Kashi Johnson is the Chairperson and Professor of Theatre at Lehigh University, where she merges performance, direction, and devised work to guide students in powerful self-expression. A national leader in Hip Hop Theatre pedagogy, Professor Johnson has pioneered culturally responsive methods that empower students to explore performance with authenticity, social awareness, and a sense of activism. Her acclaimed course, Act Like You Know, brings Hip Hop aesthetics into the classroom, challenging students to confront relevant social justice issues while discovering their voices.
Beyond Lehigh, Professor Johnson’s impact is broadened through her role as an Artistic Associate with the Black Acting Methods Studio, where she employs Hip Hop techniques to address crucial intersections of race, identity, and art, fostering a national dialogue on socially conscious performance. Her work with BAM includes workshops and lectures at institutions like The Segal Center, University of Cincinnati, and Bucknell University.
Professor Johnson’s production work at Lehigh spans a wide range of performances that emphasize her commitment to impactful storytelling. Past directing credits include Trouble in Mind, Smart People, God of Carnage, The Colored Museum, Clybourne Park, Our Lady of 121st Street, The Crucible, The Piano Lesson, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, How I Learned to Drive, and Flyin' West among others. Her Hip Hop-inspired devised pieces, such as Act Like You Know: 10 Year Anniversary Show and gEner-8tion Txt, engage students in creating original content that reflects their lived experiences and challenges audiences to consider new perspectives.
Her creative contributions span both scholarship and performance, notably co-authoring “#Unyielding Truth: Employing Culturally Relevant Pedagogy” in Black Acting Methods: Critical Approaches, a pioneering resource in Afrocentric actor training co-written with Dr. Daphnie Sicre. Additional publications, such as “A Beginner’s Guide to Implementing Hip Hop Theatre” in The Routledge Companion to African American Theatre and Performance and “Get In Where You Fit In: Creating a Safe Space for Students of Color in the Academy” in CONTINUUM: The Journal of African Diaspora Drama, Theatre and Performance; reinforce her role as a thought leader in the field.
Professor Johnson’s achievements at Lehigh University are recognized through numerous awards that reflect her dedication to excellence and her transformative impact on students. She has been honored with the prestigious Class of '61 Professorship, the Stabler Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Deming Lewis Award, given by alumni to the professor who most influenced their educational experience. Other accolades include the Christian & Mary Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching and Lehigh’s MLK Faculty Award, underscoring her commitment to equity and social justice in education. She also holds the symbolic title of Lehigh Mace Bearer, a distinction given for her dedication to the university community. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association (AEA), the Black Theatre Network (BTN), the Black Theatre Association (BTA), and the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). A proud Lehigh alumna with a B.A. in Theatre, Professor Johnson also holds an M.F.A. from the University of Pittsburgh.