Anthropologist-in-Residence with The Anthropologist

Bringing anthropology into the rehearsal room since 2024, Nadia has worked with The Anthropologists, a theatre company dedicated to the collaborative creation of investigative theatre that inspires action.

As an Anthropologist-in-Residence, she translates ethnographic insights into artistic practice for their production axes, herbs & satchels, rooted in the traditional knowledge, wisdom, and history of Black midwives and doulas—agents of change with the potential to reduce rates of Black maternal mortality in the U.S.

Her role is not only dramaturgical but relational: shaping story worlds, deepening audience engagement, and opening space for critical conversations that cross between scholarship, lived experience, and performance.

As both a scholar and an artist, Nadia brings a lens attuned to the textures of lived experience—race, gender, embodiment, and belonging—and helps theatre productions ground their creative visions in broader cultural context. These collaborations blur the boundary between academia and art, making anthropology feel alive on stage.

Contributions

• Dramaturgical advising informed by ethnographic research

• Cultural and historical context-building for scripts and performances

• Audience engagement workshops and post-show discussions

• Speaking on panels and at community events that extend the performance into broader public dialogue

• Collaborative storytelling rooted in lived experience

• Bridging academic insight with artistic expression