Brittney Harris

Brittney S. Harris is an Assistant Professor of Applied Theatre and Co-Director of Research at Virginia Tech’s Center for Communicating Science. She holds an M.F.A. in Acting from the University of Georgia and a B.F.A. from Old Dominion University. Her work bridges performance and activism, focusing on racial justice, mental health, and community healing through devised theatre. She co-led a 2023 NEH fellowship on ensemble-based theatre in Rwanda and pioneered workshops like ‘River Stories’ and ‘The Umbrella Method.’

Her research examines social resilience via narrative storytelling, addressing systemic inequities through performances like Pedigree and Being B.A.D.. She has presented at ATHE, NeMLA, and the Global Conference on Women and Gender, and her play The Request (or Prison Fan Fiction) is under development. Awards include an Emmy for Exodus: Homecoming and a C4AA Faculty Fellowship for voter advocacy initiatives.

Harris advises collaborative projects like the 4-VA grant-funded Voices Unbound, fostering youth well-being through devised theatre. Her creative scholarship emphasizes sacred spaces for individuality and ensemble-based methods, impacting both academic and community stages globally.