‘I’m Who I Wanted To See’ — ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ Star Ayana Cymone Is Redefining What A Black Leading Lady Looks Like On Broadway [Exclusive]

In the terrifying and deeply nostalgic universe of Stranger Things, the presence of Henry Creel—the troubled boy who eventually becomes the monstrous Vecna—has horrified millions of viewers worldwide. On the stage of the Marquis Theatre, inside Broadway’s Tony-winning production Stranger Things: The First Shadow, something unexpected steals the spotlight: a grounding, fiercely human love story. At the very center of that emotional core is Patty Newby, played by Ayana Cymone, who carries the heart, soul, and terrifying screams of the role eight times a week.

Ayana sat down with MadameNoire in this exclusive conversation to discuss her trajectory, stepping into this pivotal lead role, and what it truly means to occupy space on Broadway.

Cymone’s performance speaks to a change taking place across the theater landscape—a moment where Black women are holding down major spaces across the broader New York theatrical scene. Whether observing the raw, ensemble-driven energy of The Outsiders, the high-octane spectacle of Boop! The Musical, the classic genre reinventions in Little Shop of Horrors, or the multi-generational celebration of Black female agency in The Whoopi Monologues, the standard for what Black artists can lead is expanding rapidly. Cymone’s performance as Patty reflects this growing, necessary standard: Black heroines leading stories where their humanity isn’t reduced to trauma, but elevated as the ultimate emotional force.