The Donal Leace Endowment for the Theater Department

DESA Communications
Jul 31
3 min read

Dave Chappelle is honoring his mentor and former teacher, Donal Leace, by contributing proceeds of his film screening on Martha's vineyard on Friday August 8th to The Donal Leace Endowment, originally established in January 2021 to honor the legacy of Donal Richard Leace and his long-time commitment to Duke Ellington School of the Arts and its students.

This endowment fund for the Theater Department at Duke Ellington School of the Arts provides a lasting tribute to support future generations of young artists, ensuring that Leace’s legacy of excellence, creativity, and cultural impact lives on through the students he inspired.

Dave Chappelle’s gift to the Theater Department at Duke Ellington School of the Arts is more than philanthropy—it’s personal. By establishing an endowment in the name of his late mentor, Donal Leace, Chappelle honors the man who helped shape his voice as an artist and instilled in him a lifelong respect for the stage. This fund will serve as a permanent resource to support theater education at Ellington, empowering generations of students to find their voice just as Chappelle did.

Donal Leace was not only a beloved teacher but a nationally respected folk musician, performer, and educator. His career spanned decades, including powerful collaborations with artists like Roberta Flack, Nina Simone, and Odetta. Yet it was his work at Ellington that became his legacy. Leace taught students how to connect craft with conscience, performance with purpose. His classroom was a sanctuary of truth, rigor, and soul.

Dave Chappelle, one of the most influential comedians of our time, often credits Ellington—and Donal Leace in particular—as foundational to his artistic journey.

His fearless approach to storytelling and social commentary echoes the values Leace championed: honesty, bravery, and brilliance.

Donal Richard Leace (May 6, 1939 – November 21, 2020) was a multifaceted figure: an American folk musician, educator, civil rights advocate, and theater arts teacher, remembered for his profound impact in Washington, DC.

The Donal Leace Endowment for Theater will ensure that students at Ellington continue to receive a transformative arts education. It will support instruction, productions, and special opportunities that elevate young artists from promise to power. Through this fund, Dave Chappelle passes on the gift he received—access, excellence, and the courage to stand in the spotlight and speak the truth.

Educator & Theater Teacher

Donal held degrees from Howard University (BFA), George Washington University (MFA), and a Master of Liberal Studies in Medieval–Renaissance history from Georgetown University.

During the 1980s, he served as Chair of the Theater Department at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC

At Ellington, he taught theater history, public speaking, and Harlem Renaissance courses. He mentored students such as comedian Dave Chappelle and opera star Denyce Graves

According to former students, he was known for weekly speeches encouraging excellence and self-awareness; one recalled how he’d say:

“You know, some of you may not belong here… this may not be the right place for you” — a line both prophetic and inspiring for many students.

Honors & Legacy

He was recognized as a Fulbright Scholar and a U.S. Presidential Scholar
Inducted into the Washington Area Music Association Hall of Fame (2000), and into Washingtonian Magazine’s Washington Music Hall of Fame (2003)