Teaching Artists

Evan Cleaver

Lead Teaching Artist

Evan Cleaver graduated from Dillard University with a B.A. in Acting and a minor in Creative Writing. After narrowly escaping Hurricane Katrina, he went on to be accepted to 12 graduate school acting programs. Ultimately, he chose to earn his M.F.A. in Acting from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).  Since graduating from CalArts he has appeared in nearly a dozen professional plays.  Mr. Cleaver has also appeared in several film & television projects. As a teaching artist, Evan has experience at the University level as well as working with students as young as age 3. He’s taught acting at Dillard University, Delgado Community College, Kennesaw St. as well as for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater Company.

Victor Jackson

Lead Teaching Artist

Born in Atlanta and raised in College Park, GA, Victor has worked with Kandi Burruss, Lil’ Wayne, Iggy Azalea, August Alsina, and Jennifer Hudson as a choreographer and creative director. He is also the creator of the Pride & Soul Festival, a platform created to spotlight Black queer artists, and it’s spinoff, Pride & Soul:Unplugged. An R&B artist as well, Victor has opened for Tweet, Keke Wyatt, Anthony David and Algebra Blessett. 

Tracey N. Bonner

Teaching Artist

Tracey Bonner is a native of Murfreesboro, TN. She holds a B.S. in Speech Communication and Theatre from Tennessee State University, in Nashville, TN. She also holds an MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University, in Chicago, IL. Bonner later went on to study improv at The Second City in Chicago where she was a member of their Brown Co. production ensemble. Bonner’s greatest theatrical accomplishment has been to be a proud Ensemble Member of Congo Square Theatre Company, since 2009. Bonner also believes the sustainability of black theatre is vital to the landscape of American theatre and working at institutions like True Colors Theatre are important for artists of color to have a home where they can create, thrive, and have complete autonomy to tell their stories.

Brad Raymond

Teaching Artist

After several years of dividing his time as a performer, educator and artistic director of a performing arts school in his hometown of Chicago; Brad Raymond moved to Georgia and decided to dedicate himself to pursuing his performance career full-time. Brad has performed as an actor, singer or conductor at some of the art world’s most esteemed institutions.

Markell Williams

Teaching Artist

Markell Williams is an award winning actor based in Atlanta. He helms from the state of SC where he earned a BS in Chemistry with strooong encouragement from his parents ( HEY, Ma! HEY, Dad!). After 10 plus yrs of working in Quality Control and R&D he allowed his heart to direct him to his original passion for performance art. He has performed for the Alliance Theater, 7 stages, Birmingham Children’s Theatre, Found Stages, Weird Sisters, NC Black Repertory Co., The Object Group, Center for Puppetry Arts, Impulse Rep, and Theatre in the Square.

Efrem Whitaker

Teaching Artist and Education Assistant

Efrem D. Whitaker II moved to the Metro Atlanta, GA area in 1992.  It was at this time, he found his love for the stage and performing. He began training as a dancer in elementary school, and continued throughout his middle, and high school years. He then started his collegiate career at Savannah State University, where he studied Theatre, and went on to graduate from Clayton State University with a B.A in Performing Arts. Mr. Whitaker has studied post graduate work in acting at The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA. 

Maiesha McQueen

Teaching Artist

Maiesha McQueen an award-winning singer, actor, songwriter, and lecturer of the arts. An Atlanta native, Maiesha attended the illustrious Tri-Cities High School of the Visual and Performing Arts. Upon graduating from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, she traveled the globe as co-founder and musical composer of the touring company Progress Theatre. She has performed on countless stages across the country and was last seen in the national tour of the Broadway musical, WAITRESS, written musically by Sara Bareilles.

David Rucker III

Teaching Artist

David Rucker, III is an actor, writer, and coach who has been privileged to work in several aspects of theatre, film, and television.  His theatre credits include performances at both the Atlanta Black Theatre and Washington DC Black Arts Festivals, and has participated in staged readings at the National Black Theatre Festival in Wilmington N.C.  He has also performed on several local stages and in television/theatre roles with award winning actors. He currently is so very proud, and grateful to Ms. Nikki Toombs, to serve as a monologue coach/teaching artist for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre; in which his writing background and in depth study of August Wilson’s character driven plays help him guide high school students presenting at the August Wilson Monologue Competition.

marcus d. harvey

Teaching Artist

Award-winning actor/writer/singer/director and activist, marcus d. harvey holds his MFA in Acting from Brooklyn College, MA in Dramatic Writing for Social Change from NYU and dual undergraduate degrees in Dramatic Arts and Performance Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill. Former August Wilson Monologue Coach for 10 years in New York City, marcus is currently a faculty member at Montclair State University, New Jersey City University where he teaches Acting. He is also the Head of the Acting Department and an Acting Instructor for Waterwell Drama Program at Professional Performing Arts School in New York City. His motto is “On the other side of fear is a fantastic possibility.” 

Christopher Hampton

Teaching Artist

Christopher Hampton is honored join True Colors again! Christopher is a writer, director, and teaching artist, though he works primarily as an actor and has performed on many stages locally and nationally. It is a goal of his to uplift and educate youths to help build this community. Christopher is a mainstage company member and instructor at Whole World Improv Theater, and will be seen in The upcoming Jon Stewart Film Irresistible.

Darrell D. Grant

Teaching Artist

Darrell D. Grant is originally from Houston, Texas and was trained in Theatre Performance and Broadcasting at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. He has had the privilege to partner with Chopart Inc., The Woodruff Arts Center, and the City of Atlanta to implement arts education programs, and he also works as Creative Director of the Black Theatre Group. He’s excited to return to the August Wilson Monologue Competition to assist so many talented young artists.

Cedric Pendleton

Teaching Artist

Cedric Pendleton was born in Florence, Alabama, an area known as The Shoals, home of W.C. Handy and Helen Keller. He graduated from DeVry Institute in Computer Sciences and, having an undeniable desire to perform, studied acting at Actors Express Theater Company and went on to appear in theater productions from Atlanta to New York. He has subsequently worked in commercials, voice-over roles, industrials, independent films, and multiple television and motion picture roles. An active member of the community, Cedric founded Gold Drops of Life, a private, residential, personal care facility for Alzheimer patients.  He has also taught public speaking, acting, and improvisation skills in various capacities.  He was co-founder of Revelation Generation, a theatre troupe that operated out of an inner city church in Atlanta.  He has served as a Resident Drama Instructor for Young Audiences, Inc., which operated in low-income housing developments. He acted as the Artistic Director for the SIMBA Program, an initiative that uses the arts as a therapeutic means of rehabilitation in the Juvenile Justice System. Founder and principle of Footprints Entertainment, LLC., he has successfully produced a wide variety of events, including touring concerts, festivals, touring plays (including Tyler Perry’s, I Know I’ve Been Changed), church conferences, and poetry slams. He is directly responsible for negotiating several intellectual properties including national books, film, and television properties. He is currently producing and developing several projects for film and television.