Volume 12

There’s an Imposter in the Theatre: Belonging, Impostor Syndrome, and Community Building, and Its Impact on Students of Color in Theatre 

Crestcencia Ortiz-Barnett

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION

The journey through higher education for Global Majority theatre students rarely begins at the moment of admission. It begins long before the first rehearsal, the first audition, or the first advising session. This journey is shaped by family histories, financial realities, racialized school environments, and the quiet determination to pursue a dream that few people have ever affirmed for them. Their stories are intimate and textured. They carry with them the weight of expectation, the scars of isolation, and the profound hope that college might finally be the place where they no longer have to fight to be seen.

As they strive to meet the demands of academic rigor, these students frequently navigate subtle and overt forms of exclusion, feeling like "imposters" despite their achievements. This phenomenon, known as impostor syndrome, coupled with a lack of belonging, can significantly impede their academic progress and overall well-being.

I understand this intimately. During my MFA studies at Arizona State University (ASU), I discovered how deeply the absence of belonging impacts artistic identity and academic achievement. I felt the tension of being both grateful to be in the room and exhausted from constantly having to justify my presence there. The community I built was not accidental; it was a survival strategy. Years later, as a professor at an HBCU and the architect of a theatre exchange program designed to bridge HBCUs and PWIs, I now occupy both sides of that story—the student who once needed support and the educator who now works to create it.

When I interviewed students from North Carolina A&T State University and Arizona State University about their experiences, it became clear that the same dynamics I once wrestled with are alive and well for this new generation. Their stories reveal why mentorship, sponsorship, and intentional community-building are not simply nice additions to a curriculum. They are structural interventions essential to student success.

Consider Corin,[1] a low-income immigrant student whose parents came to the United States to give her opportunities they never had. College wasn’t just a choice; it was a responsibility inherited across generations. “I knew college was my way to a better life,” she told me (G. Corin, personal communication, December 2, 2025). For Shyla, pursuing theatre felt like both an act of courage and a source of fear. “I felt like I was making a mistake by choosing theatre,” she said (N. Shyla, personal communication, December 2, 2025), echoing a narrative many Global Majority students internalize when selecting creative fields viewed as “impractical.” Some students arrived in higher education already accustomed to being the only Black student in their learning environments. For eight years, that was Grace’s reality. In her words, “I was always fighting stereotypes and just trying to prove I was a good actor” (G. Grace, personal communication, December 1, 2025). Others came by way of interruption.

Loni withdrew from college over a decade ago because the lack of belonging in her program was too emotionally taxing. She returned only after a mentor reignited her voice and reminded her that she still had something vital to say. Her re-entry into academia was a reclamation: “I came back this time with purpose and clarity” (A. Loni, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025). And then there is Christina, the first in her family to attend college, who pursued her degree to break generational patterns of instability, even as college itself sometimes made her feel unsafe, unsupported, and unheard. “I didn’t grow up seeing many structures designed to support Black students navigating trauma or instability,” she shared (A. Christina, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025).

This article centers these students’ voices to examine how impostor syndrome and belonging shape the educational and artistic experiences of Global Majority students. Their stories illuminate what institutions often overlook: that the theatre classroom is never just a classroom. It is a site of identity negotiation, cultural tension, emotional vulnerability, and extraordinary possibility. And when institutions fail to create conditions of belonging, they inadvertently nurture impostor syndrome.

Through their narratives and my own, I explore the structural roots of impostor syndrome, the transformative power of community, and the urgency of building intentional support systems, particularly through mentorship models and initiatives such as the Black Theatre Organization (BTO), the Black Girl Magic mentorship group, and the ASU/NC A&T Theatre Exchange Program.

DEFINING THE CONSTRUCTS

Impostor Syndrome

Impostor syndrome, as defined by Clance and Imes (1978), is the internalized belief that one’s success is fraudulent; that one is undeserving of their accomplishments and incapable of meeting the expectations of any given space. For Global Majority theatre students, this belief rarely emerges in a vacuum. It is shaped by systemic inequities, implicit biases, racialized expectations, and institutional cultures that privilege students with generational access to arts education. This condition often results in people feeling like 'a fraud' or 'a phony' and doubting their abilities. This internal conflict can manifest in several distinct subtypes:

• The Perfectionist: Primarily focused on "how" something is done and its outcome. A minor flaw in an otherwise stellar performance can be perceived as total failure, leading to shame.

• The Expert: Concerned with "what" and "how much" they know. The expectation to know everything means even a minor knowledge gap can trigger feelings of failure and shame.

• The Soloist: Believes that accomplishments only count if achieved entirely independently. Needing help is seen as a sign of failure, evoking shame.

• The Natural Genius: Measures competence by ease and speed of mastery. Struggling or not achieving perfection on the first attempt equates to failure and shame.

• The Superhuman: Assesses competence by the number of roles they can juggle and excel in. Falling short in any role—professional or personal—evokes shame due to the belief they should handle everything perfectly.

For Kris, impostor syndrome emerged the moment she entered graduate school. “I was the only one who didn’t have the big musical theatre background,” she explained. “I didn’t know the dance terms. I didn’t look like a ‘true dancer’” (K. Kris, personal communication, November 30, 2025). The pressure wasn’t about talent; it was about comparison—an invisible hierarchy rooted in prior exposure, access, and training that many Global Majority students never had.

Shyla’s impostor syndrome flared in spaces where peers were more vocal and more connected to faculty. “It almost made me feel like speaking up was useless,” she shared (N. Shyla, personal communication, December 2, 2025). For Grace, impostor syndrome had been cultivated since childhood. Years of being the only Black student in academic spaces taught her she had to overperform simply to be regarded as equal. Even when she held leadership roles, she often felt her voice was undervalued. “Despite my résumé, I didn’t always feel qualified,” she said (G. Grace, personal communication, December 1, 2025).

Christina’s impostor syndrome was deeply tied to visibility and emotional labor. “Sometimes I questioned whether I was meant to be here, even when my talent said otherwise” (A. Christina, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025). Moments where she was overlooked or unsupported reinforced the feeling that she had to navigate everything alone and Loni’s impostor syndrome came from an even more painful place: being discouraged not by PWIs, but within her own HBCU. Her initiative and vision were met with doubt or dismissal, often framed as “overstepping.” “My work was thorough, intentional, and professional,” she said. “Yet I was told I wasn’t ready for opportunities I had already demonstrated capacity for” (A. Loni, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025).

These narratives reveal a core truth, that impostor syndrome is not a personal flaw. It is a patterned response to exclusion. It emerges in students when their learning environments fail to scaffold their growth, recognize their potential, or affirm their identities.

Belonging

Belonging is more than mere presence; it is, as articulated by Cornell University (2024), "the feeling of security and support when there is a sense of acceptance, inclusion, and identity for a member of a certain group. It is feeling safe enough to ask questions, take artistic risks, fail boldly, and be recognized for one’s humanity. For Global Majority theatre students, belonging is inseparable from identity, culture, and representation.

Corin defined belonging as feeling “heard by my teachers and my peers” and knowing she mattered (G. Corin, personal communication, December 2, 2025), while Kris felt belonging most profoundly within BTO gatherings, where unity and laughter served as a balm to the pressures of graduate school. “The support from Dr. Ortiz-Barnett kept me afloat,” she said (K. Kris, personal communication, November 30, 2025). For Shyla, belonging took the form of recognition. She was finally being surrounded by Black theatre students who made her feel less like an outsider. “It felt like high school again—the good parts,” she said (N. Shyla, personal communication, December 2, 2025). In rehearsal rooms where community agreements shaped the atmosphere, Grace felt seen for the first time in years. “The rehearsal room felt like coming home to friendship,” she said (G. Grace, personal communication, December 1, 2025).

Christina  described belonging as “safety.” She shared that she felt more seen in this program (Exchange Program) than in her first three years of college combined. “Belonging felt like being able to breathe and exist without shrinking,” she said (A. Christina, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025). For Loni, belonging emerged the moment I asked the class to share their “jelly beans”, a simple, humanizing question that allowed her to be not just a student, but a whole person. “For the first time, I felt invited to belong,” she reflected (A. Loni, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025).

These stories underscore that belonging does not occur by accident. It must be intentionally cultivated through pedagogy, environment, and institutional culture.

The Interplay of Impostor Syndrome and Belonging

Impostor syndrome and belonging are not separate phenomena. They operate in tandem; belonging disrupts impostor syndrome, while the absence of belonging amplifies it. For Global Majority students, this relationship is both immediate and profound.

The experiences shared by students highlight how a lack of belonging directly fuels impostor syndrome. When students feel like outsiders, are discouraged from asking questions, or are made to feel inadequate for not possessing pre-existing knowledge, their internal anxieties about being "frauds" are amplified. This creates a vicious cycle: feelings of not belonging lead to self-doubt, which in turn reinforces the belief that they are not truly capable or worthy of their position.

The theatre discipline, often built on collaboration and vulnerability, can be particularly challenging. If the community itself does not foster a safe and inclusive space for all, the inherent pressures of performance and artistic creation can become overwhelming for those already struggling with their sense of place.

Corin articulated this clearly: “When students feel connected, they succeed more. When they don’t, they fade into the shadows” (G. Corin, personal communication, December 2, 2025). Shyla’s entire college trajectory shifted due to this interplay. Feeling like an outsider at her first university, culturally, socially, and spiritually—made it impossible for her to thrive. The result? She transferred schools altogether. Years of isolation conditioned Grace to minimize herself. “I kept to myself so I wouldn’t get negative attention,” she shared. “I needed to be seen as worthy” (G. Grace, personal communication, December 1, 2025). Community later became her antidote.

For Christina, hearing her peers articulate fears she thought were hers alone disrupted her internalized self-doubt. “The group helped me confront the lies I told myself,” she said (A. Christina, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025). Loni’s story offered perhaps the most powerful insight: “You cannot heal where you get sick” (A. Loni, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025). Her impostor syndrome was not born from insecurity but from years of being discouraged in spaces that should have uplifted her. Experiencing belonging at ASU revealed the emotional toll she had been carrying.

The students’ reflections demonstrate that belonging is not simply a feel-good concept, it is a critical academic intervention with direct implications for retention, artistic risk-taking, and long-term success.

STRATEGIES FOR CULTIVATING BELONGING AND COMBATING IMPOSTER SYNDROME

Across interviews, students identified specific tools and practices that helped them feel grounded and supported. Corin emphasized professors who were “easy to talk to” and didn’t intimidate students (G. Corin, personal communication, December 2, 2025). Kris relied on scripture, prayer, and mentors whose lives modeled possibility. For Shyla, BTO was transformative because it offered a rare opportunity to be surrounded by other Black theatre students. Grace found comfort in collaboratively created rehearsal norms that protected everyone, and Christina  used creative expression as self-regulation by writing, singing, and acting to process academic and personal challenges.

Together, these strategies demonstrate that belonging is not the result of a single intervention but a constellation of practices that honor the student as a full human being.

Community Building Initiatives

One of my most pivotal accomplishments at ASU was the creation of the Black Theatre Organization (BTO). BTO served as a vital hub for events that brought students together, such as:

• Soul Food Sundays: Regular gatherings (at least once a month) that provide a relaxed and culturally affirming space for students to connect, share meals, and build rapport outside of formal academic settings while learning the importance of “Breaking Bread.”

• End of Semester “Kickbacks”: Informal social events that celebrated student achievements, de-stress, and strengthen bonds at the end of demanding academic periods and the school year.

• Targeted Events: Hosting poetry slams, monologue competitions, and URTAS (Unified Professional Theatre Auditions) workshops, which not only provided artistic outlets but also created opportunities for skill development and networking within a supportive peer group. Non-members were invited to these events

• Collaboration with Local Schools: Engaging with Black Student Organizations (BSOs) in local schools helped build a pipeline for future music, dance and theatre students interested in attending ASU. This collaboration provided mentorship and demonstrated that a supportive community exists on campus and that they would be welcomed.

The community-building initiatives I developed as both a student and educator consistently created the conditions in which belonging could flourish. Kris remembered the “laughter and building” that made the group feel like a place where representation and joy could coexist (K. Kris, personal communication, November 30, 2025). Shyla recalled the lunches, pool parties, and game nights and how these informal gatherings revived her love for theatre while Grace felt the rehearsal room itself became a haven.

Community building is not extracurricular. It is pedagogical. It builds trust, expands capacity for vulnerability, and nurtures the courage required for artistic risk.

Mentorship and Pedagogical Approaches

Beyond formal organizations, direct mentorship and thoughtful pedagogical practices are crucial. I spent two years as an undergraduate and three years as an MFA graduate student and teacher immersed in creating spaces where peers felt seen, heard, and guided, ensuring that learning extended well beyond the classroom walls. As a nontraditional student, I believed that I had the life experience to understand what was needed and the resources to remedy the issues

One way this commitment took shape was through my teaching, where I had the opportunity to design courses that centered cultural relevance and inclusivity. There was also the establishment of a mentor group specifically for African American women across the music dance and theatre department (e.g., Black Girl Magic Mentor Group) which provided a safe space for shared experiences, mutual support, and targeted guidance. That group, though I am no longer a graduate student at ASU, continues to serve its purpose.

Effective mentorship recognizes both the struggle and the brilliance of Global Majority students. Kris described mentorship as affirming because it aligned with her purpose and identity as a Black woman. Christina named mentorship as one of the most transformative aspects of her journey, explaining, “Dr. Ortiz-Barnett spoke life into my talent and helped me understand my worth,” While Loni highlighted pedagogical practices such as emotional check-ins, goal-setting forms, and accountability grounded in care, that made her feel deeply seen.

Students’ ideal mentorship programs shared key themes:

• Trauma-informed practices

• Mental-health support

• Culturally grounded affirmation

• Networking and alumni access

• Creative workshops

• Intentional identity work

Mentorship, in this context, is not hierarchical. It is communal, reciprocal, and transformational.

EXCHANGE PROGRAM

The ASU/NCA&T Theatre Exchange Program emerged from a simple but urgent question: What would it look like for Black theatre students to experience a PWI where belonging, mentorship, and representation were intentionally structured rather than incidental? This question was personal to me because I had experienced various settings; An HBCU theatre program, A PWI program that was not very open to cultivating safe spaces for theatre students of color, and a PWI/HSI that was extremely open to not only cultivating these spaces but learning how to do so while providing funds to see them developed.

In my first year as an Assistant Professor, I pitched the program to NC A&T leadership as an opportunity to address two critical gaps: (1) the absence of MFA theatre performance programs at HBCUs nationwide, and (2) the cultural, emotional, and academic challenges Global Majority students often face when transitioning from an HBCU to a PWI. The exchange was framed not only as a week of artistic training, but as a research-grounded intervention in belonging, access, and identity formation.

How the Program Was Pitched

I positioned the exchange as a pilot initiative rooted in equity, access, and student empowerment. The proposal highlighted:

•  A need for HBCU theatre students to experience advanced artistic training and graduate-level mentorship.

• Opportunities for students to observe culturally relevant pedagogical practices across institutional types.

• The importance of demystifying graduate school for first-generation and Global Majority creatives.

• A goal of identifying “safe” PWIs that actively support Black MFA students while establishing pathways rather than pipelines that lead to cultural erasure.

The pitch emphasized that the exchange was not a recruitment trip; it was an exploratory partnership designed to uplift students and gather insights that could strengthen HBCU theatre programming and student support structures.

The Exchange Program was not selected for funding or support through my home institution and so six students were funded by my husband and myself, with ASU Music Dance and Theatre providing lunch and swag on multiple days. The students had to pay for their transportation while we paid for their hotel rooms, Ubers in the city, the majority of their meals, and any incidentals.

How Students Were Selected

Students were selected through a multi-step process that reflected both artistic readiness and emotional maturity:

1. Open Call at NC A&T: Visual Arts and Performance students were invited to apply by answering various questions and submitting a short-written statement describing their artistic goals, their interest in an exchange experience, and the ways they believed the program could support their professional development.

2. Faculty Review & Interviews: committee of two NC A&T theatre faculty, including myself, reviewed applications, focusing on:

a.       Commitment to theatre as a field

b.       Evidence of self-reflection or leadership

c.       Openness to new environments

d.       Academic standing

e.       Potential benefit to the student’s professional trajectory

3. Final Cohort Selection: We intentionally curated a cohort of six students, reflecting multiple performance areas: acting, directing, musical theatre and dramaturgy, to ensure interdisciplinary learning and peer-to-peer support.

 This intentional selection process created a cohort capable of both receiving and contributing meaningfully to the exchange environment.

Goals of the Planned Sessions & Events

Each element of the week-long exchange had a specific pedagogical, artistic, or psychosocial goal. The structure was not arbitrary—it was carefully curated to address belonging, identity, and access.

 1. Hip-Hop & Caribbean Dance Classes with Professor T and Dr. Shola

Goal: To expose students to physically demanding, culturally grounded movement traditions while building confidence in unfamiliar studio environments.

For some students, like Hope and Lily, these classes expanded their understanding of their own bodies as expressive instruments. For others, like Jordan, they shifted internal dialogues around artistic identity.

2. Musical Theatre Voice Masterclass With Professor Yatso (e.g., private vocal coaching)

Goal: To provide personalized training that most undergraduates, especially Global Majority students with limited access to arts resources growing up—rarely receive.

Christina and Trinity left with a renewed sense of vocal possibility and confidence.

3. Acting Workshops with Professor Finley and Student Director Grace

Goal: To reintroduce vulnerability, risk-taking, and emotional honesty within a supportive framework.

This workshop was designed intentionally to help students reclaim emotional expression without the fear of judgment.

4. Directing Inquiry Session and Class Visit with Professor Ruiz

Goal: To expose emerging directors to graduate-level directing pedagogy, including conceptual development, staging, and leadership approaches used across different institutions.

For students like Loni, these sessions offered clarity about her own directing style and revealed practices that had previously been inaccessible in her home program.

5. HIDA Day (Herberger Institute Day)

Goal: To immerse students in interdisciplinary creativity and showcase how multiple arts disciplines intersect at the undergraduate and graduate level at some institutions.

Students interacted with painters, designers, digital artists, dancers, playwrights, and musicians, helping to broaden their sense of what “counts” as artistry and what this looks like in an artistic community.

6. Campus and Facility Tours

Goal: To demystify the physical and cultural landscape of a large PWI/HSI, thereby reducing the intimidation factor that often accompanies graduate school exploration.

Students repeatedly  expressed surprise at how welcomed they felt—contrary to their expectations of PWI environments.

7. Attendance at the Broadway Tour of Wicked at ASU Gammage performing arts center.

Goal: To demonstrate what high-level professional theatre looks like from a production standpoint and to inspire students to imagine themselves on national stages.

This opportunity was provided by Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Vice President for cultural Affairs at ASU & Executive Director of ASU Gammage and Michael Reed, Senior Director of Programs and Organizational Initiatives at ASU Gammage. The performance also provided a shared cultural moment that deepened group cohesion and students walked away from this VIP experience more determined to pursue the arts.

8. Graduate Program Info Sessions with ASU Faculty

Goal: To provide transparency around admissions, funding, artistic expectations, and program culture.

For students like Trinity and Christina, these conversations solidified their desire to pursue graduate study.

9. Networking & Community Time

Goal: To build relationships between A&T students and ASU faculty/students, creating long-term mentorship networks and lowering psychological barriers to advanced study.

Students consistently reported that these moments shaped their confidence more than any single class. One student from ASU visited NC A&T later that same semester to support them in their performance of THE WIZ.

Overall Purpose of the Exchange Program

At its core, the exchange program had four overarching goals:

1. Cultivate Belonging in New Spaces: To help Global Majority students experience themselves as belonging in high-level artistic environments outside of their home institutions.

2. Demystify Graduate Education: To replace fear and uncertainty with clarity, access, and mentorship.

3. Expose Students to Diverse Pedagogies: To help them discover new artistic practices and compare educational cultures.

4. Build Cross-Institutional Pathways: To establish sustainable relationships between HBCUs and PWI/HSIs committed to supporting Black MFA students.

The program succeeded not because of its design alone, but because the students brought courage, vulnerability, and openness to the experience. They stepped into unfamiliar studios and found pieces of themselves again. The Theatre Exchange Program offered students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new cultural and artistic environment, challenging their assumptions about PWIs and expanding their understanding of belonging.

For Loni, the exchange was a reset: “Sometimes, healing requires movement. You cannot heal where you get sick” (A. Loni, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025). The program allowed her to separate her artistic identity from the emotional burden she carried at her home institution. For Christina, the exchange expanded her vision of herself as a Black creative. “It made me imagine myself on global stages,” she said (A. Christina, personal communication, March 20, 2025-December 1, 2025).

Students left with clarity about graduate school pathways, new artistic techniques, and a renewed sense of belonging. They returned home carrying both new skills and new dreams which was proof that exposure, mentorship, and belonging are inseparable from educational equity.

REFLECTION OVERVIEW

Students consistently reflected that the program shifted not just their skills but their sense of identity, possibility, and direction. Kris discovered she could create something powerful for others, Shyla gained friendships and grounding, Grace now incorporates community-building tools into their directing, Christina grew more confident and open to risk, and Loni left with a renewed academic and artistic purpose.

Student Reflections

The participants' reflections highlight the transformative nature of the exchange program.

• Sense of Belonging and Community: Many students expressed that they felt welcomed and supported at ASU, which contrasted with their expectations of a PWI environment. One student noted that she felt a similar sense of safety and community at ASU as she does at her HBCU. Another student expressed surprise at how both alarmed and welcoming their white counterparts were-something she hadn’t anticipated.

• Artistic Growth and Inspiration: The program sparked a renewed passion for the arts and encouraged students to step outside their comfort zones. McCoy discussed how the dance classes broadened her perspective and improved her versatility as a dancer. Hope acknowledged that the dance class made her a better actor. Jordan expressed that the environment altered the way he carried himself and gave him a new source of dopamine centered in his field of study, while Christina’s private vocal lessons with Professor Toby Yatso, helped her gain newfound confidence in her vocal abilities.

• Personal Development and Self-Discovery: The exchange program facilitated personal growth and self-discovery. Loni described how the experience helped her confront her own biases and emotional responses, allowing her to grow as an artist and individual.

• Career and Educational Aspirations: For some of the students, the program solidified their desire to pursue graduate studies and provided valuable insights into navigating the application process. Trinity and Christina shared that the program solidified their decision to commit to grad school. One of the biggest take aways was that the students gained a clearer vision of the kind of environment they want when pursuing graduate programs.

Across their reflections, students emphasized themes of:

• safety

• transformation

• community

• representation

• creative risk-taking

• mentorship

• healing

These themes reinforce the program’s impact and highlight the urgent need for sustainable, identity-centered educational models.

IMPACT AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The pilot exchange program demonstrated that:

• Belonging can be cultivated across institutional and cultural contexts

• Mentorship improves confidence, risk-taking, and retention

• Global Majority students thrive when community is intentionally structured

• Cross-institutional collaboration can dismantle long-standing access barriers

• Artistic identity deepens when students witness themselves reflected in multiple spaces

The pilot theatre exchange program at ASU proved to be a valuable experience for the participating students. It not only broadened their artistic horizons but also fostered personal growth and a greater sense of belonging. The program's success highlights the importance of creating opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and collaboration in theatre education. As Trinity stated, "I am all in favor of this becoming something that is recurring not just at our HBCU but at other schools as well!" (M. Trinity, personal communication, March 20, 2025).

Building on this successful pilot program, future initiatives could include:

• Expanding the program to include students from other HBCUs and PWIs.

• Incorporating international exchanges to provide students with a global perspective on theatre.

• Creating opportunities for ongoing collaboration and networking between students and faculty from different institutions.

Future iterations could expand participation, build international partnerships (currently in progress with Roverman Productions, Accra, Ghana), extend mentorship beyond the program week, and formalize graduate school pipelines.

FOSTERING AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT

Creating an environment where students feel empowered to embrace their authentic selves is paramount because it challenges impostor syndrome and actively teaches strategies to combat impostor syndrome, emphasizing that their belonging is wherever their feet land and that they don’t need permission to be who they are meant to be. It also promotes authenticity by enabling students to embrace their full authentic creative self.

An inclusive environment is an active one. It challenges impostor syndrome by:

• affirming students’ full identities

• teaching them how to recognize internalized doubt

• promoting authenticity

• creating space for rest and vulnerability

• countering deficit narratives with culturally grounded support

Inclusive environments do not ask students to fit into preexisting molds. They redesign the mold entirely.

Considerations for the Future

Given the rise of anti-DEI legislation nationally, programs like this face significant political and institutional threats. Yet the stories of these students make it clear that support structures for Global Majority students are not optional—they are essential for survival, retention, and artistic flourishing. My ongoing research, publications, and pedagogical commitments remain rooted in this work: understanding the emotional and cultural terrain that Global Majority theatre students navigate, and building pathways that allow them not only to succeed but to thrive. I often wonder what my own student experience would have been if such structures existed before I arrived. What might I have created if I hadn’t been simultaneously building the very community I needed to survive? What brilliance might students unlock when the burden of creating safe spaces is no longer theirs to carry? How many more students could have benefited from the exchange program if it were supported and funding were provided.

The theatre exchange program serves as a model for fostering inclusivity, promoting artistic growth, and preparing students for success in the field of theatre. By breaking down barriers and creating connections, such programs can enrich the educational experience and contribute to a more vibrant and diverse theatre community. By centering belonging, dismantling impostor syndrome, and reimagining mentorship through culturally grounded practices, academic theatre programs can become sites of joy, liberation, and possibility. They can become places where Global Majority students’ step into their artistic futures without shrinking, questioning, or apologizing for their brilliance.

CONCLUSION

The journey of students of color in theatre programs is profoundly impacted by their sense of belonging and their ability to navigate impostor syndrome. By intentionally fostering supportive communities through initiatives like the ones presented in this article, providing dedicated mentorship, and promoting an inclusive pedagogical approach, institutions can empower these students to thrive academically and artistically.

Looking ahead, continued efforts are needed to expand the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) call to faculty, staff, and graduate students; enhance theatre lab and main stage performances to reflect greater diversity; and cultivate a larger, more diverse graduate community. My personal path forward involves:

• Beyond The Curtain: A Journal for Theater Artists Confronting Impostor Syndrome: A continued commitment to research and publication that addresses these critical issues.

• An Impostor in the Theatre: Further exploration of the specific manifestations of impostor syndrome within the theatrical context.

• Performance-Based Assessments for Teachers: Developing new assessment methods that acknowledge diverse learning styles and experiences.

• Grant writing: Funds are a constant need, especially with the expansion of the Exchange Program.

• Rest: Recognizing the emotional and mental toll these challenges can take and advocating for well-being.

As I rest, I will reflect on what I imagine my life would have become if these initiatives were created and sustained before my enrollment into undergraduate school, which may have allowed for me to enjoy the benefits of not having to worry about creating opportunities for others or sustaining the organizations. I want to explore what happens to changemakers when they spend their precious academic time looking out for others instead of focusing on their career. What is there to say about the burden students of color have to carry in order to pave the way and make it easier for the next generation? I am happy about what I have created for myself and others, however, I can only imagine what my experience would have been if all of these resources had already been established.

Ultimately, by building communities and developing initiatives to ensure every student feels they belong, where their unique contributions are valued, and where they are equipped to combat internal doubts, theatre programs can truly unlock the full potential of all of their students.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Ortiz-Barnett, C. (2025). There’s an imposter in the theatre: Belonging, impostor syndrome, and community building, and its impact on students of color in theatre. ArtsPraxis, 12 (2), pp. 23-43.

REFERENCES

Clance, P. R., & Imes, S. A. (1978). The imposter phenomenon in high achieving women: Dynamics and therapeutic intervention. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 15 (3), pp. 241–247.

Cornell University. (2024). What is imposter syndrome? Cornell Health.

NOTE

[1] Note that these are pseudonyms.

Crestcencia (CeCe) Ortiz-Barnett is a motivated and passionate Educator and Theatre Director from Detroit, Michigan and current Assistant Professor of Theatre and Theatre Historian at North Carolina A&T. She believes that theatre is a transformative art form and has the power to impact lives though the influence of storytelling. Each performance reflects the human experience and gives us a glimpse into our current society. Her aim is to grow as a skilled and recognized Educator and Theatre Director with notable research on sense of belonging for students of color in higher education and the impact of student theatre organizations that center on the Black lived experience and belongingness. CeCe holds an Associate’s in Education, a Bachelor’s in theatre studies, a Master’s in Theatre with a concentration in African American Theatre, A Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre Directing, and a Ph.D in Education (Curriculum Assessment and Instruction).

• Return to Volume 12, Issue 2

• Return to Volume 12

• Return to ArtsPraxis Home