Contact: Sarah Nicholas

STARKVILLE, Miss.—A Mississippi State University senior is one of only five students chosen nationally to learn from a Broadway stage manager of color during the May 21-24 virtual meeting of Broadway professionals at their annual Broadway Stage Management Symposium.

Donovan M. Andrade, an MSU senior communication/theatre and kinesiology/health fitness studies double major, was personally selected for the exclusive BSMS Charlie Blackwell Scholarship by Kenneth J. McGee, an active Broadway stage manager who has worked on productions such as Rent, The Mountaintop, Tarzan, Once on This Island and The Lion King, among others.

“The mentorship from a Broadway professional is priceless if it allows Donny to plan out the future that recognizes and rewards what a talented and dedicated man he is,” said Melanie Harris, a communication department instructor who also manages operations for Theatre MSU. “He deserves to be celebrated. He has put in the time, effort and heart to achieve amazing things, and I am thrilled that others are recognizing what an asset he is to MSU.”

A native of Manama, Bahrain, Andrade learned this spring of his selection. He had applied for the scholarship after being encouraged by Harris. The BSMS student scholarship—provided specifically for stage managers of color and also selected by stage managers of color—waives the registration fee and provides the opportunity for hands-on learning and connecting with stage managers around the world.

Though it is a virtual experience, Andrade said he hopes to glean more direct knowledge of stage manager experience. “I would also love to gain even more mentors and connections throughout the realm of theater,” said Andrade, who hopes to continue his education and receive a Master of Fine Arts in stage management after he earns his MSU bachelor’s degree.

“The news could not have come at a better time as I was in the middle of show week for my senior project, Pipeline, that I directed,” Andrade said of Theatre MSU’s spring semester presentation of a Dominique Morisseau play highlighting the school-to-prison pipeline.

Part of the College of Arts and Sciences, MSU’s Department of Communication is available online at www.comm.msstate.edu. Follow Theatre MSU on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @TheatreMSU.

For more details about the College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.cas.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.