Sharrell D. Luckett, PhD

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). At UC, she is also a Taft Distinguished Professor of Drama and Performance Studies in the Department of English & Comparative Literature, affiliate faculty in the departments of Africana Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and collaborates with the Acting and Musical Theatre concentrations in the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). A sought-after artist and speaker, Luckett has had residencies at renowned institutions, such as the Lincoln Center, Harvard University and 92Y. She is lead editor of Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches, author of YoungGiftedandFat, author of Transweight, editor of African American Arts: Activism, Aesthetics, and Futurity, and co-editor of Tarell Alvin McCraney: Theater, Performance, and Collaboration. Always on the cutting edge, upcoming projects include a book about Luckett’s methodology (The Luckett Paradigm) and a book about the historical significance of the Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta.

www.hellorahbi.com

Rahbi Hines

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. Honing his skills at his grandfather’s church in the heart of Atlanta, GA and at the Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, Hines is known for his infectious energy in the classrooms and on the stage. His genius musicianship has rightfully gained the admiration of industry greats such as Erykah Badu and Janelle Monáe; and he has opened for the likes of SZA, Tyler The Creator, Big Freedia, Bilal and more. A practitioner of the Hendricks Method, Hines unites beautiful people from all walks of life through his artistry.

www.jueldlane.com

Juel D. Lane

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. In addition to facilitating the Studio’s intensives and workshops, he is a professional choreographer, filmmaker, and one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch.” Lane graduated from The University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and received his early training from the Freddie Hendricks Youth Ensemble of Atlanta and the esteemed Tri-Cities High School. Most recently he won the Celebration of Dance: Choreographer of the Year Award and Best Choreography for Live Performance for Ailey II’s “Touch & Agree.” Lane has performed nationally and internationally with Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, and currently dances with Bessie Award winning Camille A. Brown & Dancers. In 2012, Lane became the first black independent Atlanta-based choreographer to be commissioned by the Atlanta Ballet, choreographing “Moments of Dis” for the company. Lane was selected to participate in the 2015-2016 Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation New Directions Choreography Lab. He has also released four dance-on- film projects: “Just Another Day,” “How to Kill a Ghost,” “When The Beat Drops,” and “The Maestro.” Lane recently choreographed on Ailey II and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. He was recently seen as a dancer in the Emmy Award winning tv special, Jesus Christ Superstar Live on NBC.

Kashi Johnson, MFA

Kashi Johnson, MFA, is Chair and Professor in the Department of Theatre at Lehigh University where she teaches acting courses and Hip-Hop theatre. In addition to facilitating workshops with the Black Acting Methods Studio, she is a director and actress. Johnson is a pioneer and innovator in Hip-Hop Theatre pedagogy. She has given talks about her cutting-edge Hip-Hop Theatre course ‘Act Like You Know,’ for TEDx and BlackademicsTV. She has also published on the topic in Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches, and authored a chapter on her pedagogy in the recently released Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and Performance.

www.jonathanmlassiter.com

Jonathan M. Lassiter, PhD

Jonathan Mathias Lassiter, PhD, is a polymath who utilizes psychology, writing, and dance to help others heal and thrive. In addition to facilitating workshops and lectures on the intersections of artistry and Black Psychology with the Black Acting Methods Studio, his roles include licensed clinical health psychologist, professor, author, movement scientist, and highly sought-after public speaker. Dr. Lassiter is the award-winning co-editor (with Dr. Lourdes D. Follins) of Black LGBT Health in the United States: The Intersection of Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation. This book received the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association’s Achievement Award in 2017 and is the first and only text to focus solely on Black LGBT Americans’ health. He is currently at work on his first sole-authored book that will explore contemporary issues of race and mental health in the United States. In addition, Dr. Lassiter has published numerous articles in academic journals and lay publications, presented his choreographic work in prestigious showcases in New York City, and provided psychotherapy to clients in medical centers across the country. Dr. Lassiter is a professor of Psychology at Rowan University and Visiting Assistant Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco.

Tia M. Shaffer, EdD

Tia M. Shaffer, Ed.D. is an Artistic Associate with the Black Acting Methods Studio. She is also former Theatre Director and Fine Arts Chair at South Atlanta High School in Atlanta Public Schools, and former Director for Youth and Children’s Ministries at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Shaffer’s educational background includes a B.A. in Journalism from Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA), Theatre Educator Certification from Columbus State University (Columbus, GA), Master of Arts in Christian Education from The Interdenominational Theological Center Morehouse School of Religion (Atlanta, GA) and Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA). Shaffer’s educational and literary work focuses on the transformative power of theatre arts in the lives of participants and viewers. As a Christian leader, Shaffer implements theatre arts to foster spiritual formation and a strong sense of cultural identity. In 2012, Shaffer was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to study the music, culture and people of the Mississippi Delta. As a playwright and director, she takes pride in creating plays that cater to the diverse identities and talents of the actors she serves in public schools and the church. Some of her plays include Family, Faith and Love; Second Chance; We Still Together; The Minstrel Show: Then and Now; Unfrozen: Keeping Christ in Christmas and a host of others. Shaffer specializes in training first-time actors and providing authentic performance experiences for thespians and audiences.