Audra McDonald on Co-Founding Black Theatre United as an 'Army of Amplifiers'

Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald—along with 21 other Black theatermakers—recently announced Black Theatre United (BTU), a new advocacy coalition. BTU is less than two months into its creation and has already hosted several virtual community outreach events, including last week's town hall with Viola Davis, Stacey Abrams and Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean. McDonald appeared on Broadway.com's #LiveatFive: Home Edition to talk all about the creation of BTU, raising "little activists" and more.

In the midst of the national outcry for racial equality, McDonald enlisted the help of her seasoned Broadway friends. "LaChanze and I were texting one night, upset and horrified, as everybody was," she said to Paul Wontorek. "We put together a Zoom call with all of our buddies—most of us have been in this business for at least 20 years. We got together to say, 'What can we do? We can't sit on the sidelines. Is there something we can do as a group coming together?' We really wanted to focus on civic engagement and how we as storytellers can help transform the narrative and become an army of amplifiers."

As a mother, McDonald is excited to be "raising little activists" and beginning the conversation at home. "LaChanze and I kickstarted this organization, and our daughters Zaya and Zoe are the same age," she said. "They ended up re-meeting each other at a summer camp. Zaya started talking to Zoe about something, and she said, 'Yeah, my mom does Broadway.' Zoe was like, 'So does my mom.' Long story short, Zaya was like, 'My mom is LaChanze.' And Zoe was like, 'Wait, my mom is Audra McDonald!' They didn't realize they had done dance classes together when they were little. That summer, Philando Castile was murdered and at one point the girls, along with the whole camp, did a sort of protest and had signs and all this stuff. LaChanze sent me pictures like, 'Look at our girls—just look at our girls!' We're raising little activists who are, in some ways, much more woke than we are. We're getting schooled by them every day."

Known for making history as the only performer to win six Tony Awards, McDonald recognizes those that came before her and paved the way for her success. "I always think of people that I could see myself in," she said. "Lena Horne and Lillias White inspired me greatly. As did Leslie Uggams and Diahann Carroll. I was just talking to someone the other day about the time that I got to meet Eartha Kitt after seeing her in Wild Party. She was someone whose career I followed—her struggles, and her triumphs, all of it. When I met her, all I could do was bow down on my knees and thank her. I'm getting emotional thinking about it because she was what so many of us could be."

McDonald also recognizes her ability to raise up future generations. "I know that representation is everything and seeing yourself just clears the path a little bit more for you," she said. "I understand how important it is to recognize the shoulders on which I stand, and if I can then be shoulders for other people, especially young Black women and people of color, that's a very powerful thing. It's a responsibility that I take very seriously and I've always taken very seriously. I don't take it for granted."

Watch the full #LiveatFive: Home Edition episode below!