Support Marie's Graduate School Journey to London

Peace and blessings!

My name is Zahirah Muhammad and I'm raising money on behalf of my younger sister, Marie Muhammad, as she sets off this September 2024 to embark on a thrilling new journey to complete a full-time, 18-month Master of Fine Arts in Classical Acting at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

This is such an exciting time! There are no words that can begin to express the joy my family and I feel and how insanely proud of her we all are! But she needs YOUR help to not let this opportunity pass her by!

Hailing from the City of Detroit, the journey has been far from easy, but I've watched Marie hone her craft over the years, having a front row seat to her pursuing her passion, seeing how hard she's worked to get here and how brilliantly she's evolved as not only an actress, but as a woman.

When we lost our parents (father in 2022 and mother in 2021) and our big sister in 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult to envision a future without them and where to go from here. The pain we all felt was unbearable, but the resilience I witnessed in Marie, she exhibited with such grace, not only enduring her heavy heart, but not letting the weight of her personal life interfere with the goals she set for herself.

Marie became more focused than ever. From 2022 to the present, some productions she has been seen in include: Lynn Nottage’s Clyde’s at Detroit Public Theatre, Tori Sampson’s Cadillac Crew at The Inspired Acting Company, Lynn Nottage’s Mlima’s Tale and Martyna Majok’s Sanctuary City at Theatre NOVA, for which she won an award for her performance as G, Miranda Rose Hall’s Plot Points in Our Sexual Development at The Ringwald Theatre, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at Flint Repertory Theatre, Sarah Elisabeth Brown’s Lovebird Jamboree at Planet Ant Theatre, Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger’s Dreamgirls at the former Detroit Actor’s Theatre Company, and numerous projects with the non-profit, Black and Brown Theatre.

With the vigorous desire to continuously grow as an actor, Marie dedicated the last three years of her career preparing for graduate school auditions at the top acting schools throughout the country, overcoming many trials and tribulations along the way. Nevertheless, her faith has remained steadfast and, with the endless support of family and friends, she has become unstoppable. Marie has always put others first, including helping care for our ailing mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. So, we can all agree it is time for her to focus on herself and I am beyond delighted to create this GoFundMe for her.

My baby sis is receiving the opportunity of a lifetime attending one of the most prestigious acting schools in the world and the oldest drama school in the UK! Of the 3,500-5,000 applicants, approximately 400 are invited to second-round auditions in seven major cities across the U.S, and less than half of the 15/16 cohort accepted are from North America. Notable LAMDA alumni include: Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), David Oyelowo (Selma), Tony Goldwyn (Scandal), Arsema Thomas (Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story), Brian Cox (Succession), Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock; LAMDA President), James Bundy (Dean of David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University) and many more.

Just wow!!!

The funds gathered will go toward two years of tuition, housing, living expenses, and transportation since the graduate program and UK student visa restricts her from working more than 20 hours per week. The goal set also accounts for the gofundme transaction fee. I would love to afford Marie the mental and physical freedom of not having to incorporate a late-night job as graduate programs of this caliber will demand most if not all of her time.

Unfortunately, there are few scholarships/grants/bursaries for

❌️postgraduate studies

❌️a performing arts degree

❌️use at a non-US institution

While she will attend LAMDA for the invaluable training, after graduating in 2026, Marie plans to return to the U.S., which is why she will earn a MFA instead of a MA, as only an MFA can be used to teach at the university level. Seeing Marie live out her dreams inspires us all in ways we've only ever seen in movies and, with your contributions, one day soon we will see HER on the BIG SCREEN as part of someone else's inspiration.

Thank you from the bottom of all of our hearts for your support. Please do not hesitate to share and spread the word. Every bit helps!!!

And thank you to all who caught her in action LIVE in the hilarious and timely play Clyde’s by Lynn Nottage and produced by Detroit Public Theatre.