Today we’d like to introduce you to Destiny Renee.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Destiny. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Alrighty, well it all started in Roanoke, Virginia (Born and raised til 10), I got my first taste of performance during a ballet recital, we were doing Snow White. I was fortunate enough to obtain the role of Grumpy, I got my moment alone onstage with Snow White and I stuck my tongue out at her. The crowd laughed so much and I just knew that that was a special moment in my seven year old life at the time.
Fast forward a few years to 5th grade in South Florida, I went on a field trip with my mother to a performing arts high school, we saw the play Frindle. I distinctly remember my heart beating the entire time. I leaned over to my mother and said, ” I want to do that”. The rest is history! I began performing in community theatre and school plays until I later received my Bachelor’s degree in Theatre at Florida State University. During my time at FSU, I studied theatre abroad in London as well as obtained a Minor in Child Development. By that time I had realized that teaching theatre was in my future after countless volunteer hours at local community centers.
Post-graduation I moved to Atlanta in 2015. This place had been calling my name and was exactly where I needed to be. I loved the richness of the city and the southern hospitality. It reminded me of Virginia and was full of creators that looked like me. I managed to find my footing in this city after a year of staying on friend’s couches. I began to perform on weekends with a company called Sh!tFaced Shakespeare, an improv-based Shakespearean play where one of the characters is drunk. This went on for over two years as I slowly made a name for myself while dabbling in the Atlanta film industry.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to find a home with 7 Stages theatre company in Little 5 Points. They are truly producing the work that I admire and feel most inclined to create. They have given me a space to develop my voice and devise my own artistic responses. A space to teach devised theatre to students from all over the world as well as in several schools around town. Lastly, it has given me a space to meet and workshop with Atlanta natives and world-renowned theatre makers. I am very grateful.
Locally I have enjoyed performing with theatre companies like Shakespeare on Draught, The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse and The Weird Sisters.
This past year I have had the pleasure of working at the first-ever Boy’s & Girl’s Club dedicated to the performing arts. It has been a huge transition into getting artistic programming out to children who are not otherwise exposed to the arts. I am their theatre teacher and I just now feel as if I’ve begun to scratch the surface. The work is hard but so rewarding, I know that I was brought to this particular place for a reason. I ultimately hope to create my own non-profit theatre program that travels globally to bring theatre to underserved communities.
As I write this, I am currently sitting in California shooting my first Pilot for a series titled Discovering Brooklynn, which was originally a web series shot in Atlanta. I am very excited to still be with this project after so many years and to see it get better along the way. It will shed a light on some of the problems that are affecting black and LGTBQ communities. Fingers crossed, we get to film the entire series!
Oh and I write poetry hahaha! But I feel I’ve written enough.
I am Destiny Renee. I am an Artist. I have a passion for creating original work, especially with friends. I have a passion for performing, I was born to do it. I have a passion for teaching kids of all ages theatre, to build their confidence and to show them a way to create from their hearts and minds. I have a passion for poetry and writing and discovering who I am artistically in this crazy world!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road nor do I think it is for anyone. However, I am aware of my own privileges. I have a small family unit that encouraged me to follow my dreams at a very young age. That confidence and support that they continue to give is invaluable. I know many people who would have had a better chance of achieving their goal if someone had believed in them as a child.
I am a black woman in America, there are so many struggles in that alone. So the advice that I would give would be to take those struggles and turn them into your art. Your struggles are what make you stronger. They are your story, have faith that your story is important enough to be heard.
Tell us more about your work.
Hmmm, I really enjoy performing Shakespeare on stage, especially in out of the box ways. I have performed with three of the major Shakespeare companies in Atlanta and had so much fun. I had the privilege to play the roles of Juliet, Lavinia and Helena in the past two years. They are badass women, I love a strong character to dive into, specifically the roles that deal with the darker realms of humanity. They intrigue me because they are so different from my everyday life.
I love love love film. I believe that it is the medium I am most inclined to and that presents such a challenge to me as an artist. The research that goes into the characters’ background and the absolute focus that you have to maintain on camera to stay in their mental life is intense. You cannot lie on film, the audience will see it.
This year I hope to merge my love for writing poetry with film by bringing a series of poems to life through film. My creative partner Ashley James is graduating film school in the fall, it will be a passion project for us both so I am excited to see what we bring out of each other. Stay tuned!
Contact Info:
- Email: just.destiny.renee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just.destinyrenee/
- Facebook: just.destinyrenee
Image Credit:
Erika Henderson, Jeff Watkins, Hayley Ro Photography, MAEMA
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