Andrea Frankle, 1998 graduate of the Department of Theatre, plays Suzanna Macon, the cruel plantation mistress on the hit WGN America show “Underground.”

“Underground” is the story of a group of slaves in 1857 who plan a daring escape from the Macon plantation to cross 600 miles to freedom, fighting to survive all the way.

Frankle, originally from Montgomery, was auditioning for Birmingham’s Summerfest as a teenager when she was spotted by a scout from the UAB Theatre, who convinced her to come in and audition for a scholarship.

“They prepared me so well,” Frankle says of the Theatre faculty.

Frankle also appeared in the second season of “True Detective” on HBO. The new season of Underground began filming this summer and will air in 2017.