Antoinette McDonald-Ellis 

Bio

Antoinette McDonald-Ellis is a scholar, performance artist, public speaker, and advocate for other-abled people. She is also a performance theorist whose scholarship examines performance as a means to empower marginalized voices, pursue the truthful embodiment of character, and expand understanding of the aesthetics of performance.

A member of the visually challenged community, Antoinette lives with glaucoma and Charles Bonnet Syndrome. She draws on her lived experience to bring authenticity, advocacy, and representation to her work, using her voice and artistry to raise awareness and guide others navigating similar challenges.

Antoinette has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a professional performance artist, working on stage, screen, and in voice-over since 1990. From 2015 to 2019, she also served as a faculty member in Speech and Theatre at Southern University and A&M College, where she contributed to the education and mentorship of future performers and scholars.

Her academic journey is equally impressive. She holds multiple degrees and certifications, including an A.A.A. in Musical Theatre from the Performing Artists Musical Theatre Conservatory at Mountain View Community College (Dallas), an A.A.S. in Music and Video Production from The Art Institute of Dallas, a B.A. in University Studies from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, and an M.A. in Performance Studies from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.

Throughout her career, Antoinette has performed and presented widely, merging scholarship and artistry. Some notable past works include:

--Performing Sickness – Central States Communication Conference (2004)

--Everything I Needed to Know I Learned in Big Mama’s Kitchen: The Family Tradition of Oral Narratives (2004)

--Voices From Katrina – Central States Communication Conference (2005)

--Mixed Greens: Performance Art and Absurdism – Black Hawk College (2007)

--Three Diff’rent Sistahs – 58th Annual Apple Festival, Murphysboro, IL (2010)

--I Found Myself Inside My Poetry – National Women and Girls Night Out, Kennett, MO (2010)

--Sitting in Silence: The Self-Emancipation of a Slave – The Burkle House Museum (2013)

In recent years, Antoinette’s work has focused on life with Charles Bonnet Syndrome, where she combines her academic expertise, performance skills, and advocacy. Her recent presentations include:

--Seeing the Light Through Darkness: The Alpha and Omega Trauma – Finding Faith After Trauma Conference with Karen Robinson (2024)

--Living with CBS – Allied Pharmacy (2024)

--Do You See What I See? Living with CBS – North Carolina Continuing Education (2025)

--I See You Charlie: Now What? Living With CBS – Massachusetts Association for the Blind (2025)

--Rent is Due Charlie B: Life with CBS – New York State Commission for the Blind (2025)

She has also appeared as a guest on multiple episodes of the Charles Bonnet Syndrome Podcast (2024–2025).

Antoinette is humbled and honored to serve as the host of the 2025 Fort Worth White Cane Day celebration.