Karena Johnson

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Karena Marcelle Johnson (born August 25, 1972) is a British Theatrical Director/Programmer. She is Britain's only black female theatrical Director/Programmer, who first started working at London's Oval House Theatre. She was born in South London, and studied drama at Loughborough University, Leicester, England.

She has programmed a succession of inspired productions, including Dipo Agboluaje's Early Morning, a satire about Nigerian cleaners mounting a coup, and Troy Andrew Fairclough's You Don't Kiss, exploring black male gay relationships.

Karena's vision is to programme a broad spectrum of Black British productions, stemming from her frustration at plays that are "either total escapism, where we sing, dance and be funny, or the other extreme, dramas about police brutality. Somewhere in between, that is the place that most of us live, and that's what I want to see reflected."

Karena has worked as a professional theatre director since 1997. Most recently she has directed "Sweet Yam Kisses" which was conceived by her and written by Courttia Newland and Pat Cumper at the Lyric Hammersmith. Her other works include "The Bridge" by Pedro Obaseki, an international co-production between Oval House Theatre and Don Pedro productions Nigeria; "The Oddest Couple" by Geoff Aymer at the Theatre Royal Stratford East; "Vengeance" by Wayne Buchanan on a National Tour; "Yerma" by Federico Garcia Lorca at the Young Vic/ Jerwood Space; "The Key Game" by Pat Cumper at the Riverside Studios; "The Front Room" by Jenny Davis on a National Tour; "Under Their Influence" by Wayne Buchanan at the Tricycle Theatre; "Angie Baby" by Rommie Smith at the Young Vic; "Gods and Bad Guys" by Tunde Euba; "Two" by Jim Cartwright; and EMMA Award nominated premier production of Vengeance by Wayne Buchanan at the Oval House Theatre.

Karena was a Jerwood Young Director Award Winner in 2003 and has been nominated for the Carlton Multicultural Awards in 2003. Karena was the Head of Theatre Programming at Oval House Theatre for five years and was the Artistic Director of Kushite Theatre Co, and is now the Acting Artistic Director of Contact Theatre, Manchester.