Royana Black, a theatre and TV actor who starred in Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway, has died at the age of 47.
The actor’s family announced in an obituary that she died on 14 July in Los Angeles, California.
A GoFundMe campaign established for her memorial said that Black had died “very suddenly”, and that the cause of death was acute myeloid leukaemia.
“She was a beautiful person inside and out,” her family said. “She was truly an angel on earth.”
As of Tuesday, the GoFundMe has raised more than double its initial $25,000 (£19,500) target. The fundraising campaign also paid tribute to Black.
“Royana’s incredible energy and spirit will be a part of our lives forever, and her friends and family want to remember her and assist her husband, JP, at this most difficult time,” a post on the website said.
Black was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1973. She starred in her first Broadway production at the age of 10, playing Laurie in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs.
On TV, Black appeared in series including The Cosby Show, Touched by an Angel and Touching Evil.
After moving to Los Angeles, Black also directed and performed in her own theatre company.
She is survived by her husband, John Paul Hubbell, her mother, and her brother.
