The Black Acting Methods® Studio is a mobile and online training institute where actors of all heritages can gain in-depth knowledge about acting processes, methodologies, and philosophical underpinnings rooted in Black American culture and tradition. Offerings include one-on-one coaching, training in our premier Afrocentric methodology, The Luckett Paradigm, Master Classes, courses for students and educators, lectures, and curricular consultation.
Goals of the Studio
1
…to make accessible, nationally and globally, knowledge and resources concerning the field and practice of Black Acting Methods.
2
…to train actors in The Luckett Paradigm, an inclusive performance methodology that pays special attention to the needs of Black actors in audition rooms, rehearsal halls, and in performance.
3
…to honor Black people as central creators, co-creators, and influencers of performance theory.
The mission of the Black Acting Methods® Studio is to offer performance training that uplifts, sustains, foregrounds, and values Black American culture and aesthetics in the artistic process.
The Studio Team
The Black Acting Methods Studio Team is comprised of leading industry professionals who have wide-ranging expertise in the performing arts.
A diverse cohort dedicated to excellence in teaching and the on-going success of their students, the Studio Team is ready to help you take your career to the next level.
Executive Team
SHARRELL D. LUCKETT, PhD
Executive Director
Sharrell D. Luckett, PhD is founding Director of the Black Acting Methods Studio and Director of the Helen Weinberger Center for Drama and Playwriting at the University of Cincinnati (UC).
JUEL D. LANE
Executive Artistic Associate
Juel D. Lane is Executive Artistic Associate with the Black Acting Methods Studio. He is noted as one of the most gifted dance talents in the country, and his awe-inspiring work rightfully yields this title.
RAHBI HINES
Executive Artistic Associate
Rahbi Hines is Executive Artistic Associate with the Black Acting Methods Studio. In addition to facilitating the Studio’s intensives and workshops, he is a dynamic theatre artist, instructor, and musician.
Artistic Associate
Hip-Hop Theatre Techniques
Artistic Associate
Black Psychology, Dance, & Performance
Artistic Associate
Spirituality, Curriculum, & Performance
Black Acting Methods…
…is a field that encompasses the study of performance methodologies grounded in Black American culture and aesthetics, primarily created by culturally Black artists.
…is a book that is a collection of methodologies, techniques, and processes grounded in Black American culture and aesthetics.
…are techniques where Black theory and Black modes of expression inform how actors engage with, create, and interpret texts that are meant to be performed.
…are inclusive to diverse heritages, while paying special attention to the needs of Black actors in audition rooms, rehearsal halls, and in performance.
…are specific and universal given its grounding in Afrocentric sensibilities and cultural connections to all heritages.
To learn more about Black Acting Methods
Black Acting Methods:
Critical Approaches
Sharrell D. Luckett
with Tia M. Shaffer
2017
"[Luckett and Shaffer have] achieved the highest aim of the professional life: to create the rubric that defines what comes next."
- Molefi Kete Asante
Black Acting Methods offers alternatives to the Euro-American performance styles that many actors find themselves working with. These methodologies are rooted in a critical framework that allows Afrocentric sensibilities and experiences to excite and invigorate approaches to performative scholarship. This ground-breaking collection is an essential resource for teachers, students, actors and directors seeking to reclaim, reaffirm or even redefine the role and contributions of Black culture in theatre arts.
The History
The Black Acting Methods Studio was founded by Sharrell D. Luckett in the fall of 2017 at her former institution. The cohort consisted of nine students of various ethnic identities who were interested in learning more about the field of black acting methods and diverse performance methodologies. After completing several workshops, research sessions, and rehearsal observations, the students hosted a successful symposium at the college called Diversity in the Arts where they led classes on Color-Conscious artistry, Afrocentricity and the Arts, and Devising.
