Ready for the spotlight: Theatre grad prepares to make the world his stage

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A mythical hero, a scheming butler, a hip-hop-loving best friend—Donovan Boursiquot Wade has played them all during his time at Western Michigan University. It's an impressive range for a former high school athlete who hadn't stepped foot on a theatre stage until he came to campus.

Now preparing to graduate magna cum laude in Western's fall 2024 commencement ceremony with a double major in theatre: acting and English: creative writing, Wade has a number of productions under his belt and an agent ready to book him in TV roles.

"The biggest thing I got out of Western when it comes to this industry is learning how to work, learning how to grow and having confidence in myself," he says. 

Finding purpose

Wade admits, like most teenagers, he had trouble envisioning his plans after high school. The COVID-19 lockdown forced him to start thinking more seriously about his future. 

"I decided to start putting on paper everything that I thought was cool, so everything from coding to boxing, I was making films and making music projects," he says. "My aunties were making fun of me because it was like, 'What career is Donovan gonna have next week?' But with all of that, I found that I really like writing and the idea of creating something."

Initially enrolling at Western with an undecided major, Wade declared a creative writing major his second semester on campus. Then—thinking about how the writers for some of his favorite TV shows, like “Atlanta” creator Donald Glover, were also actors—he decided to sign up for an acting class. It sparked enough interest within him that he decided to audition for a role in a student-produced play.

"After my audition, (associate professor) Mark Liermann—who became basically family to me—asked me if I'd ever thought about auditioning for the acting program," he remembers. "And it's weird how things work out, but I just said, 'Yes.' I didn't even have to think."

The more Wade explored theatre, the more he saw the next act in his career journey shaping up. Acting was his "thing."

"At first, I thought, 'This is really going to help me with my writing; I'm going to use this as a vessel to become a better writer. But very quickly, acting became a theme (in my studies). And then it was at the forefront. And from there, the goal has just been every single week to get better and learn how to grow."

Growing through mentorship

Coming into the craft cold, Wade recognized he had much to learn about acting. Thanks to a supportive faculty with extensive professional experience and deep industry connections, he was able to hit the ground running.

"As sources of inspiration, I look heavily at my professors," he says. "Kate Thomsen does Shakespeare Behind Bars and professional theatre and is doing all this different amazing stuff. Working with Joan Herrington was such an amazing experience when it comes to being prepared for the outside world and how the industry works. Dwandra Lampkin will tell you like it is and challenge you by being really straightforward, and that's how you get better. My voice and movement instructor Elizabeth Terrell did a fantastic job of giving me guidance and making herself available to me."

After getting his feet wet with a small, student-directed play, Wade found his stride in WMU Theatre productions such as "Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea," "Clue" and "Argonautika," landing lead roles and becoming a leader on the stage. And while he had opportunities for professional work long before graduation, he found the most value in working closely with his professors and deepening his skills with the theatre program.

"I am prepared in terms of the industry, but I think something that I've really grown to embrace is: At the end of the day, you've got to put your nose in the dirt and really, really work hard if you want to be able to get something," he says. "You've got the rest of your life post-college to have an agent and work professionally. For these four years, if you're lucky  enough that you don't have to work and go to school, your 9-5 is just to get better every single day. That's the goal."

Wade also took advantage of opportunities to gain experience behind the scenes, completing a practicum with Patrick Niemi, technical director and shop supervisor. He built sets, moved equipment and put in countless hours of sweat equity to help productions run smoothly.

"He taught me how to use drills, how to create something, how to do lights, and he gave me a lot of trust," he says. "There's value in working with your hands; it keeps you humble. And Pat was just so loving and understanding and willing to teach me about the other side of theatre."

But beyond the physical lessons and theatre knowledge he gained, Wade is most thankful for the relationships and genuine care he found in the WMU Theatre community, especially with Liermann.

"He was the person I really bonded with; he would always give me advice about life and motivated me to keep working hard. We would often talk about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and their mentalities when it came to their craft."

Now Wade is ready to take the step into the next stage of his life and take on his career with confidence—whether acting or doing voice work. And eventually he'd like to pay the support he's received at Western forward, possibly even establishing a scholarship to help future Broncos.

"What I'll take with me from my time at Western is learning how to grow as a person and to remain curious, inspired and open-minded when it comes to the world. And then to be able to use those things to take action," says Wade. "It's that journey of finding who you are—not having to know who you are but starting that journey. And for me, that's the biggest growth that I've had."

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.