Director/Scholar

Dr. Nicole Hodges Persley is an award-winning director, scholar, and content creator with an expansive portfolio across theater, film, television, and digital media. She is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, an AEA–Eligible performer, and an active member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and the National Theatre Conference (NTC).

Her directing credits include several world premieres, such as Family Sideshow by Brysen Boyd and Mother/Son by Lewis Morrow, as well as acclaimed productions of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, Kristoffer Diaz’s Welcome to Arroyo’s, Angelina W. Grimké’s Rachel, Amiri Baraka’s Dutchman, Dominique Morisseau’s Sunset Baby, and Adrienne Kennedy’s Funnyhouse of a Negro.

As an artist-scholar, Hodges Persley is committed to building intentional bridges between the entertainment industry and academia. Her critically acclaimed short film Epiphany (2020) was an official selection at the DC Black Film Festival, Denton Black Film Festival, Free State Festival, and Short Film Factory International Film Festival. She is also the co-founder of Create Ensemble, a social platform for creatives of the global majority.

Her experimental short film Abishai, shot on an iPhone 8 over two days, featured non-actors in all principal roles and was based on an original script by frequent collaborator Lewis Morrow. She is currently developing two new projects that she wrote and will direct: 18, a short film exploring empty-nesting and marriage reinvention; and Midvalley College, a comedy series set inside academia amid today’s cultural shifts.

Hodges Persley previously served as Artistic Director of KC Melting Pot Theater—Kansas City’s premiere African American theater company—where, over a decade of leadership, she launched the Black Women Directors Initiative and the Black Stage Managers Program, the first initiatives of their kind in the United States.

Dr. Hodges Persley is a tenured full professor of American Studies and African & African American Studies and brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across entertainment, higher education, and non-profit sectors. She is widely recognized for her visionary approach, collaborative spirit, and commitment to elevating historically marginalized voices through storytelling.