Abigail C. Onwunali

Directing & Teaching

Performers in white on a dark stage lined with hospital beds, one pointing across the room, in #4 at the Yale Cabaret
#4, Yale Cabaret, written and directed by Abigail C. Onwunali · with Anula Navlekar and Alexandria Maurice · photograph by Kim Zhou

Directing

Teaching

Private Acting Coach

  • One-on-one coaching for MFA applicants; students accepted into Yale, Brown, Columbia, NYU, among others.
  • Emphasis on monologue selection, text analysis, Meisner-based responsiveness, and emotional truth.
  • Voice, presence, and impulse-based character development tailored to individual expression.

Workshop Leader

  • Shakespeare Embodied: A dynamic course integrating physical training, vocal exploration, and poetic analysis to activate classical text through the body. Students develop tools for fully embodied Shakespearean performance by merging technique with emotional truth.
  • Actor-Generated Work: Guided artists through improvisation, writing prompts, and ritual-based creation to develop original solo and ensemble pieces.

Past teaching venues include Yale University, Brown University, University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University, Alief Hastings High School (Houston), Taipei American School, Bronx Preparatory Academy, as well as artist retreats and developmental residencies focused on decolonized and ancestral storytelling.

Abigail kneeling at the front of a chapel stage with her arms open, seven students in matching lilac tops standing behind her

Positions