Lady in Blue
Margo Harper is a Chicago native and a multifaceted performing and teaching artist whose career spans theater, film, music, radio, education, and community engagement. She is an accomplished director, actress, playwright, screenwriter, drama instructor, songwriter, vocalist, performance poet, radio personality, puppeteer, and children’s ministry leader.
Margo studied Psychology, Drama, and Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh and has dedicated her career to using the arts as a vehicle for education, empowerment, and cultural expression. She has taught drama through the Diversity Program at Carlow University and at the Community College of Allegheny County, inspiring students of all ages through performance-based learning and creative development.
As a performer, Margo has appeared in television productions, films, national tours, and numerous stage productions. Her theater credits include For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf at the Wilkinsburg Theater; Shakin’ the Mess Out of Misery with Kuntu Repertory Theatre; When a Woman’s Fed Up with David Payton Productions; The Amen Corner with Actors of America Theater; A Raisin in the Sun at the Beverly Arts Center; The Billboard at the 16th Street Theater; Daddy’s Little Girl with Black Butterfly Productions; Shed during the Perceptions Theatre BIPOC Play Festival; Warm on the Cooling Board at MPAACT; and Mop and Bucket Blues at ETA Creative Arts Foundation.
A passionate advocate for youth arts education, Margo has developed and led numerous puppet arts workshops and residency programs for children and teens. She successfully organized and directed middle school and high school puppet troupes and workshops whose performances were showcased throughout the cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Nashville, Tennessee. Through these programs, she has helped young people build confidence, creativity, communication skills, and leadership through the art of puppetry and storytelling.
In addition to her stage and educational work, Margo continues to expand her creative outreach through digital media. She and her husband, Donn Carl Harper are the creators and performers behind the family-friendly puppet series Baba Donn and RuthAnn, currently featured on YouTube.
As a director, Margo has helmed numerous theatrical productions, including the recent production of Jane with the Connective Theater Company in Chicago. She is also a member of the gospel recording and performance group Cliff DuBose and Divine.