Tonea Stewart, a native of Greenwood, Mississippi, has resided in Montgomery, Alabama since 1990. As a multifaceted individual, she has excelled in various roles, including professional actress, play director, national museum exhibit director, tenured Professor, and Dean of the College of Visual & Performing Arts at Alabama State University.
As Dean, Tonea oversees the Departments of Art, Music, and Theatre, while also serving as professor, role model, motivator, and mentor to the students. Her leadership has led to a significant increase in Theatre majors, minors, and graduates from the Department of Theatre Arts. Over 75% of ASU theatre graduates have received full scholarships to renowned graduate universities.
Tonea's artistic endeavors have extended beyond academia, as she has founded summer performance and enrichment programs for youth and adults, including T.A.P.S., Camp 3T, TTI, ARPAC, and Camp Gifted. These programs cater to individuals with disabilities, providing them with a platform to express themselves through the arts.
Throughout her academic journey, Tonea has earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Theater from Jackson State University, a Master of Arts degree in Theater Arts from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and a Ph.D. in Theatre Arts from Florida State University (FSU),which she completed in 1989.
Tonea's groundbreaking achievements include being the first African American female to receive a doctorate from FSU's School of Theatre and the first McKnight Doctoral Fellow in Theatre Arts. During her studies, she received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
As an actress, Tonea is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Miss Etta Kibbee in In The Heat of the Night. Her film credits include A Time to Kill, for which she earned an NAACP Image Award nomination, and Remembering Slavery, for which she received a New York World Festival Gold Medal Award.
Tonea has also had a successful career in television, with notable roles in Walker, Texas Ranger, Memphis Beat, Matlock, and ER, among others. She has performed in various productions across the United States, Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Scotland, Turkey, and Carnegie Hall.
Throughout her career, Tonea has received numerous accolades, including honorary doctorates from Buena Vista University, Jarvis Christian College, and Tuskegee University. She has also been inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame and is a member of the Order of The Golden Circle, NAACP, SCLC, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and Hutchinson Missionary Baptist church.
In her personal life, Tonea is married to Dr. Allen Stewart and has three children and five grandchildren.
