Kathryn Parks
Kathryn Parks has established herself as one of Sarasota’s most recognizable leading ladies. A singer, actor and dancer, she is a regular in the region’s musical theater scene. She has starred in productions My Fair Lady, Carousel and The King and I, receiving acclaim for her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle, Julie Jordan, and Anna Leonowens respectively. She has appeared on numerous stages including the Florida Studio Theatre, American Stage, the Players Theatre, Venice Theatre, Manatee Performing Arts Center, Asolo Rep and with the St. Petersburg Opera Company.
Her stage credits also include Lola in Damn Yankees, Maggie in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Edythe Herbert in My One and Only, Violet in Violet, Melody in Bad Jews, Polly in Crazy for You, Maria in Sound of Music, Isabelle in Pirates of Penzance and Anne in La Cage aux Folles.
Parks’ film and television credits include Her Place (which she wrote, directed and co-produced), 50 Words (which earned Parks a 2019 Ladies in Film and Entertainment award from the Sunshine City Film Festival at St. Petersburg’s Palladium Theatre), Killroy Was Here (a short by Kevin Smith), The Glades Perfect Storm, Listening, Rocky Mountain Fast Guy, 
Carol’s Daughter, Beneva’s Christmas Special and Mr. Engagement. She also recently participated as a writer and actor in the Cinebrum Cinematic 48-Hour Film Project.
Also known to the concert and cabaret scene, Kathryn performs with the trio Vocal Vixens and produced a spate of music videos during the COVID -19 pandemic including performances of “Stairway to Paradise,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” and “(In a Very) Unusual Way” for Theatre Lives At the Movies and “Finding Your Way” for Virtual Cabaret. 
Her voice has been called “sparkling” by Scene Magazine while the Bradenton Herald has described her as “portraying genuine star power.”
Kathryn also holds the distinction of having tossed a football with Dan Marino (in a Pappa John’s commercial), hiked across the country of Israel, danced in a McLaren convertible across Sarasota’s Ringling Bridge at sunset (see her “Get Happy” video), graduated 6th in her high school class (while not a nerd, she’s nevertheless exceptionally smart) and did a 90-second documentary about Rosemary Square for the American Institute of Architects’ 2020 Film Challenge Solstice Planning & 
Architecture. When she has time, she also takes ballet classes at The Sarasota Ballet School, jazz at Sarasota Contemporary Dance Studio and tap at The Players Studio.
Kathryn has a B.A. in Theare Arts from the University of Miami and now studies with Carlo Thomas and Sharon Lesley.
April 3, 2020; revised May 10, 2021.
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About the Author
Tom Hall is both an amateur artist and aspiring novelist who writes art quest thrillers. He is in the final stages of completing his debut novel titled "Art Detective," a story that fictionalizes the discovery of the fabled billion-dollar Impressionist collection of Parisian art dealer Josse Bernheim-Jeune, thought by many to have perished during World War II when the collection's hiding place, Castle de Rastignac in southern France, was destroyed by the Wehrmacht in reprisal for attacks made by members of the Resistance operating in the area. A former tax attorney, Tom holds a bachelor's degree as well as both a juris doctorate and masters of laws in taxation from the University of Florida. Tom lives in Estero, Florida with his fiancee, Connie, and their four cats.