Merle Dandridge
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Merle was born in Okinawa, Japan to a mother of Korean and Japanese
descent and an African-American father serving in the U.S. Air Force.
After graduating high school in Papillion, Nebraska, she attended the
Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University in Chicago on a full-ride
scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Theatre. She starred on
Broadway as The Lady of the Lake in the Mike Nichols-directed Spamalot,
as Aida in Aida, Kala in Tarzan, Joanne in Rent and in Jesus Christ
Superstar. She has toured the U.S. and Europe 5 times. And regionally,
she has appeared at Williamstown Theatre Festival, La Jolla Playhouse,
Geffen Playhouse, and Pasadena Playhouse.