Listen To Theatrical Star Debra Ann Byrd On WHY I'LL NEVER MAKE IT Podcast

Patrick Oliver Jones recently sat down with American and British theatrical actress Debra Ann Byrd for in-depth interview on Feedspot's Top 25 Theatrical podcast Why I'll Never Make It. The interview will air on Monday, December 13th on all streaming services ‎

The interview delves into the negativity Ms. Byrd faced in pursuit of her dream. After being told by her college theater professor that she will never find work as a classical, Shakespearean actress because she was black. This defining moment confirmed her own self-doubts, but also fueled her desire to pursue her passion and create her own Shakespearean company in Harlem. The daughter of a Puerto Rican father and Black mother, this honest and open interview discusses how she has straddled the line between those races and cultures as well as her struggles as a teen mother. Always pushing herself, Ms. Byrd used her experiences to write her one-woman show Becoming Othello: A Black Girl's Journey, which tested her aa a writer, actor, and producer. This interview is truly a wide-ranging discussion on race, sexual identity, religion, and more.

Debra Ann Byrd is an award-winning classically trained actress and producer. She recently won an Outstanding Achievement Award from AUDELCO for her portrayal of Othello in Harlem Shakespeare Festival's all female multiracial mainstage production of Shakespeare's Othello: The Moor of Venice. Other classical roles include Queen Elizabeth in Richard III, Cleopatra in Antony & Cleopatra, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, and countless others. Debra Ann is also the founder and producing artistic director of Take Wing, Soar Productions, and the Harlem Shakespeare Festival.

Why I'll Never Make It is hosted by Off-Broadway actor and singer Patrick Oliver Jones. This weekly podcast features fellow creatives sharing the realities of a career in the performing arts, all while challenging the notion of what it really means to "make it" in this business. Previous guests on WINMI include Michael Learned (The Waltons), Will Swenson (Hair, Priscilla Queen of the Desert), and Bianca Marroquín (Chicago), Geoffrey Owens (The Cosby Show), and Misty Rosas (The Mandalorian).