User:Nondumisotembe/sandbox

= NONDUMISO TEMBE =

Nondumiso Tembe is a multi-award winning Actress, Singer, Songwriter, Dancer and Writer. Born in South Africa, she was raised between Durban, South Africa and New York City, USA. Now based in Los Angeles, she has built a unique and diverse international career in the Performing Arts. Her parents are considered the first Black professional opera singers in South Africa and were the first Black South Africans to study Music at the world-renowned Juilliard School.

EDUCATION
The multi-faceted performer is believed to have been the first South African actress to obtain a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the famed Yale School of Drama. She also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre and Political Science with a focus on Africa from New York’s New School University, trained in Classical Theatre at BADA at Oxford University and Musical Theatre at AMDA in New York and has studied Classical Ballet for over 20 years.

ACTING CAREER
Some notable career highlights include ferocious women’s rights activist, Na’omi Ajimuda, on History Channel and A+E Studios’ breakout military drama, “SIX,” opposite eminent, Academy-award winning actor, Walton Goggins, tragic Creole maid, Mavis, in the Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning hit HBO show “TRUE  BLOOD"  and  the  feisty Miss  Mya,  on  Africa’s  most  popular television show, "GENERATIONS." Tembe lead a sparkling cast in Romantic Comedy feature film, “ZULU WEDDING,” opposite popular actor/choreographer Darrin Dewitt Henson. Other recent film and tv credits include Grace Rwaramba in Lifetime’s “MICHAEL JACKSON: SEARCHING FOR NEVERLAND,” the fierce Fanta, in the epic 6-part international mini-series, “BOOK OF NEGROES,” a fun cameo in Marvel’s “AVENGERS II” and a string of gritty guest starring roles on popular tv shows “NCIS,” “NCIS:LA” and “CASTLE.”

THEATRE CAREER
Tembe’s Theatre resume is varied and extensive, having performed at many prestigious theatres, including the McCarter Theater at Princeton, Yale Repertory Theatre, the Miller Theatre at Columbia, the Boston Court Theatre, Walt Disney Studios, the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company and the popular Edinburgh Festival. Some noteworthy Theatre performances include a brave and bold reimagining of the role of Joyce in the first revival of the groundbreaking South African musical, “KING KONG” (The Fugard and Joburg Theatres), earning her a Best Lead Actress In A Musical South African Theatre Magazine Award as well as Fleur du Cap and Naledi Theatre Awards nominations. She took home the Best Lead Actress In A Musical Mercury Theatre Award for her tour-de-force performance in the title role in a celebrated revival of Rogers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical “CINDERELLA” (The Playhouse Company) and a Best Actress In A Supporting Role Naledi Theatre Award for her razor-sharp portrayal  of  Susan  in  David  Mamet’s provocative play, “RACE (Edinburgh  Festival, The Playhouse Company and State Theatre). Most recently, she took on the role of a lifetime as Cleopatra in Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s “ANTONY & CLEOPATRA” and then wowed critics in the title role in the illustrious Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s new musical “LINDIWE,” featuring legendary Grammy-award winning World Music group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The performer is considered to have been one of the first Black actors to lead a multi-racial cast in post-Apartheid South Africa when she took on the title role of "Annie" in the Playhouse Company's production of the beloved musical, when she was just 11 years old.

MUSIC CAREER
An accomplished Singer/Songwriter, the multi-lingual artist’s critically-acclaimed debut album “IZWI LAMI; My Voice” made waves in the Southern African music industry, earning her a MetroFM Music Award and Best Female Album and Best EthnoSoul Artist South African Traditional Music Award nominations. Some of her proudest live concert performances include singing for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebration at his home in Qunu, South Africa as well as powerful tribute performances at the UNITED NATIONS UNESCO in Paris.

PERSONAL LIFE
Nondumiso is based in Los Angeles and has begun writing and developing her own work. She is passionately engaged in social justice volunteer work and is a strong advocate for more diversity and inclusivity in the Performing Arts. She speaks Zulu, English and French fluently and is semi-fluent in Xhosa, Spanish and Afrikaans.

http://www.nondumisotembe.com https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3860130/