Steve H. Broadnax, III
Educator, Actor, Award-Winning Director
Class of 2024-NEW
Steve H. Broadnax, III, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, whose journey in the arts began at Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from the Conservatory of Fine Arts at Webster University and a Master of Fine Arts in Acting from Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). Broadnax has been a Professor of Theatre and Professor in Charge of Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Directing at Penn State since 2006, where he has nurtured the talents of countless students and was most recently awarded the Faculty Scholar Award for Achievement. His teaching appointments include having been an Acting/Shakespeare Instructor at the Atlantic Theatre in NYC, a Guest Professor at Michigan State University, and the Head of Theatre at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) where he conceived and directed The Hip Hop Project, which originated as a one-act play written by Broadnax’s students in his creative writing class. It was expanded to two acts and opened at UAPB before being taken to Seattle and Bellingham, Washington. The show recently earned the Association of Theatre in Higher Education Playwriting Award. It was performed at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., a first for any Arkansas college in the event’s 37-year history. The show also won awards for directing, choreography, scene design, sound, and poetry on the station and Region VI levels in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival competition. Broadnax’s directorial prowess is known industry wide.
His work on the Broadway production of Thoughts of a Colored Man by Keenan Scott II, as the first Broadway production entirely created by Black men, received the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Broadway Production. He also directed Sally and Tom by Susan Lori Parks at the Guthrie Theatre, a New York Times Critic Pick, further recognition in the world of contemporary theatre. Broadnax’s direction of The Hot Wing King by Katori Hall at the Signature Theatre won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His work on The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and Chicago’s Victory Gardens Theatre earned the Jeff Award for Best New Work. Additionally, he directed Sunset Baby by Dominique Morisseau at the Signature Theatre, a New York Times Critic Pick, and Blood at the Root at the National Black Theatre, which won the Kennedy Center’s Hip Hop Theater Creator Award. Also recognized as a writer, Broadnax’s Me and the Devil (Lantern Theatre); 2020 Vision, Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland, Bonez (People’s Light Theatre); and Camouflage (St. Louis Black Rep). His works reflect a deep understanding of the human experience and a commitment to telling stories that resonate with diverse audiences.
In his role as Associate Artistic Director at People’s Light Theatre and Professor of Theatre at Penn State University, Broadnax’s dedication to his craft and his innovative approach makes him a driving force in contemporary theatre. His continuous efforts to inspire and shape the future of theatre instill a sense of hope and optimism in the industry, making his influence all the more significant.
