India Nicole Burton

Biography

India Nicole Burton is a Chicago director, playwright, deviser, and producer. She earned her MFA in creative writing from The University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2022. India has been recognized through several programs such as the National New Play Network (NNPN) Producer in Residence program for Cleveland Public Theatre, which she participated in for two years, and the NNPN Bridge Program grant in 2021. One of India’s notable works is her choreopoem titled Panther Women: An Army for the Liberation, which received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. The production garnered significant acclaim, earning nominations for two Jeff Awards in 2024. Additionally, Panther Womenreceived nominations for two Chicago Black Excellence Awards. She was a cast member of American Dreams, a production that received a nomination for a Drama League Award in 2021. She was selected as a 2020/2021 Room in the House Fellow at The Karamu House Inc. India was selected as The Chicago Reader’s 1st Runner-Up for Best Playwright in 2024 and Best Local Playwright from Cleveland Scene Magazine in 2023. She is a part of the Chicago 2024/25 Theatre Communications Group Rising Leaders of Color and a semi-finalist for The Princess Grace Award in 2023. India was also selected for the New Harmony Project in 2024, a renowned playwright’s residency located in New Harmony, Indiana. In the summer of 2025, India’s trilogy The Ascension plays were featured in the National New Play Network’s New Play Showcase. She has directed several plays for The Karamu House Inc, Company One, Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama Theatre, The Playwrights’ Center, and many more. India is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Chicago State University, the Associate Producer of New Work at Pegasus Theatre Chicago, and a teaching artist at Court Theatre. Through her work, India strives to empower African American communities by providing platforms to control and shape their own stories, fostering meaningful representation and cultural resonance in the theatrical landscape.