Justin Emeka ’95

Biography

Justin Emeka is a director, actor, writer, and Capoeirista who is recognized for his ability to integrate unique cultural traditions within classical and contemporary theater. He is jointly appointed in the departments of Africana Studies and Theater and teaches courses in acting and directing, as well as started one of the first Capoeira Angola college programs in the country that integrates physical and musical training in Capoeira with academic research.

On Oberlin’s main stage he directed the Bluest Eye, Wedding Band; Macbeth, Follow Me to Nellie’s, The Compromise, and Death of a Salesman featuring Avery Brooks. At Classical Theater of Harlem in New York he directed A Midsummer Nights Dream and Romeo n Juliet; at Karamu House in Cleveland he directed Julius X and Detroit ‘67; at Intiman Theater in Seattle, he directed Stickfly; at Oberlin Summer Theater Festival (OSTF) he directed A Raisin in the Sun and starred in Crumbs from the Table of Joy. 

Most recently, he directed Dominique Morisseau’s Sunset Baby, presented at Dobama Theatre in Cleveland Heights.

Working with the Mayor’s Office of Seattle and the Seattle Theater Group, he created a theatrical commemoration of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, Sankofa Theater, involving original poetry, dance, and drama that included more than 100 performers.

Emeka is a member of SDC and Actors Equity. He is also the author of a chapter entitled “Seeing Shakespeare through Brown Eyes” in the book Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches.