The International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF) proudly announces the 2026 recipients of the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts Mabel P. Robinson Emerging Artist Award, featuring rising theatre artists whose work reflects the bold, artistic spirit of Mabel P. Robinson, Broadway/Television/Film veteran, educator, and former Artistic Director of NC Black Rep.
The award champions emerging voices from leading academic institutions and training programs, supporting the next generation of theatre makers as they develop their craft and contribute to a more inclusive and innovative field. This year’s recipients represent a dynamic class of acting and directing talent, with a global ensemble of early-career and student theatre artists from North Carolina, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Kenya, and London.
Named as 2026 awardees are:
Autumn B. Carter, Greensboro, NC; Brandon Criswell, Greensboro, NC; Noel Desire Best, Washington, D.C.; Karisma Dunn, Atlanta, GA; Chadota Idda, Kenya; Chelsea Gabrielle Rose, Durham, NC; Rain Spiegel-Johnson, London, UK.
Artists were selected based on artistic achievement, demonstrated potential, and commitment to the field of theatre. Collectively, the 2026 awardees span a range of disciplines, training backgrounds, and global perspectives.
Reflecting on the growing impact of the award, Mabel P. Robinson shares:
“I’ve been blessed with the privilege of having such a prestigious award named in my honor, however when I met each recipient of the Mabel P. Robinson Emerging Artist Award, thus far, I sensed a positive and authentic energy, with strong motivation, that they knew that they belonged in this world of theatre.
Now that’s what’s needed to keep Black Theatre alive, and its lights bright.”
Sponsored by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts, the award supports a VIP experience at the 2026 International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF), July 27 – August 1, where recipients will be honored at the Opening Night Gala and engage in an electrifying week of performances, workshops, and cultural events.
Noel Desire Best is a Washington, D.C.-based actor and BFA Musical Theatre candidate at Howard University (Class of 2027). She began her professional career at The Ensemble Theatre in The Tap Dance Kid and has since appeared in productions including Black Bone by Tina Fakhrid-Deen and Fine Fine Fine. In addition to her performance work, she serves as Vice President of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts Student Council, reflecting her commitment to both artistry and leadership.
Autumn B. Carter is a Greensboro-based director, producer, writer, and BFA candidate in Professional Theatre at North Carolina A&T State University (Class of 2026). Her work spans directing, design, and production leadership, with credits including Everybody by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, multiple adaptations of Seven Guitars, and creator of original works such as Woes of a Woman. She is focused on creating socially engaged, ensemble-driven theatre that integrates storytelling and design.
Brandon Criswell is a Greensboro-based actor and BFA Musical Theatre candidate at the University of North Carolina Greensboro (Class of 2027). With the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, he has stepped into roles including Marcus in The Legend of Buster Neal and featured performances in A Motown Christmas, alongside additional credits in Waitress, Carrie, The Lightning Thief, and Sideshow. He will reprise his role as Marcus in The Legend of Buster Neal on the 2026 the International Black Theatre Festival mainstage.
Karisma Dunn is a Atlanta-based actor and recent BFA Acting graduate of North Carolina A&T State University (Class of 2025). Her stage credits include Tartuffe (Dorine), As You Like It (Phoebe), Othello, and Dearly Departed, with additional theatre training at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford. Her screen work includes appearances in projects for Paramount+ and Netflix, with a growing presence across both stage and screen.
Chadota Idda is a Kenyan actor and performing artist and KCA University alumna with a BA in Performing Arts and Film Technology (Class of 2024). She is a Bridges Fellowship fellow with the Producer Hub and Georgetown Lab for Global Performance and Politics, selected for its inaugural cohort supporting emerging African producers. Her theatre credits include Running For My Life (Agnes Tirop), Repeat After Me (Zuweni), Mpaka Captain, Wata, The Trial of Dedan Kimathi, and Market Price, rooted in contemporary African storytelling.
Chelsea Gabrielle Rose is a Durham–based actor, composer, and multidisciplinary theatre artist. A BFA Drama student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (Class of 2025), her acting credits include Fairview (Keisha), Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (Heléne), John Proctor Is the Villain (Nell), and Proof. She is the creator of an original musical, Loving This Year, and a recipient of the UNCSA Semans Art Fund Grant and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative Scholarship through The American Theatre Wing.
Rain Spiegel-Johnson is a London-based actor, poet, and multidisciplinary theatre artist and graduate of The BRIT School of Performing Arts and Technology (Class of 2024). Her work spans stage and screen, with performances at Hackney Empire, Brixton House, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Contains Strong Language. Her theatre credits include Cherry’s Kitchen, This Changes Everything, The Blessing, Oppenheimer, and The Comedy of Errors, alongside original and devised works developed at The BRIT School.
The International Black Theatre Festival returns to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, July 27-August 1,2026.
For more information and IBTF updates, visit ncblackrep.org/ibtf.
