Marshall Weir Mabry IV, of Fairburn, Georgia, has had a monumental senior year. On September 24, 2019, Marshall became the youngest speaker in TedXBroadway history. His compelling talk, The Intersectionality of Black Boys and Shakespeare, was thought-provoking and explored various stereotypes about young men in the African American community. He examined the way Shakespeare deals with truly universal themes. Marshall honored the lives of young men like Tamir Rice and Trayvon Martin during his presentation.
Marshall is a singer, writer, actor and the voice behind MWMIVSpeaks.com. A contributing writer to ArtsAtl, BroadwayBlack, and Showtickets.com and an active member of the arts community in metro Atlanta, he has trained at Victory Spot, Orbit Arts Academy, Camp Broadway, Broadway Dreams and Namari Dance Center. During his high school career, Marshall had the opportunity to perform in the NY Pops Gala at Carnegie Hall, was named a 2020 Young Arts Winner and trained with numerous Broadway stars.
While his senior year was cut short, Marshall and a group of friends launched The Joy Project Official on Instagram. These talented seniors are using their gifts to spread joy in a time of crisis.
As a musical theatre student, Marshall auditioned for schools across the world. After receiving 18 school acceptances, including over $500,000 in scholarship offers, he has accepted a full scholarship to The Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he will pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre in Fall 2020. When asked what keeps him motivated, Marshall had a lot to say: “I keep going knowing that there are people of color that have not had opportunities to explore life the way that I have. I know that there are many young artists coming behind me that also need to see themselves on the stage. I like to leave every room brighter than when I walked in it because I have a full understanding that life is always bigger than me.”