Leslie Lorraine McCurdy

Actor | Playwright | Dancer | Choreographer | Singer | Mentor

Leslie McCurdy has forged her career entertaining audiences internationally as a solo artist for over 30 years, along the way receiving an International Vigor Award, the 2014 Elizabeth Havelock Grant from the Windsor Endowment of the Arts, and the 2014 and 2000 Mayor’s Awards for "Artist of the Year" and “Outstanding Performing Artist” of Windsor Ontario respectively.

After obtaining an honours B.F.A. in dance with teaching certification from the University of Michigan, Leslie performed with the Detroit City Dance Company during which time she served as a teaching assistant to Judith Jamison of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre for several of her Detroit residencies. After tripping and fracturing her hip, Leslie fell into acting. Her theatre credits include: Mrs. Barker in American Dream; Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill; Risa in August Wilson's Two Trains Running; Nurse Ratchet in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Bobbie-Michelle in Last of the Red Hot Lovers; Dorothy in The Wiz; Laura McClellan-Williams in Checkmates; The Acid Queen in Tommy; Fraulein Kost in Cabaret; The Coochie-Snoocher in The Vagina Monologues. She also did a stint in ABC’s Detroit 1-87, directed by Kevin Hooks and has appeared in several movies, including The Ides of March, under the direction of George Clooney, a featured role in Amanda and the Fox, produced by Joel Reisig and Deadlock with John X. Carey and Aqsa Altaf.

Leslie is also a successful playwright having written the one-woman plays that she performs. The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, her most “famous” play, that she celebrates 27 years of touring with, was a finalist for a Canadian Chalmers Award for Best New Play for Young Audiences. Her second play, Things My Fore-Sisters Saw, touring for 25 years, was filmed for TV and premiered on the Bravo Network in Canada in February 2006.  Her Billie Holiday portrait, Lady Ain’t Singing No Blues, hits the touring circuit in 2025 and in April of 2024 her new show, The Darktown Strutters Ball, a full length "historical musical review", premiered in Orangeville Ontario, Canada to rave reviews.

Leslie is the subject of a documentary film, "The Leslie McCurdy Story: On the Money" for her work as an outspoken artist activist. She spends countless hours volunteering with non-profit and youth groups. She was recently honoured for her activism with the Silver Jubilee Pin in Honour of Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in her home country of Canada.

Lil' Ol' Me Productions

Li'l Ol' Me Productions is just that, little old me, Leslie, producing myself. The name was assigned to me by one of the organizers of the 2010 National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem North Carolina, where I had the privilege of performing my one-woman play, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman. When I was asked to name my production company, I replied that I didn’t have a company, that it was only "li'l ol' me" producing myself. That’s what they listed as my production company and it’s a name that has stuck with me ever since.  I kept the name because I know that I wouldn't be able to do what I do without all of the people throughout the years who have helped me along the way. So this is a shout out to all of you with much love and gratitude.