Dr. Mbala Nkanga

Biography

Mbala Nkanga, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, has extensive experience as a teacher, director, and scholar at the University of Michigan. He has a background teaching directing, scenography, and dramaturgical analysis at the Institut National des Arts in Kinshasa. Nkanga has directed plays for professional companies, including Bernard Dadié’s Béatrice du Congo and Wole Soyinka’s Dance of the Forests. He was involved in creating radio drama with Radio France Internationale’s prestigious Concours Théâtral Interafricain. His directorial works span across various acclaimed plays, such as Jean Genet’s The Balcony and Eugene Ionesco’s Exit the King, making significant contributions to theatre history and performance theories. Nkanga specializes in interculturalism in performance, exploring memory in world theatre and its implications within black theatre. He is known for his research into Central African performance traditions and is currently preparing an anthology of francophone African plays. Additionally, he has received the Gwendolyn Carter Award for Academic Excellence from Northwestern University as a Fulbright scholar.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards