We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Danielle Bainbridge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Danielle , appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
I think from a very early age my parents made me feel like I could accomplish almost anything I set my mind to. If I said, “I want to be an astronaut gymnast” (which was a real goal of mine for a couple of days) my father usually responded with, “OK what are all the steps you need to take between now and the future to become an astronaut gymnast?” They didn’t make me feel silly when I was 13 and said I would study paranormal activity, or when I was 7 and said I wanted to be a poet or when I was 18 and wanted to be an OBGYN. They gave me a sense of having this really capacious identity that could do or be anything. And I realize now as a writer, filmmaker, theatre artist, and professor this lesson allowed me to think really broadly about who I was and what I could be. It gave me an important boost of confidence really early in life and made me feel capable. But in addition to supporting my dreams, they also taught me the importance of hard work. Talent and ability are great things, but hard work is what accomplishes projects and turns dreams into reality. I appreciate that they always let me chase my wildest dreams while also instilling in me respect for others and the desire to work towards my goals (whatever they may be at this moment.)
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I wear a lot of different hats in my work life because I tend to be interested in almost everything. I find the world endlessly exciting and my work as a creative helps me to mine that excitement through telling stories. I received my BA in English and Theatre Arts and then went to grad school where I got a PhD in African American Studies and American Studies. So my academic background is a mix of creative fields and history. I’ve always loved interdisciplinary work that explores topics from unique and unexpected angles. In my day job I’m a professor and theatre historian at Northwestern University where I teach classes in African American theatre, digital storytelling, Anglophone Caribbean theatre, and Black Studies. My first academic book “Currencies of Cruelty: Slavery, Freak Shows, and the Performance Archive” is currently under contract with NYU Press. But in addition to that work I also create, write, host, produce, and now direct web series and films about history and pop culture.
I’ve always considered myself a writer first and foremost. Even when I was young I dreamed about seeing my name on the spine of books that were on people’s shelves. But in 2017 while I was still in grad school I received an opportunity from PBS to write and host my own web series called “Origin of Everything.” From there I’ve gone on to create, write, host, produce, and guest star on numerous shows, 3 of which have been nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards. I love nonfiction storytelling because in some ways I think history is often stranger than fiction. In 2023 I directed my first short film titled Curio, which unlocked a new interest for me in directing my own work. I now have an opportunity to direct a mini series for ITVS that will hopefully air in 2024, giving me even more opportunity to flex this new muscle.
I also write creative nonfiction and I’m hard at work on my first memoir titled Dandelion, which was recently short listed for the St. Lawrence Book Award from Black Lawrence Press and supported by residencies from the Banff Centre and the Adirondack Center for Writing. As a creative I always try to let the story I want to bring to life tell me what it wants to be. Perhaps that’s a short film, or a web series, or a play, or an essay. Whatever the case, I try to stay true to the stories that interest me and the bring attention to often forgotten histories through my words and work.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I think if there’s one goal or mission of my work as a creative, it’s to tell the truth. This is both a very simple and an endlessly complex task. I think the type of work that I’m most drawn to creatively illustrates some greater truth about our connected humanity in a way I’ve never thought of before. I wrote my first poem in 2nd grade and my teacher Ms. Martin told me that I was a writer. This had a profound effect on me and my thinking for the rest of my life. In many ways it started my creative journey and my desire to tell complex stories.
I also have a deep commitment to writing stories about and for Black women and girls. For a lot of my childhood I dreamed about making theatre and films as an adult, but I didn’t realize that some of that desire was driven by wanting to see myself represented in media. When I was 8 years old I went to my first Broadway show and saw Toni Braxton as Belle in Beauty and the Beast. And seeing evidence of a Black Disney princess changed something in me forever. I became interested in performing and joined our school’s speech and debate team as well as the drama club. I wanted to tell stories that featured my experiences and the experiences of folks who looked like me.
Telling the truth has become something of a rallying cry and guiding light in my career. It motivates me and keeps me passionate even when the work is hard.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the freedom it gives me to imagine new worlds every day. I love to get lost in the storytelling aspects of my work and every day when I sit down to write I hope to get closer and closer to my audience through my words. It’s a lot of work to be an artist but I find the work rewarding. It makes me feel full when I can pass on that passion and love of creation to my students in the classroom.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: quirkyprofessor_
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-bainbridge-21673bb7/
- Twitter: quirkprofessor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pbsorigins
Image Credits
Production Stills are taken from my short film Curio. All of the Behind the Scenes photos and my headshot are taken by Taylor Hall O’Brien.