Pictured: Mikael Burke

Northlight Theatre has named Chicago-based director, deviser, and educator Mikael Burke as its first-ever artistic fellow.

Burke is also the creative director of the Indianapolis-based Young Actors Theatre and previously served as Associate Artistic Director of Indianapolis’ NoExit Performance. He is the 2017 Princess Grace Award Winner in Theater and a recipient of the 2012 Robert D. Beckmann Emerging Artist Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Chicago credits include work with About Face Theatre, First Floor Theatre, American Theatre Company, and Strawdog. Burke holds an M.F.A in Directing from The Theatre School at Depaul University.

“Northlight is delighted to welcome Mikael Burke to the Northlight family as our first artistic fellow,” comments Artistic Director B.J. Jones. “The goal of Northlight’s artistic fellowship is to provide diverse emerging artists experience working within an artistic team, contributing to casting and season selection, and to prepare diverse artists to become artistic leaders in the field. We are fortunate to have Mikael Burke as our first artistic fellow and excited to begin this important fellowship here at Northlight.”

“I hope to one day lead a theatre that is dedicated to challenging the social status quo by diversifying not only the stories being told but also the artists who tell those stories,” says Burke. “I cannot envision a more inspiring vehicle to learn the ins and outs of such an organization than Northlight.”