Today we’d like to introduce you to M. Denise Lee.
Hi M. Denise, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have known since I was 8 years old that I wanted to be an actress. I never realized the path I would take. I honestly believe that no artist chooses their profession. The art chooses us. I was born in St. Louis and moved with my family to Dallas when I was 11. Having lost my father at age 8, my mother moved here with just me and my 2 younger siblings. While I knew I wanted to be an actress at a young age, I really didn’t discover theater until I was a junior in high school. I had two amazing theater teachers, Sherry Reynolds and Michelle Coleman, who opened up a whole new world to me. It wasn’t a direct path, but once the door was opened, there was no going back. My first professional show was at the South Dallas Cultural Center in 1986 in a show called ‘Po’ produced by the African American Artists Alliance. After that, I was hooked for sure. I stayed with theater pretty much for the 1st 10 years or so. But soon after that I was introduced to Cabaret performing, and again another spark ignited a fire in me that has continued to burn. So, for the last 37 years, I have been fortunate enough to do what I love for a living.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It hasn’t always been easy. Well, this business is never easy. And that, coupled with a few obstacles, caused me to put my ‘stardom’ on hold… I married at a young age and had a daughter. I divorced soon after and found myself a single mom which, of course, took precedent over everything. I settled for doing shows only in the summer when my daughter visited her dad. One of the most important parts of this business is to stay relevant. So anytime you take a hiatus, it’s like starting over again. Not to mention the struggle to find quality roles for women of color was a difficult one indeed. I had to constantly prove myself, not just to others but to myself as well. I am grateful for the few directors who, at the time that had the vision and courage to provide opportunities beyond the ‘normal’ scope of the field.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
For the last 17 years, I have found my work in theater, television, and cabaret-type performance. I am represented by one of the best agencies in the city, Mary Collins Agency. The challenges are still there, but experience, age, and a little more wisdom has helped me to navigate the waters. In addition to being a creative, I am a huge advocate for Social Justice. I like to consider myself and Artivist – Artist and Activist. My job is not just to entertain. I feel I have to also use my art and my voice to bring awareness to a lot of issues that our country is facing. In 2016 following the police shootings in Dallas, I organized and hosted Community Conversation. This effort to bring people together to have serious, respectful, and honest conversations about race and equality in our community in a hope to build bridges. What was meant to be a one-time thing has now evolved into a monthly meeting and exist under Visions For Change, Inc, a not-for-profit 501c3 organization. Our mission is to create, support and promote events and activities that work to promote unity and build bridges. I have found my art and my activism work well together.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The industry has changed so much. Especially with Covid, MeToo, Black Lives Matter. It seems like there has been a great awakening of our country. It’s sad that it only took all of this to get our attention but at least some eyes were opening. I am seeing more opportunities for work being open to so many more people. We are challenging the word and definition of ‘normal.’ We want normal to be inclusive. I was incredibly excited to play Amanda in the Glass Menagerie at Circle Theatre. Not only do I want to tell stories about people who look like me, I also think it is important to show that so many stories that we weren’t allowed to tell are ours too. I believe the next generation of artists will be free of so many of the hang-ups of my generation. The will have their own problems to face, but if we get out of their way, they will tell all of our stories in bigger and better ways that can only make us a stronger community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.deniseleeonstage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deniseonstage/ https://www.instagram.com/visionsforchangeinc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeniseLeeOnstage https://www.facebook.com/visionsforchangeinc
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/deniselee
Image Credits
Bryan Chatlien
Jordan Fraker
Joyce Sanders
TayStanPhotography
