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Adanma Onyedike (Barton)
Adanma Onyedike (Barton)
Associate Professor|Theatre
Adanma Onyedike Barton
Contact
Office Location
Jekyl Purple Palace
Office Hours
  • Tuesday & Thursday 12:00-1:00pm and by appointment
Class Schedules
  • THR 105 (Tue/Thur: 10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.)
  • THR 115 (Tue/Thur: 1:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m.)
  • THR 308 (Mon/Wed: 12:40 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.)
Courses
  • Script Analysis
  • Principles of Acting
  • GSTR 110
  • GSTR 210
  • Senior Theatre Project
  • Theatre and the Rise of Mass Media
  • African-American Theatre
  • Feminist Solo Performance
  • Advanced Acting
Bio

ADANMA ONYEDIKE (BARTON), MFA, was the first African American woman to be President of the Kentucky Theatre Association (KTA). She was also the first Black female on the Executive Council of the largest theatre conference in North America (SETC). Adanma was the Inaugural Vice President of Equity and Inclusion for SETC. In 2017, Adanma completed a six-state tour of her solo performance entitled “Lost and Found” which navigated issues pertaining to Women’s Reproductive Health. In her time at Berea, Adanma has been blessed to direct many Pulitzer Prize winning playwrights, like "Disgraced", "Ruined", and more. Adanma is extremely proud of her production of "Everybody", in which she had a fabulous time collaborating with her fantastic costume diva Ami Shupe. Adanma has directed award winning World Premieres like "This is My Heart for You" by Silas House (Poet Laureate of Kentucky). Her favorite line that Silas wrote was `Acceptance and Love are the Same Thing, You Can’t Have One Without the Other.' Adanma has published in both reputable Southern Theatre Magazine and Theatre Topics. She was hired by other institutions (in Jamaica, South Carolina, and West Virginia) to complete Theatre Curriculum Reviews and assist them with creating the best undergrad/graduate programs they can for their students and institutions. In 2024 Adanma was awarded the SETC Hall of Fame award for working 5 hard years to diversify the 100-year-old organization. SETC now has its first female Black Executive Director which shows change may be slow but, in the end, hard work pays off. Do not take life for granted as tomorrow will not be promised today. Always live in YOUR truth because people that matter do not mind and people that mind don’t matter. Wake up everyday and be grateful to have another opportunity to live as your authentic self!

Asế

Degrees
  • MFA Thesis – ‘Onye Mbu: My Identity’ Pedagogical Applications of the Surreal and Absurd in Adrienne Kennedy’s "Funnyhouse of a Negro"
  • Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Pedagogy Virginia Commonwealth University, May 2009.
  • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance, Virginia Commonwealth University, magna cum laude, May 2003.
Publications & Works
  • Honors and Awards

    • Delivered 2009 Theatre VCU Graduate Commencement Address
    • 1st African-American female President of Kentucky Theatre Association
    • 1st African-American female to serve on the Executive Committee of the South Eastern Theatre Conference
    • Skirt! Magazine Indie Woman July 2012
    • ARCT Sabbatical Fellowship Recipient 2016-201

    Affiliations

    • Assoc. for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE)
    • Alpha Psi Omega (APO) – Faculty sponsor Berea College Chapter
    • Black Theatre Network (BTN)
    • South Eastern Theatre Conference Diversity Committee (SETC)
    • Virginia Commonwealth University African American Alumni Council
    • Appalachian Studies Association (ASA)
    • Immediate Past President of KTA
    • South Eastern Theatre Conference
  • Research Programs

    • African-American Theatre, Solo Performance, Devised Theatre for Community Development & Social Change
    • Multicultural Theatre and Devised Performance
  • Publications

    • “Limestone 1833 a Musical Radio Play” With Margo Buchanan and Kevin Dearinger. AthensWest Theatre Company; WUKY Radio March 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4hkzOEND6M
    • “Normalizing Disruption: Advocating for Reproductive Health in Academia.” With Ariel Nereson, Meredith Conti, and Kristi Good. Theatre Topics, Volume 29 Number 1, March 2019.
    • This is My Heart for You: a Play by Silas House (Afterword). Berea: Berea College Press, 2014
    • “Helping a Cause: College Develops Play about Domestic Violence to Benefit Local Battered Woman’s Shelter” Southern Theatre Magazine. Volume LII, Number 4 Fall 2011: 14-15, 32.
    • “Four Elephants” STILL: The Journal. Summer 2012. http://www.stilljournal.net/adanma-onyedike-barton-poetry.php
    • “Theatre VCU Alumni Spotlight, August 2020”, Reporters: Liz Hopper and Jerry Williams
      https://arts.vcu.edu/community/news/adanma-onyedike-barton-bfa-03-performance-mfa-09-pedagogy-concentration-acting/?utm_source=Virginia+Commonwealth+University&utm_campaign=1fe02e5a3e-TheatreEnews_08192020&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4e3367cc73-1fe02e5a3e-28292140
    • “Corn Opera: Silas House and Sam Gleaves Celebrate Food and Community in a New Production” Kentucky Monthly Magazine, June/July 2017, Reporter: Kim Kobersmith https://issuu.com/kentuckymonthlymagazine/docs/june-july_20171
    • “Wise Words Wednesdays” Acting For Your Life Podcast, August 2015, Reporter: Kathryn Ziegler https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OucbkMAxQik
    • “Voces de los Apalaches/Appalachian Voices” LaVoz De KY, Vol.14 Edition 8. Reporter: Andres Cruz
    • “Achieving the Dream Dr. King Spoke Of…” The Sentinel Echo (Laurel County, KY) Reporter: R.Scott Belzer. January 2014
      http://www.sentinel-echo.com/local/x1767996996/Achieving-the-dream-Dr-King-spoke-of-so-many-years-ago

    Featured

    • “Indie Women” Skirt Magazine (Lexington, KY), Reporter, Donna Ison. July 2012
    • “Berea College: Best Practices in Service Learning” Kentucky Campus Compact. Web.
    • “EKU, Berea plan events for Black History Month” Richmond Register, Reporter: Tim Mandell.
    • “This is My Heart for You: World Premiere” WTVQ ABC 36, Reporter: Lauren Gawthrop.
    • “Berea Theatre Takes on a Summer of Hate” WKYT CBS 27, Reporter: Tim Johnston.