African American experience.

Theatre Arts faculty and staff selected six plays that engage race and blackness on various levels and they will produce each work along with activities to foster engagement, inclusivity and cultural consciousness throughout UofL and surrounding communities.��

“I really want people to think about how these plays speak to America as a whole, not just one group of people — that really is the goal,” said Jones.

The production will open Thurs., Sept. 19 and will continue its first week run through Sept. 21. The production will continue its second week run Sept. 26-29.��Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m.

“King Hedley II” will run at the Playhouse, 1911 South Third Street.��Purchase season tickets, which are $50, . Tickets for individual performances also are available or call 502-852-6814.

The season’s five mainstage shows, along with a production, were either written by black playwrights, feature black characters or address race as a central theme.

“Our season is a rare, unique opportunity for the community to grapple with broad, wide-ranging African American experiences,” said department chair Kevin Gawley. “With few exceptions, regional theaters usually present only one minority play a season. Our season brings the African American experience to the forefront, delving deeply into crucial questions surrounding race, past and present.”

Johnny Jones, director of the African American Theatre Program, said the idea for the season got rolling in the classroom.

His students read “” by Suzan-Lori Parks, a creative essay that asks the question: What constitutes a black play? They also discussed August Wilson’s seminal speech “,” which makes the case that “African American theatre is distinct, distinguished and fully deserving of the kind of funding and respect too often reserved for white culture and institutions.”

His students researched the mix of plays offered at regional theaters around the country and found that each typically does only one minority play in a season.  

As the season’s theme emerged, so too did questions Theatre Arts hopes audience members and the community can consider together.

“I really want people to think about how these plays speak to America as a whole, not just one group of people — that really is the goal,” Jones said.

The department will offer programming with each show, like talk backs and panel discussions, to facilitate those kinds of conversations.

The season presents a unique opportunity for graduate students in the African American Theatre Program, as well. Most of them are earning Theatre Arts’ , a program of study like no other. Of the 12 grad students, 10 are of African descent.

The department has done thematic seasons before, with a season of women playwrights two years ago and last years’ lessons of the past, stories of the future theme which examined historic stories in a current context. But the uniqueness of the season is already turning heads.��

Jones said that when the department was at the National Black Theatre Festival this summer, someone compared UofL’s current Theatre Arts to Yale’s drama department in the 1990s, when it was a particularly strong leader in drama exploring race.

“As a third-year MFA student, I am proud to be a part of a legacy that promotes the work of black artists,” said Kala Ross. “I am honored to tell the stories of my people as they are stories for all people. In August Wilson’s speech ‘The Ground on Which I Stand,’ he says, ‘All of human life is universal, and it is theater that illuminates and confers upon the universal [or] the ability to speak for all men.’ A theatre department that embraces blackness speaks to the social awareness of the program. A ‘season of black plays’ is another season of excellence.” 

A Season of Black Plays

• Sept. 19-29: “King Hedley II” by August Wilson. Directed by Baron Kelly. The ninth play in August Wilson’s 10-play cycle, the play examines African American life in the 20^th Century. The play tells the story of an ex-con trying to rebuild his life in 1985.

• Oct. 19-20: “Zomo the Rabbit” by Psalmayene 24. Directed Sidney Monroe Williams. UofL’s , a troupe of graduate students who annually perform for dozens of schools, will present “Zomo the Rabbit,” a hip hop take on the classic African tale.

• Nov. 7-17: “Fires in the Mirror” by Anna Deavere Smith. Directed by Ariadne Calvano. The play explores Black and Hasidic Jewish people’s perspectives on 1991 riots in Brooklyn.��        

• Jan. 23-Feb. 2: “Detroit ’67” by Dominique Morisseau. Directed by Johnny Jones. Set to a Motown soundtrack, the play unpacks the 1967 race riots that ravaged Detroit.��

• Feb. 20-March 1: “Six Degrees of Separation” by John Guare. Directed by Geoffrey Nelson. Characters examine the premise that everyone is connected by a chain of six acquaintances.

• April 8-19: “Milk Like Sugar” by Kirsten Greenidge. Directed by Sidney Monroe Williams. Play follows a trio of teen girls who make a pact to get pregnant together.��

All plays are at Thrust Theatre, 2314 South Floyd St., except for “King Hedley II” and “Six Degrees of Separation” which will run at The Playhouse, 1911 South Third St. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m.

Purchase season tickets, which are $50, . Tickets for individual performances also are available or call 502-852-6814. Additional events occur throughout the year. For the most up-to-date scheduling go online.��

Patillo, a Louisville native majoring in Theatre Arts, is a Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship recipient, a member of the African American Theatre Program, and has been named to the Dean’s List for five consecutive semesters. She is a youth coordinator and adviser for several area churches, as well as a dance instructor for the LaNita Rocknettes School of Dance.

The members of the Royal Court have been representing the Festival at a variety of events since their selection in January, including Festival Unveiled, the Ford Motor Company Spelling Bee and Macy’s Spring Fashion Show. They were selected as Royal Court members out of more than 100 young women who applied to participate in the program last fall.

Criteria for selection included knowledge of the Derby Festival, poise, intelligence, personality and campus/community involvement. Each woman receives two $1,000 scholarships (one from the Fillies, Inc., and one from the Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation) and an official wardrobe.

The Princesses act as ambassadors for the Derby Festival and the city as they represent the community at a variety of functions. The Fillies, Inc. was established to support the Kentucky Derby Festival. Their mission is to organize the traditional Fillies Derby Ball, coordinate the “Royal Court Program,” produce the “Children’s Tea” event, and publish the Official Derby Festival Program. Membership is limited to 250 ladies of our community.

The other members of the court include: Mary Baker of Louisville, a junior at the University of Louisville; Elizabeth Seewer of Louisville, who is in her second year of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Bellarmine University; Allison Spears of Catlettsburg, a senior at the University of Kentucky where she is majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-law track; and Kelsey Sutton of Brandenburg, a senior at Centre College majoring in mathematics.

The two won first place in the regional finals in South Carolina earlier this spring, which earned them a chance to compete at the national competition, with their travel expenses paid for by the Kennedy Center.

“This is a first for the department and a huge deal,” said Baron Kelly, a theatre professor who helped Ross and Hood prepare their winning performances.��   

Ross said an adjudicator from the competition chose her as an actor to compete in the regional finals and she chose Hood to be her partner.

She had only two weeks to prepare three pieces for the regional competition in South Carolina: two scenes with Hood and one solo piece. It was a challenge fitting preparations into their already hectic schedules as Hood is a teaching assistant working on her thesis and Ross is a graduate assistant in Theatre Arts’ .

But, the whole department pulled together to support them along the way, they said.

Dr.��Ari Calvano was the director of “Taming of the Shrew,” which was the play that received the nomination to compete in the competition. Kelly served as the coach of sceness and Professor Rachel Carter helped establish their characters’ dialect. Fellow students helped as well, they said.

“I believe we were as prepared as we were because of the resources offered through this program,” Ross said.

Ross and Hood headed to D.C. ready to win and were excited about the opportunities the competition could offer.

“It’s great networking with top-notch professionals, people who’ve made a mark on the industry,” Hood said. “I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who are doing the things you want to do.”

The award comes with a $5000 scholarship for Ross, as she was the competition’s initial nominee, and $1000 to Hood, as her partner.

Director Johnny Jones, who serves as head of the African American Theatre Program, leads audiences to “the promised land” by honoring a moment in history that forever changed the nation — the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

UofL graduate students LaShondra Hood and Xavier Harris lead the production, which is the Department’s first of the season. Hood, a third-year MFA Performance candidate, will perform her thesis role of Camae alongside Harris, a second-year MFA candidate who plays Dr. King.

“The Mountaintop” reimagines the night before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 3, 1968. During the night, King receives a visit from Camae, a motel maid, as he wrestles with the idea of leaving earth before seeing his dream of freedom and equality for all people come to fruition. King wonders who will pick up the baton once he passes on. He soon realizes that the legacy that he leaves behind is more significant than he could ever imagine.

The theme for the Theatre Arts Department’s mainstage season is “Stories from the Past, Lessons for the Future.” Per the 50^th-year anniversary of King’s assassination, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, and the Protests of 1968, “The Mountaintop” is a fitting production for an ideal time to ask ourselves, “Where do we go from here?”

“Dr. King said anybody can be great because anybody can serve,”  said Professor Johnny Jones. “There are still people in this world who are serving and doing just that for the sake of others. This play speaks to that particular opportunity of us being able to help each other, being able to uplift each other, and to be able to give each other testimony and to share our joys, our pains, and our sorrows with one another as we overcome.”

“The Mountaintop” opens Sept. 20 and runs through Sept. 30. Ticket prices are $20 General Admission; $15 for Faculty/Staff/Seniors (65+)/non-UofL Students (with Student ID) and $10 for Current UofL Students (with Student ID). Tickets may be purchased  or by contacting the box office at 502-852-6814.��