Andre De Shields …

Decades long celebrated actor. Renowned star of so many wonderful productions. Among them …  “The Wiz” … “Ain’t Misbehavin.”

He culminated his incredible run on Broadway this past February with a one man show “Frederick Douglas … Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory”

With all this renown … five decades on stage. He only received his first Tony Award in 2019 for his role in “Haiti’s Town.”

Learned … in his mid seventies … De Schield knew he would be called on to make an acceptance speech. Rather than try to thank fifty people and have the orchestra move him off stage.

He simply said this.

“I would just like to share with you. Three cardinal rules of my ability and longevity …”

One … Surround yourself with people who’s eyes light up when they see you coming.

Two … Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be.

Three … The tip of one mountain is the bottom of the next … so keep climbing.

And he exited stage left. This was then and has been acknowledged since as one of the best acceptance speeches ever given.