Danitra Vance (1954-1994) was a star of the stage and screen whose undeniable sense of humor broke barriers. Both the first queer woman and first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, this trailblazing performer is rarely given her due.
Danitra Vance (1954-1994) was a star of the stage and screen whose undeniable sense of humor broke barriers. Both the first queer woman and first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, this trailblazing performer is rarely given her due.
Special thanks to our exclusive Pride Month sponsor, Mercedes-Benz! Mercedes-Benz continues to support and stand with the LGBTQIA+ community. Listen all month long as we celebrate women whose authentic expression in their lives and bodies of work have expanded the norms of gender and sexuality in the performing arts.
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This month, Womanica is highlitghing queer stars of the stage and screen.
I’m so excited to be one of your guest hosts for the final week of Womanica this Pride month. This month, Womanica is highling queer stars of the stage and screen.
Today we’re talking about a star of the stage and screen whose undeniable sense of humor broke barriers. Both the first queer woman and first Black cast member of Saturday Night Live, this trailblazing performer is rarely given her due.
Let’s talk about Danitra Vance.
Danitra Vance was born in Chicago. As a young girl, she excelled in debate and theater. As a student at Chicago’s Roosevelt College, Danitra’s dynamic theater performances earned her entry to the Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.
There, she studied to become a classically trained Shakespearean actress. Yet when she moved to New York after graduation, she was unable to find work. She was told, “Sorry. Blacks don’t do Shakespeare.”
Momentarily defeated, Danitra took a job teaching high school in Gary, Indiana. But she kept her love of performing alive. She workshopped characters and comedy routines in her free time. She performed at the famed Second City comedy club in Chicago. In 1981, Danitra took another swing at “making it” in New York.
This time, she was far more successful. Danitra found her footing with BACA Downtown, the Brooklyn Arts Council’s alternative performance space. BACA helped launch the careers of other legendary performers like Spike Lee, Danny Devito and Suzan Lori-Parks.
Danitra continued to workshop characters and developed a style that uniquely combined her technical training with her instinct for comedy. Her success at BACA led to a six-month residency at the experimental off-broadway theater, La Mama. The show was called “Danitra Vance and the Mell-O White Boys”. Danitra performed characters in front of a group of white male backup singers. A review for the show in the Village Voice read, “Danitra Vance creates magic of a sharper sort.”
Due to her success at La Mama, in 1985 Danitra got a big break. Danitra was cast in the 11th season of Saturday Night Live. Although SNL had featured Black performers in the past – Danitra became the first Black person to formally join the cast. Alongside fellow new member Terry Sweeney, Danitra was one of the first LGBTQ cast members in the show’s history.
Danitra’s time on SNL was complicated. While her presence was barrier-breaking, she was often limited to stereotypically “Black roles”. When she could, Danitra used her air time to push back on these stereotypes and complicate the dominant narratives around Black women.
One of her most famous sketches was called “I Play The Maids”. It was a parody of the Barry Manilow song, “I Write the Songs.” In it, Danitra bemoans the constant stereotyping she faced as a Black performer. She similarly spoofed the 1960s sitcom “That Girl”, in a sketch called “That Black Girl”.
Another standout contribution of Danitra’s time on SNL includes “Shakespeare in the Slums.” In this sketch, Danitra once again defies expectations with her mastery of the Shakespearean text. Fellow comedian Marina Franklin reflected on Danitra’s life in an interview for Vulture. Of Danitra’s performance in “Shakespeare in the Slums”, Marina said: “she was the first black woman to sort of go outside of the stereotype while doing a stereotypical character.”
Still, Danitra remained frustrated with her experience at SNL and opted to leave the show when the season ended. But Danitra’s performing career was far from over.
In 1986, she appeared in the Off-Broadway production of “The Colored Museum”. Danitra went on to form a successful creative partnership with the playwright, George C. Wolfe. A few years later, Danitra starred in his play “Spunk”. An adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s short stories. Danitra’s performance in “Spunk” earned her an Obie Award.
Danitra also took her talents to the big screen. She landed supporting roles in the films Sticky Fingers, The War of the Roses and Hangin’ with the Homeboys. And leading roles in the films Limit Up with Ray Charles and Little Man Tate with Jodie Foster.
In 1990, Danitra was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. She captured her experience in a performance piece called, “The Radical Girl’s Guide to Radical Mastectomy.” In 1993, her cancer resurfaced. A year later, she died Only a few of her obituaries mentioned her longtime partner, Jones Miller.
Even in death, Danitra pursued comedy. Instead of a traditional funeral, Danitra’s final request was for her family to throw her a “going away party” at an amusement park. They obliged, and spent the day throwing bean bags and bobbing for apples.
All month, we’re highlighting queer stars of the stage and screen. For more information find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz and Jenny Kaplan for inviting us to guest host.
Talk to you tomorrow!