If 2023 has shown us anything, it’s that Black Girl Magic is real and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. In the past two months, we’ve seen legendary actresses such as Angela Bassett and Viola Davis receive their (well-deserved and earned) proverbial flowers. One burgeoning actress poised to take her rightful spot among theatrical royalty alongside them is Camille Upshaw. Upshaw, a Detroit native, was recently awarded the Artist’s Strategy Creative Fund from the creative agency Artist Strategy to produce her upcoming one-woman show Passing Down.
According to Upshaw, the production will be an ode to Black women.
“Passing Down originally debuted in 2018 in Tribeca, and I’m looking forward to the process and what it takes to remount this production,” Upshaw said. “I’m super grateful to have The Artist Strategy team in my corner this time around, as community makes all the difference. This show will be a love letter to Black women and will ignite a fire in anyone who has doubted themselves while honoring the ancestors who have come before us.”
It’s safe to assume that Upshaw’s upcoming play will be as expected — phenomenal. The actress, who received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from SUNY Purchase College and has acting credits in theater and film, most recently starred in the Broadway production Chicken and Biscuits. While Upshaw considers herself to have been a naturally creative child, her inspiration came under the tutelage of a Tony Award-winning drama instructor in high school.
“Marilyn Mccormick has helped create some of the greatest actors I know,” Upshaw told UPTOWN. “She inspired us to be the voice for the voiceless. She affirmed us and told us that we can tell these stories for people who are scared to tell them so that they can see themselves while being brave enough to be the voice.”
That same inspiration has likely kept the creative fulfilled even in times of darkness. Aside from acting, Upshaw sells handcrafted herbal teas and essential oil blends as the founder of Infinitea. The entrepreneur also serves as a leadership trainer for The Leadership Program in New York City. Despite being involved in various creative arenas, Upshaw readily admits that she sometimes struggles with mental health like everyone else.
“I’m a girl who advocates for mental health and therapy. People are always shocked when I tell them I struggle with anxiety, and in this day and age, I think it’s crazy not to assume that everyone struggles with mental health. I’m living the dream, but through that, it’s not that easy. People see the glitz and glam but behind that is an artist dealing with daily struggles. Sometimes I feel like I’ve conquered this anxiety, and things happen where it visits again.”
In the face of adversity, mental health, or otherwise, Upshaw continues to persevere one day at a time. The performer’s remedy to life’s hardships is making life as glamorous as possible while being more intentional regarding her next professional chapters.
“I make my life as glamorous as possible because living on this side of the world is not easy,” Upshaw told UPTOWN. “I try to create as much luxury under my definition of luxury as possible. This year, I’m moving with specificity. When I was just accepting and doing everything, I wasn’t being intentional about what I wanted my career to look like.”
