Donica Lynn

Donica Lynn is a mother of three, wife, grandmother to a1yr old, an actor, LGBTQ+ advocate, director, stage manager, writer, vocalist, recording artist, artistic educator, and brain tumor survivor. Named “Chicago Tribune's Chicagoan of the Year 2016-Theatre", her stunningly successful career began at Chicago Theatre Company in 1995 with Train Is Comin. Donica has received numerous awards, and accolades including five Joseph Jefferson Award nominations including two wins: Jeff Award Best Supporting Actress Musical- Oda Mae-Ghost the Musical (Theatre at the Center) Jeff Award Lead Actress Musical- Effie White ~Dreamgirls (Porchlight Music Theatre) Time Out Chicago Magazine Best Actress Award, Black Theater Alliance Award; One Broadwayworld.Com Best Actress nomination, Two Black Excellence Award nominations, and A Beauty In Beauty Out Perseverance Award. Other Porchlight Music Theatre Co. work includes: Call Me Madam, Host of "New Faces Sings 1975", Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies (Jeff Nomination Best Featured Actor Revue) Chicago Sings Motown; Disney, Blues In the Night (Jeff Nomination Best Featured Actor Revue).While originating the role of Paulina in the world premiere of A Wonder In My Soul at Victory Gardens Theater, she also performed alongside her friend and mentor, Tony Award Winner Andre de Shields in his auto-biographical piece Confessions of a P.I.M.P. Select Chicago credits include: Smokey Joe's Cafe (Jeff Nomination Best Featured Actor Revue) Aida, 42nd Street, Rock Of Ages, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof (Drury Lane Oakbrook) Barnum, The Color Purple (The Mercury Theatre)  Slippin Through the Cracks, Lady In Denmark, Ain't  Misbehavin, Crowns (Goodman Theatre) Fiorello, Step Into Time Gala 2006; 2013; 2023, 2024 (Timeline Theatre Company) Hair (Paramount Theatre) When Last We Flew (About Face Theatre) Black Nativity (Congo Square Theatre Co/Goodman Theatre) Sanctified (Congo Square Company Theatre Co.) Caroline or Change (Court Theatre) Runaway Home (Black Excellence Award Nomination Lead Actress Play), Good Black, This Far By Faith, (ETA Creative Arts Foundation) Duke Ellington's Queenie Pie (Chicago Opera Theatre) Upcoming: Children of Eden with Stephen Schwartz at Broadway in -Cadillac Theatre Chicago streaming through Chicago theatre Fund in April

OFFSTAGE CREDITS: The Mountaintop (Asst. dir.- Invictus Theatre Co)The Color Purple (Floor Manager -Drury Lane OakBrook) Southern Gothic (Asst. dir. Windy City Playhouse @Petterinos) Fabulation, or The Re-Education of  Undine (Asst. dir co-casting assoc. Pulse Theatre Co.) Summer On The Nile Program & Finale 2010-2013 (Co-Dir. ETA Creative Arts Foundation) Vocal & Speech Program (Creator, Dir, & Teacher. Chernin Center for the Arts) Today's A Good Day–A Benefit Concert For Cancer (Creator, Co-prod, Dir, Performer-Mercury Theater Chicago) Donica is an alumna member of Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago Choir, and All-City Youth Choir, she sang (for two years) with Chicago Lyric Opera's Chicago Voices program at the direct request of renowned opera vocalist Renee Fleming. After two #1 house singles in the UK "SHOUT" & "KEEP ROCKIN" it was her honor to work with the late great jazz wizard Ramsey Lewis to create a cover of "Portuguese Love" for his "DANCE OF THE SOUL" Lp while also being featured ON the title track, as well "Fragile" on that same album. She's provided touring, background, live and/or studio vocals, to many artists, ranging from New Kids on the Block, Rahsaan Patterson, Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, to Aretha Franklin. When not on stage or backstage you'll find Donica (a two-time brain tumor) donating her time to various charities, and causes such as "Belting Up" for  Howard Brown Health Centers, or Chicago Aids Foundation, Chicago Actors Called To Action fundraisers, Season of Carols, The Beautiful City Project, and singing annually for the opening ceremonies of Chicago AIDS WALK as well. Donica is a proud member of Actors Equity, American Guild of Musical Artists, and SAG-AFTRA. Represented by Stewart Talent Agency