CAREER ACCELERATOR FELLOWS
Khamille Blackman
Khamille Blackman (she/they): is a multidisciplinary theatre artist with a passion for directing, dramaturgy, and cultural access. Khamille came into the industry as a black performer hoping to incite change by way of entertainment, yet along the way she found that there were many different areas of theatre that lacked the representation that she wanted to see.
She believes that everyone should have access to the arts no matter what cultural background. As a New Jersey based black theatre artist she realized that there was a gap between the people of color and access to the arts. She hopes to build a future where black women are at the forefront of the theatre industry.
Khamille graduated from Montclair State University (Magna Cum Laude) with a BA in Theatre Studies and a Minor in African American Studies. Her recent director credits in The Healers (2026) at the NYC Theatre festival and Reflections (2025). When she is not directing shows, she hopes to bring about social justice/representation within the theatre industry by co-founding her own black operated multi-media theatre company Verve Production Co.
Naia Edmonds
Naia Edmonds is part of the 2026 Class of Career Accelerator Fellows at the New Jersey Theatre Alliance!
Naia is a proud Jersey girl through and through. She was born in Hackensack, raised in Piscataway, and recently moved to Bound Brook, with family located in Englewood and Teaneck.
Before joining the New Jersey Theatre Alliance, Naia graduated from Rutgers University-New Brunswick with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts and minors in Psychology and Dance. During her time at Rutgers, she served as the Artistic Director for The Livingston Theatre Company. She has also directed multiple productions, with her most notable being a 2023 production of Hair. In addition to this, she has also had the privilege of assistant-directing numerous collegiate productions.
Beyond her directing credits, Naia is an actor, both on stage and screen. Some of her favorite stage credits include: Joanne (Company), Charity (Sweet Charity), and Martha (Spring Awakening).
In her spare time, Naia enjoys a good Sondheim musical, playing Sudoku, and watching women’s basketball!
Imani Nyame
Imani Nyame is a multifaceted theater professional whose lifelong journey through performing arts schools—from grade school to her B.A. in Theater Arts from Howard University—has shaped her deep appreciation for storytelling and the human experience. She has worked across disciplines, including film, live events, and theater. Imani has stage-managed repertory productions such as The Till Trilogy at Mosaic Theater in D.C., served as a directing apprentice with Building the Change shadowing the production crew of the Les Misérables North American tour, and worked with Nouveau Productions as Assistant Stage Manager for PBS’s Black on Broadway concerts. Driven and curious, Imani is dedicated to cultivating spaces where theater connects, uplifts, and brings people together. She looks forward to furthering that mission as a NJ Theatre Alliance Career Accelerator Fellow.