AFRICAN AMERICAN HUMANITIES ON :MCDONALD, AUDRA - Research Paper Example

Audra McDonald is yet another triumphant example of the heights African-Americans are more than capable of attaining, having put forth a consistently stellar performance all throughout her colorful life, and is more than deserving of all the accolades to her name. Audra McDonald’s current status as one of the greatest thespians in the history of American theater, though, is belied by her humble and tender origins. The elder of two girls, McDonald was born in Berlin, Germany, but grew up in Fresno, California.

She was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, which would lead one to think that such a condition would continue to dog her for the rest of her life. However, nothing could be further from the truth; rather than allowing this disorder to impede her daily functioning, she a discovery which led to her decision to study acting. She became a protégé of one Dan Pessano, her relationship with whom allowed her to decide that ‘[she] knew [she] wanted to be involved in theater’. And while she is known for her accomplishments in theater, McDonald is also a talented classical singer, having graduated from the Julliard School in 1993 (The Fresno Bee, 1989; 2007).

Despite having matched, maybe even utterly transcended Pessano in terms of status, she remains reverent of him even in this day and age, citing both him and her mother as the two persons ‘who have had the most impact on [her] life’. That she still holds her first mentors in high regard despite having come so far is testament to how humble and down-to-earth she is – a fact that is equal of just as much admiration as her acting prowess, if not even more so. Clearly, in an industry wherein the stars of today seem to have all but forgotten the time before they became famous and successful, Audra McDonald is one of the few who has always remembered where she came from.

Audra McDonald is particularly known as a veritable dominator in the realm of theater; that she gained her first three Tony Awards