Suellen Vance

Suellen Vance is an actress, singer, writer and producer, whose career spans broadcast journalism, acting, singing and theatrical producing. Born in Chicago, her father was William L. Vance, an Emmy award winning television news director and her mother, Margaret B. Vance, a voice for social justice and equality. The family moved several times living outside Philadelphia, PA, in Providence, RI, Columbus, OH and Dallas-Ft Worth, TX where Suellen graduated high school. She studied theatre and finance at Stephens College, graduating with a BFA in Theatre and a BA in Business. She moved to Nashville, TN following graduation to work at the Opryland Amusement Park, and studied acting with Ruth Sweet. After landing an internship on Talk of Town, a local talk show in Nashville, TN she went to work in television news as a reporter and a producer, working in several of the nation's top 40 markets including Nashville, TN, Columbus, OH and Orlando, FL. She won a Best Reporting Award (Fathers and Children for Equality), and as a producer, wrote and ran a daily 30-minute newscast for 5 years (WTVG, WKMG) before making the transition back to acting. Living in Orlando, she studied improv at the SAK Theatre Comedy Lab and traveled to the Edmonton, AB Canada Fringe (performing on Die-Nasty), and London, UK (performing with London TheatreSports and the Scarlet Pimpernels) before relocating to NYC. In NYC,she has studied with Catherine Gaffigan and Rob McCaskill as well as UCB, Manhattan Comedy School (Linda Smith), HB Studio (Austin Pendleton) and Primary Stages. She appeared as Aunt Julie in John Gould Rubin's 2010 sold out production of Hedda Gabler and co-wrote (with Music Director Rob LaRocco) and performed the solo show Dangerously in Love at the world famous Don't Tell Mama's. Suellen has performed stand-up comedy all around New York City, including Caroline's on Broadway, New York Comedy Club and the Laugh Lounge on the lower east side. As a singer, Suellen wrote, recorded and released the pun filled holiday classic Dear Mister Santa Claus (iTunes) which has been heard in more than 81 countries on the soap opera Passions and continues to be a holiday favorite. Starting in 2010, Suellen also moved into theatrical producing. She executive produced/general managed the multi award winning New York premieres of Bayonets of Angst (2014 New York Musical Theatre Festival), Crossing Swords (2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival) and Central Avenue Breakdown (2011 New York Musical Theatre Festival). Ms. Vance simultaneously co-produced the premiere and encore festival productions of Central Avenue Breakdown in Daegu, South Korea and New York City in 2012. (It is the only show to receive an Encore Presentation at NYMF.) Other projects as General Manager/Executive Producer: NYMF 2014: Searching for Romeo; NYMF 2013: Swiss Family Robinson, The Pirates of Finance, God's Country. Broadway (Investor): THE PEE WEE HERMAN SHOW ON BROADWAY, GODSPELL.