Zendaya Makes Incredible Six-Figure Donation Amidst ‘Dune: Part Two’ Success

Michael Hein

03/06/2024 10:57 am EST

Zendaya simply made a $100,000 donation to The California Shakespeare Theater – or “Cal Shakes” – the place she realized to behave as a toddler. The 27-year-old actress is at present driving excessive on the success of Dune: Half Two, which exceeded expectations in its opening weekend. Nonetheless, based on a report by SFGate, Zendaya has been planning to assist help this theater for a very long time.

Zendaya started spending time at Cal Shakes as a toddler when her mom, Claire Stoermer, labored because the theater’s home supervisor in the summertime. The theater’s government director Clive Worsley advised SFGate that Zendaya “spent loads of time hanging round backstage, rubbing elbows with actors” in these days. She finally began taking appearing courses herself, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than she was solid in roles within the theater. Years later, she didn’t hesitate to vive again to the theater the place she obtained her begin.

“We might been speaking to Zendaya for the final 12 months and a half concerning the challenges that theaters are dealing with – that Cal Shakes has confronted – popping out of the pandemic, and he or she enthusiastically supplied to indicate us some help,” Worsley defined. “It is wonderful, and we’re actually actually grateful for it.”

That help lastly took form within the type of a $100,000 donation by way of the Ladies Donors Community. Worsley mentioned that she additionally helps Cal Shakes in individual every time doable, stopping by to present a chat to different actors or just to say whats up. He mentioned that her donation will go in direction of supporting the upcoming manufacturing of As You Like It, together with updates to the in-house cafe and upgrades to the lighting system.

Ladies Donors Community CEO Leena Barakat gave a press release to reporters as nicely, saying: “We’re more than happy to have the ability to supply this common help grant in partnership with Zendaya. We hope that our funding helps your work and helps additional your strategic imaginative and prescient, wherever funds are most wanted.”

Zendaya grew up in Oakland and has proven numerous help to her local people since turning into a star. Worsley famous: “For us, it is nice in case your college students are good actors, however extra importantly it is how they present up. And Zendaya at all times confirmed up as a superb castmate, group member and enthusiastic teammate. She made it concerning the different individual.” He famous that Zendaya labored with actor Colman Domingo at Cal Shakes, they usually later labored collectively on HBO’s Euphoria. He mentioned: “It is full-circle. It is a actually candy story about her trajectory.”

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