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Caroline Jackson Smith is a Professor of Theater and Africana Studies at Oberlin College, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. She has been affiliated with Oberlin since 1989, contributing extensively to theater productions and academic leadership. Her roles include directing notable plays such as Funnyhouse of a Negro and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, and serving as a dramaturg for institutions like the Cleveland Play House and Karamu House.
Education: She earned a BA in Theater from Yale University in 1974 and later served as Executive Director of the Yale Afro-American Cultural Center for eight years.
Research and Teaching: Her work focuses on African American theater, Black performance history, and intersections of race and identity in drama. Courses taught include Framing Blackness: African Americans and Film, Black Women's Narratives, and African American Drama. She emphasizes contemporary and historical Black theater traditions, including Northeast Ohio’s contributions.
Awards and Recognition: She received the prestigious 1993 fellowship for early career directors from the Theater Communications Group/National Endowment for the Arts. In 2020, she served as a panelist at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, discussing African American theater in Northeast Ohio.
Advising and Leadership: While formal advising records are not detailed, her extensive directing roles and curricular contributions reflect mentorship in theater production and academic research. She has led productions like The Gospel at Colonus and The Darker Face of the Earth at Oberlin.
Labs/Teams: Collaborates with regional theaters and academic programs, fostering interdisciplinary work between Africana Studies and Theater departments at Oberlin.
