Memorial marker installed at Donna Reed's childhood home

Boulder marks the location south of Denison, IA

It's now easier to find the rural birthplace and childhood home of film and television actress, Donna Reed. The farmhouse where she grew up was lost to fire in 1983. 

The site is now marked by a huge boulder from the property and a bronze plaque. The site is located 6.5 miles south of the junction of U.S. Highway 30 and Donna Reed Drive. 

The marker was made possible through the efforts of Pat Houston, Chris Petersen and the Donna Reed Foundation.

gps coordinates, 41.934879, -95.305642

1999 Donna Reed scholarship finalist cast in ABC's crime drama, "Secrets and Lies"

Mekia Cox

Mekia Cox to appear in role of Amanda Warner

Mekia Cox (90210 and One Tree Hill) has been cast opposite Michael Ealy and Juliette Lewis in Season 2 of ABC’s anthology crime drama series Secrets & Lies, which will feature an all-new crime story that follows Eric Warner (Ealy), a newly married heir apparent who is under suspicion when his wife is murdered. Cox has been cast as Amanda Warner, Eric’s sister, and wife of a prominent Charlotte surgeon, who works as a criminal attorney for the Public Defender’s office. She idolizes her older brother Eric and is fiercely protective of him, immediately coming to his aid when he is targeted by Detective Cornell (Lewis) as the prime suspect in the murder of his wife. Cox was a 1999 Donna Reed scholarship finalist from Orlando, Florida.

Donna Reed Foundation national scholar invited to perform in Spain

Grimes on cover of Dance Teacher

Jared Grimes celebrates July 4th in Madrid

Jared Grimes, a 2001 Donna Reed Foundation scholarship recipient in dance, joined fellow Broadway stars in Spain to celebrate July 4th a bit early with over 3,000 ex-pats and Spaniards. The U.S. State Department invited Grimes (Radio City's NEW YORK SPRING SPECTACULAR), Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti (GYPSY), and Norm Lewis (PHANTOM, PORGY AND BESS), for an evening "Celebrating New York City".

The trio performed a medley of songs for the one-night-only concert at the invitation of U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos. Performances included classic show tunes from "Broadway Baby" to "Being Alive" and a showstopping re-visioning of MY FAIR LADY's "I Could Have Danced All Night", sung a cappella by Benanti with tap-dancing percussion from Grimes.

Donna Reed Scholarship alumna finishes run at Center Stage Baltimore

Saycon Sengbloh

Saycon Sengbloh in Bob Marley musical

Saycon Sengbloh, a 1996 Donna Reed Foundation national scholarship winner, landed the role of Rita Marley in the world premiere production of Marley, a musical with music and lyrics by Bob Marley, and written and directed by Center Stage Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah. The production ran May 7 -14 at Center Stage in Baltimore.

Telling the story of a pivotal moment in Bob Marley's life in the late 1970s, when he spent two years of self-imposed exile in London after surviving an assassination attempt in his home in Jamaica, the musical marks the first time Marley's legendary music has been featured in a biographical context on the stage. 

Sengbloh has appeared in Broadway productions of Motown The Musical, Fela!, Hair, The Color Purple, Wicked and Aida.

2004 Donna Reed Scholarship Alumnus cast in USA Network drama series.

Ben Rappaport

Ben Rappaport to appear in Mr. Robot

Ben Rappaport, a 2004 Donna Reed Scholarship national finalist in acting, will play the part of Ollie in the new USA Network television series, Mr.Robot. The series follows a mysterious anarchist who recruits a young computer programmer who suffers from an anti-social disorder and connects to people by hacking them.

The series is scheduled to begin airing on USA Network on June 24, 2015. The pilot premiered on a variety of online and VOD services on May 27, 2015.

Rapport played the the recurring role of a fourth-year attorney, Carey Zapps on the CBS drama series, TheGood Wife. Viewers may also recognize him from his 2010 lead role as Todd Dempsy in the short-lived NBC series, Outsourced. 

Rappaport, born in Arlington, Texas, was a 2004 Donna Reed Scholarship national finalist in acting.

Brandon Victor Dixon to open in The Wild Party at New York City Center on July 15

Brandon Victor Dixon

Another Donna Reed scholarship alumnus making his mark in show business

   Brandon Victor Dixon, a 1999 Donna Reed scholarship finalist in musical theater, will join the cast of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party, running July 15 - 18, 2015 at New York City Center.  

   The Wild Party is the final production of New York City Center's acclaimed Encores! Off-Center series, which is returning for a third season of landmark Off-Broadway musicals.

   Dixon is known for creating the roles of Harpo in The Color Purple (2005), for which he was nominated for a Tony Award, and Berry Gordy Jr. in Motown: The Musical (2013). In London's West End, he played the role of Hayward Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys.

    His television credits include "The Good Wife," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," and "One Life to Live." 
    His producing credits include Of Mice and Men (2014) and Hedwig and the Angry Inch, which won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

Read more. 

Entry Deadline is June 30 for Donna Reed Foundation 2015 Iowa Drama Merit Awards

The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts announces the 2015 Iowa Merit Awards. The awards recognize talented Iowa high school students interested in pursuing further enrichment and education in the performing arts. 

Competition is open to all Iowa high school students (grades 10-12) who are studying drama and have acted in official school productions during the 2014-2015 school year. 

Awards of up to $1,000 may be awarded by the Foundation at its discretion. Assessment of merit will include application contents, personal statement, qualities and skill demonstrated in video audition sample, personal recommendation, and future potential. 

Complete Merit Award details and entry forms can be found here.