Quincy Hampton balances the life of a student and a professional actor

For Quincy Hampton, the year 2025 redefined the vision he holds for his life. When Quincy and I spoke, it was over video call. Quincy is a junior at the University of Michigan where he is pursuing his BFA in Musical Theatre. Two years ago, Quincy played Nick Bottom in Columbia High School's production of Something Rotten! Members of the original Broadway cast of Something Rotten! came to see the production, and what's more, Quincy heard from three agents interested in working with him. Ultimately, the CHS stage led Quincy directly to the stage where he found himself earlier this year: Broadway, as part of the original Broadway cast of Real Women Have Curves, the musical adaptation of the play by Josefina López.

Making his Broadway debut had been a long held ambition of Quincy's, he just did not expect it to happen when he was 20-years-old. When he landed the role in the Ensemble and as an Understudy for the character of Henry, Quincy took a semester off of college. It was never a question of whether he would return to finish his degree, and today, Quincy balances being a student with being a professional actor. He talks about the experience and the excitement of not knowing where he'll find himself next. Through it all, though, Quincy grounds himself in the work, the craft, and the people.

And when he talks about that vision for his life now, Quincy speaks from a knowledge that anything can happen. He says ultimately when thinks about his career and his life, his biggest hope is to "do cool things, with cool people, in cool places."

This weekend, the cool thing with cool people in a cool place is right here in Maplewood. Quincy is part of the Achieve Foundation's staged reading of the Thornton Wilder play Our Town on Sunday, November 16. The cast also features two-time Tony winner Norbert Leo Butz and fellow CHS graduate Marygrace Rumley, along with local leaders, artists, and neighbors.

Learn more about Our Towns read "Our Town" here, and if you'd like to follow along Quincy's journey at the University of Michigan and beyond, you can find him on Instagram here.

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