Q. Smith

Quiana Smith, known professionally as Q. Smith, is an American stage actress born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1978 or 1979 to Llana and Rudy Smith. Her Broadway career spans from 2006 to 2024, with credits including A Night with Janis Joplin, Mary Poppins, The Hills of California, Les Misérables, and Come From Away.

Smith's introduction to theater came late in high school, when two fellow African-American students at Omaha North High School introduced her to show tunes. Her first exposure to a Broadway production was a touring production of Les Misérables that came through Omaha. High school teachers encouraged her to explore opera singing, leading her to work with the Omaha Symphony Orchestra. The summer before her senior year, she taught drama to children, and it was during this time that she acquired the nickname "Q," given to her by students who could not pronounce her given name, Quiana.

Smith initially studied drama at the University of Nebraska while auditioning for college theater programs, then transferred to Ithaca College in her sophomore year. She graduated from Ithaca College in 2000 with a degree in musical theater, becoming one of the first two African-American women to complete the program. Following graduation, she returned to Omaha and joined the Omaha Theatre Company for Young People before relocating to New York City, where her first show was Smokey Joe's Café.

In 2009, Smith joined the North American Tour of Mary Poppins, subsequently becoming the first featured African-American actress in any production of that musical, performing the role of Miss Andrew. That same year, she performed at events connected to Barack Obama's inauguration ceremonies as a representative of Nebraska, a role she reprised at the 2013 ceremonies.

Smith originated the role of Lana, later renamed Hannah, in the world premiere of Come From Away at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2015. Having lived in Queens and been present in New York City on September 11, 2001, she was initially reluctant to take the part before ultimately accepting it. She continued with the production through its Broadway premiere in February 2017. In 2016, she recorded and performed the season theme song for Transcendence Theatre Company, a track titled "Live," written by Rick McKee specifically for the company's 2016 season.

Beyond performing, Smith has led drama workshops and participated in programs that employ theater as a therapeutic tool. She has also spent more than a decade working on a book titled Queens of the Theatre, focused on women of color who have worked across theater, television, and film. Smith married fellow actor Lawrence Stallings in 2018, and the couple have one son.