Biography
Marcus Terrell Smith began his career as a performer at the age of nine, singing and traveling the world with the Phoenix Boys Choir and Phoenix Children's Choir. A strong passion for the stage led him to the University of Arizona, where he studied Musical Theatre, performing with the Arizona Repertory Theater in plays and musicals such as Sideshow (Jake) and Tracers (Little John). He explored Community Theater during his time there as well, performing with Arizona On Stage in the musicals Elegies: Looking Up, Songs for A New World and The Full Monty (Horse).
In 2007 he graduated from UA, receiving his B.A. in Linguistics, and, having been accepted into the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University (ASDS), he immediately set off to New York City that next fall. While immersed in his studies he performed in several Off-Broadway productions such as Dream Wedding and Falling In Love With Love. Not only did his three years of conservatory training and performance strengthen his acting abilities, he blossomed in the areas of playwriting, screen writing and directing; and it was in his final year that he began work on his first novel, Cry The Fables.
He graduated from ASDS in 2010 with a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting and remained in New York from another year. His steadfast tenacity and musical talent afforded him several more performance opportunities in many productions, such as Richard III (Buckingham) with Extant Arts Company and the New York Fringe Festival (Menny & Mila).
Marcus Terrell returned to Arizona in 2011 and immediately put his hand to directing. He made his directing debut at Chandler Center for the Arts that summer with the wonderful children's production of Alice In Wonderland. Finding that he had a knack for working with children on the stage, he continued on with the Chandler Center for the Arts, directing several more productions, including Best of Both Worlds, The Rockin' Tale of Snow White, Don't Stop Believin', Annie, and The Lion King.
Word spread quickly about the high quality and undeniable attention to detail stamped on his productions, and it wasn't long before he was urged to teach acting in the classroom and privately; not only to children but to young adults, college students and seniors as well. He teaches at Studio 3 Triple Threat Academy and the Anderson Institute of Music and Performing arts; where has also directed the young adult productions High School Musical, Legally Blonde, Cheaper By The Dozen, Into The Woods, and Aladdin Jr.
Though some may have thought it, performing has not taken a backseat to his other endeavors in the least. He performs in an improv comedy troupe with the National Comedy Theater and croons in the spotlight with his indie rock/pop band, Hotboxx Academy.
All the while, Marcus Terrell has continued to write, and in 2013 he finished the first novel in the Cry The Fables Books Series, as well as the children's book, Two Lovely Cadderpillars, this past year.
He is performing as Mutumbo in Broadway's Tony Award-winning musical, The Book Of Mormon.
