Merle Dandridge

Merle Dandridge stars as Persephone in Hadestown on Broadway at the Walter Kerr Theatre beginning February 18, 2025.

Dandridge was the first woman to play Papa Ge in the Tony Award-winning revival of Once on This Island on Broadway, for which she earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Musical Theater Album alongside her co-stars. Other notable Broadway roles include the title role in Aida, The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot, Joanne in Rent, and various roles in Jesus Christ Superstar.

On screen, she is known for playing Marlene in the Emmy-nominated series The Last of Us, reprising her role from the video game the show is based on. Additional screen credits include Oprah Winfrey's Greenleaf and ABC's Station 19.