@amherst.eduProfessional and Biographical Information
Degrees
M.F.A., directing, Brown University/Trinity Rep
B.F.A., acting, The Juilliard School
Research Interests
Through a lens of futurism and a multidimensional approach, Professor Stills's work delves into the intricate intersections of Southern Black American narratives and their global resonances within the Afro-diasporic community. His creative practice intertwines disciplines such as directing, acting, writing, movement, audio-visual media, MC’ing, and DJ’ing, generating an amalgamation of forms of expression that serve to aid the creation of liberatory world-building.
He sees his directorial work as an interventionist art practice. “2216: The Remix of a Global Experiment” has been dubbed a “Live Action Essay” (B. Jones, Brown University) that questions the performativity of identity and its fluidity within the context of an ever-evolving global landscape, engaging with themes of cultural hybridity, historical legacies, and the nuanced dynamics of power and resistance.
'Soul Tapes' (Adapted from W. Johnson's performance lecture, 'The Soul Tapes of Black Folk'), is a Black speculative theater-work that excavated the intersection of memory, technology, and Black futurity, presenting a narrative that challenges the hegemony of Eurocentric ideologies and reclaims the narrative agency of Black voices in shaping the future of our collective consciousness.
As a performer trained in both traditional conventional and contemporary experimental techniques, Professor Stills synthesizes approaches to uncover and share the spectrum of experiences of the multi-dimensional characters he portrays. He has developed a passion for performance art that lies in the immediacy of audience engagement and that serves as a space for authentic connection. Professor Stills also sparked by the dynamic interplay of live performance, text, objects, and multi-disciplinary scenographies, particularly as they push the boundaries and possibilities of real time interactions. Within the classical canon of Black mythology, Zora Neale Hurston is a primary source and point of inspiration. As a preserver of Ethnographic archives, her retelling of southern folktales roots him in the histories and legacy of his Florida heritage.
Teaching Interests
With his background as a hybrid–maker, Professor Stills guides students through courses that navigate the slippage between writing, directing, and dramaturgy and engage with our own embodied histories. He centers the work of contemporary Black, femme, queer, BIPOC artists working from the margins on the promise of liberatory storytelling. Through critical analysis and practical exploration, he encourages students to cultivate their unique artistic voices, while gaining a nuanced understanding of theater and performance art’s profound influence on society, culture, and identity. He noted that, as we dive into the dynamic realms of contemporary works, traditional, experimental, and site-responsive projects, we hone our skills in dramaturgy, equitable collaboration concepts, improvisation, communal care, and ensemble building practices.
Performance Perspectives: What is Acting? (THDA 130), is an introductory course that explores acting, performance techniques, and physicalized connections to text. Dramatic Diversities (THDA 230) delves into diverse theater works, plays, and characters. Generative Studio (THDA 320 ) activates collaboration with interdisciplinary storytelling vis-à-vis archive, found, and personalized material.
Awards and Residencies
Brown Arts Initiative (2025)
The Center for the Less Good Idea (2024)
National Black Theater (2023)
The Mercury Store (2023)
The Benny Sato Ambush Legacy Award Outstanding Contributions in Institution Building in the area of Black Theater Research and Teaching, and Learning Of Africana Studies/Rites and Reasons-Brown University (2023)
Williamstown Theater Festival (2020)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville, FL (2019)