Donna Baldwin-Bradby is an artist, manager, storyteller, entrepreneur, actor, educator, researcher, director, and grant writer, and yes, she still hyphenates her last name. Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, she was raised in public housing, educated in the public school system, and a recipient of the free lunch program. How and where she was raised has shaped who she is today. Bradby understood early that advocating for underserved and underrepresented populations is essential to fostering empowered families and communities. The state of the human condition is at the forefront of her mind, which is evident in her work and what she values most.

Bradby is an Adjunct Professor and Director of Marketing and Publicity for the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at North Carolina A&T State University, the largest Historically Black College and University in the country. Her instruction focuses on Acting, Theatre Projects, Senior Showcase, Acting for the Camera, and Film. Specific academic and practical application emphasis is given to the Arts Management, Stage Management, and Internship classes. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Professional Theatre Performance from NC A&T and a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Management from Virginia Tech. She has also taught Arts Administration, Stage Management, Acting, and Musical Theatre at Bennett College, Virginia Tech, Western Connecticut State University, and Elon University.

Touring Theatre of North Carolina is a non-profit active producing professional theatre that focuses on the ongoing search for dignity across lines of ethnicity, gender, economic status, religion, and age. The company develops and premiers new works drawn from literature, historical documents, journals, media, and people within its community. Nello McDaniel of the Arts Management firm Arts Action Research, based in New York, stated that “Touring Theatre is the most relevant and most current company in the state” Bradby is its Executive Director.

Extensive training and practical application in marketing, publicity, and communications have enabled Bradby to successfully implement strategies for visual and performing arts companies, public health organizations, faith-based institutions, elementary, middle, and high schools, colleges/universities, and the sciences and social sciences. From producing a radio show for SIRIUS XM, directing promotional trailers, magazine production, website design, and content management to feature stories in small rural newspapers to national publications facilitating visibility is her specialty.

As an actor, Donna has appeared in Crowns, Dreamgirls, Once on This Island, Ain’t Misbehavin,’ Eubie! Joe Turner’s Come and Gone to name a few. She has directed The America Play, Ethel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow, From the Mississippi Delta, The Old Settler, The Color Purple, This One Girl’s Story, Breath, Boom, A Raisin in the Sun, Mad at Miles: A Black Woman’s Guide to Truth and many more.

Most recently, she directed Ernest and the Pale Moon and productions of Mad at Miles: A Black Woman’s Guide to Truth in Triad Stage’s Upstage Cabaret, at The National Black Theatre Festival, North Carolina A&T State University, and in Atlanta at Seven Stages and Spelman College and The Color Purple at The Barn Dinner Theatre.

Donna is the proud mother of Adam Bradby and grandmother to Arris and Raava, the loves of her life.