Headin’ to New York: Actor Daveed Diggs Visits Cornell for a Masterclass on Adaptation

“I’ll give you one hint: Thomas Jefferson’s coming home.” 

These words from Performing and Media Arts Department Chair Dr. Samantha Sheppard left the audience buzzing with excitement at the department’s Projects and Participation Kick-off for Fall 2024. Could it really be true? Was Daveed Diggs, the Tony Award-winning actor who originated the roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton, coming to Cornell? On Sept. 25, that excitement became reality when Diggs arrived on campus as the 2024 Heermans-McCalmon Distinguished Guest Artist.