“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.”

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.��

To help bring that story to life, Locust Grove recently reached out to the .�� 

, a teaching assistant earning her MFA in performance, was tapped to reenact the role of an enslaved distiller for visitors at the . Her job is also to help craft the character and storyline for the role she’ll be playing.

It’s no easy task. There are few records of the who lived at Locust Grove and none left in their own words.

“Slaves were the majority of the people who lived here 200 years ago. But it’s more challenging to recreate their experience than the owners of the farm because the owners left behind letters that tell of their perspective,” said Brian Cushing, Locust Grove Program Director, in a. “We’re trying to respectfully and authentically bring the characters of the enslaved African Americans who lived and worked at Locust Grove to life in the same way that we do other characters from the site’s history.”

To prepare, Edwards learned the distilling process, read letters from Locust Grove owners’ and reviewed an inventory of slaves which described them only by name, age and duty. She said she’ll ultimately create a composite character culled from her broader research.  

Storytelling about slavery is “touchy, you have to approach it carefully,” she said. “Many people, black or white, seem to prefer to avoid it.” 

She’s appreciative of the opportunity to represent African Americans in such a context to help educate people.

“No matter how hard a thing it is to do, it’s still an important thing to do,” she said. “Children and people should know that slavery was a part of our American history. I like being a representative in that way.”

When Locust Grove initially contacted Theatre Arts,, whose teaching, directing, writing and storytelling focus on people of the African diaspora, offered some thoughts on involving students in the reenactment.

“I explained it would not be appealing or interesting to an African American to perform the role of an enslaved character that is marginal to the main action. The character must be central to the story, not peripheral,” Burton said. “Also the actor must have the freedom to create stories that actually represent the enslaved people’s lives and feelings, and not some made up, soft pedaling of what it meant to be enslaved.”

Edwards said she’s felt supported and appreciated by Locust Grove’s staff through the process.��

Edwards, who also teaches at Kentucky Shakespeare’s camp, is playing the lead role in the .

She earned her BFA in musical theatre from William Peace University in North Carolina and chose to come to UofL for graduate studies as Theatre Arts offers the only in the country.

“Both heritage and theatre are very important to me,” she said.