On Wednesday, February 10th, Broadway singer, actor, and the co-founder of a non-profit organization called inDEFINED, Bryan Terrel Clark, and the Lyceum series hosted a motivational event to PSC via Zoom. He is most notable for his appearance as George Washington in the Broadway hit Hamilton.
His mother is a pastor, and she would always quote this scripture “We’re overcome by the word of our testimony.” Clark interpreted this scripture for when someone hears someone tell their story and the listener is connected to it, and it inspires them. He refers to one’s passion being your compass during these times. “When your passion meets with your purpose, that is when fulfillment happens.”
He states that adults are not happy because they have forgotten their passion, or their passions are no longer their passions.
His father was a different story. Clark gave the analogy of his father receiving a football full ride scholarship but turned it down. When he asks he his father would say, “ I want to get that money why you got to get out there and get that money.” His father did sell and partake in drugs and it took him a long time in rehab.
However, he compares his mother to an angel and his father to a dragon and he said, “both of my parents gave him wings to fly.”
Not too long ago, Clark asked his mom when the first time was. He said I wanted to be an actor. She answered with, before you could talk, and he would run-up to the television or radio and bounce. He states he started this journey as a performer if you could not tell, the answer is a church. Throughout middle school he was a shy kid and when he sang in the gospel choir he would keep to himself. One time someone in the audience noticed his singing and asked him to sing; whenever he sang the man told him that he sounds like Whitney Houston.
Clark explains that his aunt Brenda was the first person to get into improv classes and states,”Aunt Brenda, wherever you are, thank you so much.”
He says that if we live life to follow that passion, it will take us on adventures you might think were possible.
Clark grew up poor with three siblings, and his mother was working as a schoolteacher to first graders. He calls his mother a superhero and compares her to Mother Teresa. He recalled one project her class did to bring in all the coins the first graders could find and, at the end of the semester, would shop for the homeless.
Clark sang the Negro National Anthem during the event to change it up a bit. He dedicated this to his mother and to Black History Month.
He instructed the audience to do a two-week challenge. He says that the first thing that you should do is to not look at your phone but to write down three things that you are grateful for and start your day in gratitude. “It will open the gate of abundance,” he states.
At the end of the event, Clark was asked how do you want to be remembered in history. He referred to a song his character George Washington sings called History Has Its Eyes on You, “I would love for someone to just be able to say that by encountering me, they felt like they didn’t want to give up.” No matter if you meet in person or through one of his films.
Lastly, he added that if anyone has any other questions for him, he may take some time to get to them, but he will answer. He provided his Instagram: @therealbtc.