Q & A Interview With Donna Bradby

North Carolina A&T's Department of Visual and Performing Arts continues to astound it's school each year with breath-taking performances.

The Department of Visual and Performing Arts comprises the Programs of Music, Theatre, Visual Arts and a Dance concentration.

Through an ongoing collaborative process, the Department develops and sustains the artistic and cultural environment of the university and the community.

The department prepares students both academically and artistically through the implementation of interdisciplinary studies for leadership roles in a diverse society.


Recently, I interviewd Director of Marketing and Publicity, Donna Bradby to get a small look into the world of theatre.


Q: How long have you been involved with theater?
A: I've personally been involved since a child, but i've been at A&T for four years acting as the
Director of Marketing and Publicity. I'm an alumni of the program.

Q: Did You perform when you were in school?
A: Yes, when i first came here i was a tech concentration and then i moved over to acting.

Q: Which do you like better, acting or tech?
A: Acting, but now i'm an arts manager, so I like arts managament better than anything.

Q: What all does your job include?

A: I do marketing and publicity for the department of vision/performing arts. We have a music

program, a dance concentration, theatre and visual arts. So I do marketing and publicity for

all four areas.

Q: What does it take to market a play?

A: Publicity and marketing for an arts event, other than visual arts, is very different because it's

nothing you can put your hands on. Take for example, if I was selling caps. You know what a

cap is, my cap is a little different from your cap, but theatre and dance is an experience. So

i'm selling an experience.

Q: How do you decide what plays to perform?
A: We have lots of goals. Our students, as they are going through the four-year program, have to
to have done a comedy, a straight play, a classical play, a childrens piece, a musical etc. They
have to have gone through the genre of theatre; even if they weren't in the play they have to
had worked on it.

Q: What's the number one rule for people looking to pursue a career in theater?
A: In the words of one of our professors, "you don't call the theatre, the theatre calls
you". You've gotta be dedicated. You have to love the work. And if you want to major in
theatre. We're an academically driven program and we're a performance program. You could
have a rehersal at ten 0'clock at night and we'd still expect you to turn in your ten page paper
in the morning.


Donna B. Bradby


North Carolina A&T State University


(336) 334-7852, Ext. 6020


NCB, rm.