"Kimmy"

Yunina Barbour-Payne is a Ph.D. in Theatre candidate with a specialization in performance as public practice at The University of Texas at Austin. She identifies as a scholar with over 10 years of experience as a K-12 arts educator. She is the founder of the Affrilachian Memory Plays, where her multidisciplinary work endeavors to amplify stories and subvert stereotypes of the Appalachian region with a focus on Black identity. Her work has been listed as "one of the most important historical messages" at the Boulder Fringe Festival. She was a winner of the Fade to Black play festival and most recently served as dramaturg for the Texas Theatre and Dance production of burst! by Gesel Mason. She has worked at The Ensemble Theatre in Houston, Texas as a teaching artist, actor, playwright and director for theatre for youth where she has also directed, devised and written original plays with youth with a focus on social justice engagement. yuniabarbourpayne.squarespace.com