Background
Salter was born in Los Angeles and started acting around the time she was 8 years old. She discovered her talent for writing while writing a monologue for an acting class. Salter studied theater at Howard University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Salter continued her theater education at New York University's Graduate Acting Program, where she graduated with a Master in Fine Arts.Work as a playwright
''In the Continuum''
Salter co-wrote ''In the Continuum'' with Danai Gurira in February 2004 as part of New York University's FREEPLAY program. Both Salter and Gurira were third year students in NYU's Graduate Acting Program when they created ''In the Continuum'' .''In the Continuum'' is a play about the parallel experiences of an African Woman and an African American woman who are diagnosed with HIV/Aids. Gurira and Salter developed ''In the Continuum'' because "with black woman being the population with the highest rate of new infections both in the US and Africa- the co-creators of this piece... felt the need to have a story told from the black woman’s perspective; for her to be more than a statistic on a news report." The original production was performed with only two actors and a minimal set consisting of two chairs. ''In the Continuum'' was workshopped at the Mud/Bone Theater Collective and the Ojai Playwright's Festival in 2004. On September 11, 2005, ''In the Continuum'' premiered at''Carnaval''
''Carnaval'' is a play written by Salter that focuses on three men who embark on a sex tourism trip to Brazil ''Carnaval'' is performed by three African American male actors and explores the characters' motivations behind their decisions to participate in sex tourism. Salter first got the idea for ''Carnaval'' when she read an ''Essence Magazine'' article that connected sex tourism in Brazil to African American male tourists. The premiere production was directed by Cheryl Katz and was performed at ''Luna Stage'' from January 31, 2013, to March 17, 2013. Less than a year later, the production was remounted in New York City at Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre. The New York City production was directed by Awoye Timpo and ran from October 21, 2014, to November 16, 2014.The Continuum Project
After the success of ''In the Continuum'', Salter partnered with Glenn Gordon Nsangou, a playwright with performance and teaching experience, to co-found the Continuum Project. The Continuum Project is a non profit organization that "provides innovative cultural programming for the enchantment and empowerment of the global African Diaspora. " The Continuum Project launched its first initiative, The Legacy Program: Residency, in 2009. The Residency initiative was brought about through a partnership with African Ancestry and Piper Theatre Production. The Residency initiative gives theater teachers residencies in Public Schools in Brooklyn, New York. In 2010, the Continuum Project launched a second initiative, The Legacy Program: Reflection. The Reflection initiative commissions original plays from teachers who participate in the Residency initiative. The teachers are encouraged to write plays based on their experiences working with the public school children.Advocacy
In addition to her work with The Continuum Project, Salter is an active advocate within the theater community. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Theater Communications Group which "exists to strengthen, nurture, and promote the professional not-for-profit American theatre." Salter is also on the Council of The Dramatists Guild of America which "advances the interests of playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists writing for the living stage." Salter's advocacy work also includes original theater pieces. Salter wrote ''Unknown'' ''Thousands'' as part of ''Every 28 Hours Plays'', a "project that consists of over seventy short plays that reflect the current civil rights movement, and tools to help your community address those issues." Similarly, Salter wrote ''Peace Officer Privilege'' and ''Mahagony Corpo'' for ''UNTAMED: Hair, Body, Attitude'', a collection of "short plays that collectively dig deeper into the national conversation around Black womanhood and social perceptions of Black femininity."Acting
Awards and achievements
For her work as co-author of ''In the Continuum,'' Salter was awarded an Obie Award, the NY Outer Critics Circle's John Gassner Award for Best New American Play, the Seldes-Kanin fellowship from the Theatre Hall of Fame, and the Friends of the United Nations' Global Tolerance Award. When it premiered in 2005, ''In the Continuum'' was named one of the best plays of the year by the ''New York Times'', ''Newsday'', and ''New York Magazine''. Additionally, for Salter's performance as Nia, she received nominations for Best Actress by the Helen Hayes Awards and the Black Theatre Alliance Awards. Salter has also been praised for her other work as a playwright. She was nominated for an AUDELCO Award for Best Playwright for ''Carnaval''. In 2014, Salter was awarded a MAP Fund Grant. Salter was also a finalist for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center National Playwrights Conference and nominated for both the USA Fellowship and the Playwrights of New York Fellowship.References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salter, Nikkole Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American actresses American dramatists and playwrights Howard University alumni New York University Institute of Fine Arts alumni People from Los Angeles 21st-century American women