- Merle Dandridge
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Merle Dandridge Born May 31
Okinawa, JapanOccupation Actress in theatre, television and videogames Merle Dandridge is an American actress who was born in Okinawa, Japan. Her father was an African-American US serviceman from Memphis and her mother was a local Okinawan of Korean and Japanese descent. Dandridge is primarily a stage actress, but has had several roles in television. She has gained a wider audience as the voice of Alyx Vance in the award-winning action game Half-Life 2 and its sequels, Episode One, Episode Two and the upcoming Episode Three.
Contents
Early life
As well as Okinawa, Dandridge has lived in Sacramento, California, at Beale Air Force Base, and later at Offutt Air Force Base (home to the then-Strategic Air Command) in Bellevue, Nebraska, where she spent the majority of her childhood. She attended Papillion La Vista High School and participated in the play production class and theater department there.
She then attended the Theatre Conservatory at Roosevelt University (currently called the Chicago College of Performing Arts) with a scholarship that she earned at the International Thespian Festival.
Stage and screen appearances
Theatre
- Once on this Island, Performer, (Chicago, IL) 1994
- Robber Bridegroom, as Rosamund, Roosevelt University (Chicago, IL) 1994
- As You Like It, as Rosalind, Roosevelt University (Chicago, IL) 1994
- Balm in Gilead, as Ann, Gilead Theatre (Chicago, IL) 1997
- The Kentucky Cycle, Performer, Truman College (Chicago, IL) 1997
- Company, as Kathy, (Chicago, IL) 1997
- Sweet and Hot, Performer, Theatre Building (Chicago, IL) 1997
- Heart and Soul, as Andrea (Chicago, IL) 1998
- Richard II, Performer, Gilead Theatre Co. (Chicago, IL) 1998
- Ain't Misbehavin', Performer, European Tour 1998
- Smokey Joe's Cafe, Swing, National Tour 1998
- Jesus Christ Superstar, as Mary Magdalene (understudy), Ford Center for the Performing Arts (Broadway) 2000
- Aida, as Nehebka, National Tour 2001
- Aida, as Aida (Replacement), Palace Theatre (Broadway) 2002
- Rent, as Joanne Jefferson (Replacement), Nederlander Theatre (Broadway) 2002
- Showtune: Celebrating the Words & Music of Jerry Herman, as Woman 2, Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena, CA) 2003
- Rent, as Joanne (Replacement), Nederlander Theatre (Broadway) 2003
- Tarzan, as Kala, Richard Rodgers Theatre (Broadway) 2006-2007
- Rent, as Joanne (Replacement), Nederlander Theatre (Broadway) 2008
- Monty Python's Spamalot, as The Lady of the Lake, Shubert Theatre (Broadway) 2008
- Rent, as Joanne, USA National Tour 2009-2010
Television
- Angel episode Home, as Lacey, 2003
- 24 Season 8, Episode 9
- Navy NCIS episode Sea Dog, as Marcy Carruthers, 2003
- Third Watch episode Too Little, too late as Nikki 2005
- CSI: Miami episode Sleepless In Miami as Stacy Garrett, 2010
Film
- Bentley and Max, 2008, in post-production
- Nothing But The Truth, 2008, in production
Video games
- Half-Life 2, as Alyx Vance (Voice), 2004
- Half-Life 2: Episode One, as Alyx Vance (Voice), 2006
- Half-Life 2: Episode Two, as Alyx Vance (Voice), 2007
- Half-Life 2: Episode Three, as Alyx Vance (Voice), TBA
External links
- Official website
- Merle Dandridge at the Internet Movie Database
- Broadway page
- An Unofficial Livejournal Community
- Merle Dandridge on Myspace
- Official blog
Categories:- Military brats
- African American actors
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- Living people
- American people of Japanese descent
- American people of Korean descent
- Roosevelt University alumni
- American theatre actor stubs
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