For Karen Berman, adjunct assistant professor in theater and performance studies and artistic adviser to student theater groups, using advocacy is nothing new — she’s been advocating the importance of theater for the past three years as president of the Association for Theater in Higher Education. But when she heard that other people were advocating for her — in this case, her induction into the College forFellows of American Theatre, one of the highest honors in the theater community — she was stunned. Soon to be inducted, Berman took a few moments to speak with The Guide about the honor, why social justice theater is important and a little about her favorite play.

Tell us about the award you received.

It’s called the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. It honors educators and professionals of America’s educational and stage community. It’s a 42-year-old organization, and they’ve inducted less than 200 people in those years. The fellows that have been inducted include Edward Albee, the Pulitzer-winning playwright; Oscar Brockett, a renowned scholar of theater history; Ben Cameron, who ran a theater communications group; Zelda Fichandler, who ran Arena Stage; and Father Harkey, who was the president of Catholic University. It was really amazing to me to be honored with this group of people.

When did you find out that you had won the award?

I was told actually a year ago that I was being nominated, which does not necessarily mean you will win the award. I was nominated by Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, a Broadway producer and film director; she’s produced a number of productions at the Kennedy Center. I was seconded, I understand, by Donn B. Murphy, a professor emeritus at Georgetown, along with Jorge Huerta, a renowned scholar in Hispanic theater. It’s very exciting.

The ceremony will take place April 19 at the Capitol Hilton. There will be a big dinner, and I will be introduced, I understand, and presented. Then the actual induction takes place at the Kennedy Center in the Opera House with a brunch on April 20. The keynote speaker for that brunch will be Gerald Freedman, a renowned director, and he will deliver the ninth annual Roger L. Stevens address.

It’s pretty darned exciting. I couldn’t believe it.

Why do you think you were chosen for the award?

I have no idea, but I think it’s because I just held a three-year office as the president of the Association for Theater in Higher Education. That is the largest theater organization of academics in this country, Canada and the U.K. In that realm, I did a lot of theatre advocacy work, including founding the Coalition for Theater Education, which has brought together all of the major theater organizations in the country including Americans for the Arts, Broadway for the Arts, America Fights AIDS and so many more. I founded and helped to lead that organization.

I’ve also done a lot of theater advocacy work with Americans in the Arts in terms of lobbying for more funds for the National Endowment of the Arts. I’ve spent a lot of time on the national level advocating for theater. I also helped to found the Katrina Project following the New Orleans hurricane. My organization, ATHE and the Black Theater Network together have worked on a collaboration in which we go out to schools around the country and do theater workshops for students who have experienced trauma either through the hurricane in New Orleans or through inner-city violence or other trauma.

I’m imagining that these advocacy works in theatre and education “got me in.” I was really most surprised and thrilled.

What did you do when you learned that you received the honor?

I got it actually in a letter. I was just really excited and called my husband over to look at the letter. He shares my life with me, and he’s my rock. I really attributed a lot of what I’ve done to him because I couldn’t have done it without him. We shared it together.

Do you get to make a big, Oscars-type speech at the ceremony?

They’ll make a video archive where I can thank all the people in my life who have encouraged me and inspired me — all my mentors — so I’ll get my chance, but not at the actual ceremony. It will be pretty cool.

Who would you thank if you could make your speech at the ceremony?

Certainly I would want to thank Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, who nominated me, obviously. She and I go back 30 years. We were taking a class with another mentor of mine, Bob Alexander, who does work in prisons. He just recently died. Bob did social justice theatre in prisons, with the homeless, in schools in the inner city. Bonnie and I were getting training from Bob when we met. I definitely would want to thank Bonnie and Bob.

I would also want to thank Frank Wittow from Atlanta, Ga., where I grew up. I started training with Frank, who also just died, which is a real loss. He taught me social justice theater way back, when I was young, in high school. We were doing street theater at the time that Atlanta had just been desegregated. I was fighting on the streets of Atlanta for desegregation through theatre. We were using our plays to talk to audiences in parks. We called it “guerilla theater.” We were doing that theater to promote social justice. Those people really affected me in terms of social justice theater. Now I would want to thank Carol Day, who’s the director of health education here on campus, who’s inspired me with social justice.

Do you feel that theater is the best medium for social justice issues?

Absolutely. From early on, when I was helping transform Atlanta, I have been aware of the power of the theatrical performance to open awareness and change minds and hearts.

What’s your favorite play?

It’s hard to pick just one! But I loved directing “Threepenny Opera” because it’s a political play with great music. It’s very cool. I actually directed that here on campus some years back with some Georgetown students.