melissa mowry
director. theatre maker. storyteller
about
melissa
Melissa Mowry (she/her) is an East Coast based director, performer and theatre maker. From a young age, Melissa found herself drawn to the stories of the people around her. It was common to find her talking with relative strangers and learning about the adventures they had, the heartbreaks they faced, the obstacles they had overcome.
As she grew older, this passion for stories and a love for art set her on a journey as a singer, actor, director and writer, as she sought more and more ways to connect with people and engage with and learn from the people and communities around her.
Earning her BA in Drama from Randolph-Macon College, with a second major in Music Industry, Melissa also found her passion for travel, advocacy and theatre. Spending much of her time at volunteering for local and school-based advocacy groups, Melissa found a desire to uplift communities and voices that often felt silenced or ignored.
In 2018, Melissa graduated with her MFA in Directing from the Actors Studio Drama School (ASDS) at Pace University, where she focused primarily on a Stanislavsky and Method-based approach to theatre technique. Which allowed her to develop an actor-focused directing style that is rooted in collaboration and care.
Since her graduation from ASDS, Melissa has been an active theatre maker in New York, Virginia, and across the US. Creative collaborations have included organizations such as: Ars Nova, JAGFest, The Lower East Side Shakespeare Company, The New Group, New York Fringe Festival, Permafrost Theatre Collective, Project1Voice, The Shed, The Tank, Theatre in Asylum, The Ume Group, and WP Theatre in New York; Cadence Theatre Company and Virginia Repertory Theatre in Virginia; Summit Performance Indianapolis in Indiana; and the Kattaikkuttu Sangam and Gurukulam in Tamil Nadu, India.
Melissa is also an alumni of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship at The New Group and The SDCF Observership Program, where she observed and assisted Patricia McGregor on her production of Lights Out Nat King Cole at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. She was also a finalist for the Drama League’s 2022 Stage Director Fellowship.
Melissa continues to champion respectful collaboration, intentional exploration, and community care in her rehearsal rooms and artistic process. Her hope is that her work will touch the hearts of collaborators and audiences, encourage them to reflect on themselves and their place in the world, and drive them to make sustainable change.
upcoming
projects
6-Week Scene Study Workshop
Melissa will be leading a six-week workshop with the Entertainment Community Fund. In this workshop, participants will explore useful tools, techniques and processes to help actors navigate the early stages of the rehearsal process
Click here for more information about the Entertainment Community Fund
Guest on "Falling with Style Podcast"
Melissa will be a guest on the "Falling with Style Podcast" to discuss the Pixar film Soul. Melissa will join hosts Derek Gayle and Doug Fink to chat about the storytelling, animation, and controversy surrounding the film.
Click here to listen to the podcast and learn more about "Falling with Style"
past
projects
The BLK Print Roundtable
Melissa and her fellow founders of The BLK Print wrapped filming on their 3-part Roundtable discussion. This conversation covered topics such as: What is Trauma? How do we move forward toward a more equitable community? What's stopping us? What role do Black Women play in the revolution?
Click here to learn more and support the project
"From the Mississippi Delta" by Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Ph.D.
Melissa directed a reading of From the Mississippi Delta by Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Ph.D. The piece is part of Project1Voice's One Play One Day and features: Elain Graham, Brenda Denmark, Lisa Arrindell, and Bernita Robinson
This Pulitzer Prize-nominated play traces the story of one woman's triumphant journey out of a difficult childhood in Mississippi through the civil rights movement and beyond, offering us a gripping tale of resilience and the human spirit.
Click here to watch the live recording here. To learn more about Project1Voice, click here
The BLK Print
Melissa, together with four Black Women from her MFA program, launched an initiative to support the work of Black Femme artists and spread a culture of accountability with regard to racism and institutional bias.
Click here for more information about The BLK Print
tango of a crumbling wall by Jac Ford at Theatre Latea
Melissa directed tango of a crumbling wall by Jac Ford as part of New York Summerfest.
Synopsis: After their date, Charlie and Oak try to navigate the goodbye tango of do-I-or-don't-I-kiss-them while wrestling with their inner saboteurs.
Click here for more information about Jac and tango of a crumbling wall.
Exploring Monologues Workshop
Melissa lead a four-week workshop with the Entertainment Community Fund. In this workshop participants explored and prepared monologues by engaging in a low-stakes "actors playground" to explore and deepen their connection with their monologues, and then shaped their pieces into performance ready material.
Click here for more information about the Entertainment Community Fund
"Padiddle" by Kevin Renn at JAGFest
Melissa directed a workshop reading of Padiddle by Kevin Renn. The piece, part of JAGFest 6.0, follows two best friends, Toledo and July, recounting the highs and lows of their fifteen-year friendship—from high school teens all the way into adulthood.
Click here to find out more about Kevin and Padiddle