Mark Donovan Hagins, an actor, playwright, and educator who nurtured Philly’s theater community, has died at 56

Mark Donovan Hagins, 56, an actor, teacher, and producer who knew everyone in Philadelphia’s theater community, from the upstarts to the grizzled veterans, died at his home on June 24. His family said his death was sudden, but could not provide further details.

As a resident producer with the Philadelphia Young Playwrights nonprofit, Mr. Hagins mentored, educated, and staunchly advocated for countless young members of the city’s theater community. Mr. Hagins was known as a laid-back person who could calmly solve problems under pressure, while remaining curious and dedicated to serving his students. His collaborators said he was an imaginative, collaborative artist who understood the history of Black theater in Philadelphia and was interested in cultivating its future. He had a talent for bringing entertaining stories to life, with even the barest of tools.

His acting career is highlighted with productions with Philadelphia’s Freedom Theatre, Azuka Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, the Rutgers-Camden Center for the Arts, appearances in the second season of the HBO show The Wire, and roles in other theater workshops, television shows, and independent films.

One of his first roles came in 1999, when he connected with Philadelphia Young Playwrights as a student at Temple University and performed in the organization’s annual New Voices festival. After graduating in 2000, Mr. Hagins joined the nonprofit as a teaching artist and classroom actor to guide young playwrights and actors, even while his own theater career was just beginning. He produced numerous works by the city’s youth, including through the New Voices festival where middle, high school, and even elementary school playwrights have their works performed by adult actors.

“He believed that coming back to North Philadelphia … could make a difference in young people’s lives. And he said, if you could get through them through acting … you could change their momentum. You could change their environment. You could change their way of thinking. When they became adults, you know they would be better people in the world. So he invested into them,” said his aunt, Millicent Platt.

Mr. Hagins was born July 2, 1969. He grew up in the Hartranft section of North Philadelphia with his parents, Rev. Paul Hagins and Vermell Hagins, and sister, Ramona Johnson, and spent his summers visiting family in North Carolina. Mr. Hagins, who went by his middle name Donovan in the theater world, always was interested in theater, but found it to be his passion once he enrolled at Temple, his family said.

“A fixture of our Temple Theaters community, Donovan was a proud Temple alum invariably seen repping his school with a hat or shirt. He lived in Cherry and White. Donovan embodied the values of generosity and collaboration, showing an unwavering belief in the power of young voices,” Temple Theaters posted in an online tribute.

Professional actors who worked with him spoke highly of how he curated and directed student productions, said LaNeshe Miller-White, executive director of Philadelphia Young Playwrights. While he had had a calming, comforting presence around people, Mr. Hagins was always willing to have fun, too, whether it be playing a silly character written by a student or taking hold of the microphone for his weekly karaoke outing, she said. He took his relationships with students seriously, and stayed in touch with some of his mentees long after their time with the program ended.

“Donovan’s dedication to young artists and to PYP was unwavering, and his generosity, wisdom, and kindness touched countless students and colleagues across Philadelphia and beyond,” her organization wrote after his passing.

And while playwriting and theater drove him, Platt said Mr. Hagins’ niece Ragan Johnson, 25, and his nephew Gregory Johnson III, 22, were his heart.

His niece remembered visiting her uncle in Philadelphia, where they would eat cheesesteaks or visit Reading Terminal Market, and bond over Michael Jackson’s music. Johnson said he was a great listener, and recalled how fun it was to watch him perform on stage in Washington, D.C., during a period when he lived with her family. She will miss their phone calls, she said, where they used to go over her schoolwork together.

Mr. Hagins is preceded in death by his parents and sister. He is survived by his niece and nephew; Platt and another aunt, Ella Mae Frederick; uncle Phillip Platt; brother-in-law Gregory Johnson II; and other family members.

His family will hold a memorial service, open to the public, on Saturday, July 18, at 11 a.m. at Nix and Nix Event Venue, located at 1525 W Dauphin St.