Vanessa Severo and KC Rep Receive Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship

The William & Eva Fox Foundation and Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for theatre, have announced that Vanessa Severo in association with KC Rep is the recipient of a Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship for Exceptional Merit. Funded by the Fox Foundation and administered by TCG, the fellowship is one of only a few programs of its kind for actors in the country, and Severo is one of only six recipients in round eleven of fellowship activities.

The goals of the program are: to further an actor's artistic and professional development; to deepen and enrich their relationship with a not-for-profit theatre; ensure their continued professional commitment to live theatre; and to encourage actors to work outside their comfort zone. All recipients of this round of Fox Fellowships are committed to giving back to and sharing their artistic talents and skills with their respective communities. The Exceptional Merit Award supports actors who are established in their careers as working professionals with 10 years or more of professional experience. Funds will support actors who are evaluating the current state of their career and envisioning what their career could be as they continue to grow in their artistry.

"I'm thrilled to have KC Rep partner with and champion Vanessa Severo, a top actor in our diverse Kansas City community," says Artistic Director Eric Rosen. "Connecting Vanessa with our new work and education program will forward our commitment to put artists at the center of our institution, investing deeply in new, urgent stories."

Through her fellowship work, Vanessa will further her artistic growth through theatre movement training, develop her one-woman show, Frida: A Self Portrait, and strengthen the bridge between Kansas City's community of diverse actors and KC Rep. Vanessa will use this Fellowship to build a master class that offers regular training sessions for actors of color and actors with disabilities, specifically addressing auditions and monologues.

Vanessa Severo says, "In a culture telling us to hurry, art requires us to take our time. I am grateful for the TCG Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellowship which provides me with time, resources, and collaboration with the KC Rep to develop Frida: A Self Portrait. After 13 productions at KC Rep I am thrilled to embark on this journey."

"As a vocal, passionate, and smart artist, Vanessa will be at the forefront of our artistic conversations about new works and collaborations with artists of color and artists with disabilities," says Director of New Works, Marissa Wolf. "As we build out our OriginKC: New Works Program and our education initiative, Vanessa is the perfect artist to engage audiences and artists in Kansas City and beyond with her electrifying work."

Here in Kansas City, Vanessa has also worked with The Living Room Theatre, The Unicorn Theatre, The Coterie Theatre, Off Center Theatre, among others. Vanessa is currently directing Shipwrecked! for Spinning Tree Theatre.

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