Jozben Barrett

Jozben Barrett serves as Lecturer in Speech and Theatre Arts within the Department of Theatre and Dance at California State University, Dominguez Hills' College of Arts and Humanities. He concurrently directs Stanford University's Great Books Summer Program and founded the multidisciplinary arts organization Depth of Black Art.

His educational foundation includes an MFA in Acting from California Institute of the Arts and a B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Northridge, complemented by mentorship under the late James Avery.

Barrett's creative scholarship centers on amplifying African and African-American narratives through theater, with research emphasizing race and gender equity in performance spaces. His work interrogates historical erasure via productions like Aleshea Harris' ritual-response to racial violence and August Wilson's urban dramas, positioning theater as a catalyst for social transformation. The Depth of Black Art serves as his primary vehicle for developing underrepresented stories through multidisciplinary collaboration.

As founder of Depth of Black Art, Barrett leads an organization that functions as both creative laboratory and community platform, producing works that bridge classical theatrical traditions with urgent contemporary discourse on identity and justice. His productions consistently intersect artistic excellence with activism, from Griffith Park Shakespearean performances to world-premiere socially engaged theater.

In academic settings, Barrett integrates professional practice with pedagogy, using his industry experience to prepare students for careers in socially conscious theater. His dual university roles demonstrate commitment to both undergraduate theater education and elite summer enrichment programming, emphasizing critical engagement with canonical and emerging texts.