UNC Pembroke theatre program graduate Jamonte Madison will join Juilliard’s elite ranks this fall.
The Juilliard School––a world leader in performing arts education known for its competitive and selective admission standards––is famous for distinguished alumni, including actors Robin Williams, Kevin Spacey, Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain.
Madison, a 2022 graduate, was on cloud nine after receiving a call that he had been accepted to the Master of Fine Arts in Drama program. He was among only nine MFA applicants selected following rigorous auditions at the prestigious conservatory in New York City.
“I’m still in shock even today!” he said. “I’m very happy because I worked hard to get here. Many candidates were from larger performing arts programs and Ivy League schools. To be in the same room with them and then to be accepted proves that hard work does pay off.”
Madison credits UNCP’s theatre program with fostering his success. He auditioned for every show during his time at UNCP, including professional productions for the artist-in-residence program and the summer professional Shakespeare in the Pines led by Johnathan Drahos, director of Theatre at UNCP.
“Jamonte has grown into his own here at UNCP,” Drahos said. “He has benefited from the theatre program’s student-centric ethos that imbricates rigorous classroom modules with full-scale theatrical productions. Through his training, he has become a capable actor of both classical and contemporary theatre within myriad diverse genres. I am so proud of his development and maturity as a creative artist.”
Madison caught the acting bug after performing an improvisational scene during his junior year of high school and first time on stage.
“The entire class was watching, and I didn’t want to fail, so I fully took on the circumstances of the scene. I’ve never looked back after that.”
At UNCP, Madison honed his craft under the guidance of Drahos and fellow program mentors Carolanne Marano, Holden Hansen and Eric Voecks.
“Drahos and his training prepare graduates well for these types of endeavors, and the education I received solidifies what it means to be an actor. The theatre program is amazing, and I was provided many opportunities outside of school, like ‘Strike at the Wind! My experience at UNCP gave me purpose and justification to continue doing what I’m doing.”
